This little-known game appears as a ‘work-in-progress’ in the September 1994 issue of Sega Power, it was developed by DICE (originally for the Amiga) but it doesn’t have a decent description. According to the article, Hardcore was a typical run-and-gun platformer, similar to the Turrican series or Super Star Wars, with many different enemies to destroy. The press release for the game boasted that ‘you are able to shoot almost everything, even if it’s not necessary’. There was also a Mega-CD version to be released, which was to include a driving segment at the end of each level, similar to Batman Returns. Although planned for a November 1994 release, both versions of the game were seemingly cancelled.
Little else is said about the game in the article, which is a common trend for previews in Sega Power… They seem to have spent far more time writing the amusing captions, which you can see in the article scan.
It seems that the original Amiga version of Hardcore only got half-finished. Then they decided to do it on Megadrive instead; the MD cartridge version was 99% finished (just a bug or two in the game logic, and highscores aren’t saved) when Psygnosis decided not to publish it. The MD-CD version did not get very far in development.
Thanks a lot to Repi for the contribution! Thanks to DarkFalzX for the video!
Images:
Thanks to Grzegorz here are some screenshots from when Hardcore was developed for Amiga by Digital Illusion:
Videos:
What do you think about this unseen game? Give your vote!
(7 votes, average: 4.71 out of 5)
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Hardcore was made by DICE (www.dice.se)
Thanks for the information Repi :) I have updated the article. So was this really cancelled?
Yes according to Kalms (a fellow DICE:er):
“The Amiga version of Hardcore only got half-finished. Then they decided to do it on Megadrive instead; the MD cartridge version was 99% finished (just a bug or two in the game logic, and highscores aren’t saved) when Psygnosis decided not to publish it. The MD-CD version did not get very far in development.
Figuring out who has the rights for it now would be tricky I’m afraid. (but I suspect the rights lie with SCEE.)”
Thanks a lot for these informations Repi, they are really appreciated and useful to understand better why we’ll never be able to play the game.
Wow, thanks for that info, repi! I was the one who uploaded the original article for this game, and I thought no-one else had ever heard of it. Had no idea it was originally for the Amiga, but it makes sense- lots of Amiga games made the jump to the MD. Thanks again!
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/5812/hardcore0en.jpg
Was it from Console Mania? ;) Thanks Celine! I’ll add that in the gallery
it’s under the playstation list …
mmh.. i think it was a bug, it happened other times that a game got a wrong category by itself X__x now it’s fixed! Thanks Celine :)
Here is a video of the developers demoing the game at the DATASTORM 2010 party: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD_oFVeYZYo&
Thanks a lot for the video DarkFalzX! I’m going to add it in the page :)
Nice video. Feels like Turrican.
just found 2 scans about the Amiga version: http://amr.abime.net/review_19852
Thanks youloute! :)
Hardcore looks really cool, I love Amiga style platform games :>
On a non related topic, I found info about an unreleased 32X game from EA – C.O.R.E. Strike, here is the verbatim from Next Gen #1
Electronic Arts, for
instance, without doubt the most prolific Genesis
publisher of the past few years, only has plans for
one or two 32X titles.
That said, it’s worth pointing out that one of
those titles will be the fourth in the series of
Strike games (after Desert, jungle and Urban).
It’s
provisionally titled Strike C.O.R.E. Set in 2008. the
game involves a threat
from alien—rather
than human—foes and
it will be exclusive to
32X when
it’s launched
in the second half of ’95.
I wonder if this project became…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_Wave_(video_game)
te-he-he
Oops, ShockWave was released the year before…I think I need another coffee
I’m sure I have bit more screen-shoots in Amiga magazines for that game. I will search and send them To You soon.
DICE should release that game, just slap blinking “demo version” at start and everybody will be happy. I hope they keep that game in digital files.. If it’s on cartridge it will be doomed – did Genesis cartridges use battery? and how long that battery could work?
Extra material sent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RDRQcBmEzE
https://project-hardcore.net/
Not cancelled anymore :)
Bloody fantastic news.