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Project Zelda 3D: The Development of Zelda 64

We know, Zelda: Ocarina of Time was a great game and one of the most popular titles in the Zelda series. But was it really as good as it could have been? Unfortunately when Nintendo started to work on their first 3D Zelda game, they planned many interesting concepts that were never implemented in the final game. Why? What happened to Zelda 64 and why Ocarina of Time is just a tiny part of their original project? Take some time and be prepared for one of the most epic legends ever: birth, development, death and rebirth of the Zelda 3D project for Nintendo 64, a game that was so ambitious that it was never really completed.

[Original article written in Italian in 2002 by monokoma, english translation by Yota in 2008, updated, fixed and expanded by monokoma in 2014.]

The Legend Of Zelda: 64DD

The first version of Zelda 64 was originally conceived as a title developed specifically to make full use of the innovative features of the 64DD, like the internal clock, rewritable disks with more space than a normal N64 cartridge, internet connection and 3D editing. Zelda 64DD was planned to be a revolutionary game, that would have not be possible to be made on a normal Nintendo 64. Miyamoto and his team wanted to make Hyrule a persistent world: any changes that Link would perform on it would be saved on the disk: any cut tree, any broken container and any other changes made to the environment would have been saved in the game for the entire adventure (a feature that was later used in Dōbutsu no Mori / Animal Crossing for the N64).

This would have been possible thanks to the 64 Disk Drive features, but when the add-on was released in Japan it sold very poorly, as other failed console add-ons. The market was not interested. The 64DD was postponed for so long that even Nintendo lost faith on their ambitious project. As the sales of the N64 were not great, Nintendo had to make a choice and they announced that Zelda 64 would be released on a traditional N64 cartridge. Without the 64DD hardware, Nintendo had to remove many of the interesting features that were planned for Zelda 64DD and the port from 64DD to N64 had a huge impact on many sections of the game, that had to be changed or removed.

Some interesting info on the early development of Zelda 64 can be found on Ocarina of Time Iwata Asks:

Koizumi: All kinds of things, like battles using a sword and battling lots of enemies. The Super Mario 64 project had passed by incredibly quickly, so a lot that I wanted had gone undone and I wanted to pour all those leftover ideas into The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Iwata: In the end, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time eventually became a massive project that mobilized nearly everyone who belonged to EAD at that time, but how many people did you start with?
Koizumi: Three.
Osawa: Before Koizumi-san joined, (Jin) Ikeda-san6 and I started it just the two of us!
Iwata: When people talk about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, they mention various things like an epic story, solving puzzles, trotting across a broad field on a horse and how cool Link is, but it began with the single theme of making a Zelda game that included chanbara-style swashbuckling!

Some more info can be found in various articles and interviews:

Ocarina of Time was originally designed with the N64 Disk Drive in mind, and in the future, we’d like to make use of some of those unrealized ideas intended for the N64 DD. – Nintendo Power Shigeru Miyamoto Interview
The game Zelda designer Shigeru Miyamoto and his team wanted to create would be set in a persistent world. Every change Link would make to his surroundings would stick. If you smashed a box, it would stay broken. If you dug a hole, it would remain there until you covered it. If you left footsteps in the sand, they would stay. All this was supposed to be made possible by the enhanced storage space of the 64DD. IGN: Hyrule Times Volume 4

Some magazines scans that covered Zelda 64 with 64DD features:

A great video documentary about the initial development of Zelda 64DD was created by Adam Hendrickson and you can see it below:

The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time

Ocarina of Time, the first 3D Zelda game, managed to preserve the feeling of the series and it was an huge success. Released in winter 1998 on the Nintendo 64, Ocarina of time was however a mere shadow of his former self, the revolutionary Zelda 64DD. Hidden in the game’s code it’s still possible to find many unused leftovers from the original concept and some of the unused features that would have been used while connecting Zelda: Ocarina of Time to the 64DD. With a Gameshark it’s even possible to play some weird beta events. Ocarina of Time is a great game, but because of all the cuts and changes made to the project, we may never know how the game was really meant to be.

There were actually also some ideas I wanted to incorporate, but because of the time shortage, I couldn’t — and if I may add this, I am not completely satisfied with the 3D system in Zelda, so if we could have had more time maybe it could have been somewhat different. But because at some point we have to finish our games, the new ideas we have may be incorporated in some sort of other game in the future. – Shigeru Miyamoto with IGN, January 1999

The Legend Of Zelda: URA

Zelda URA (“Another Zelda” in japanese) is one of the most popular and interesting tales in the Zelda history. After Ocarina was downgraded to be played on a plain N64 cartridge, Nintendo planned to create a 64 disk expansion with some of the features that had to be cut from the original game. As the released (only in Japan) F-zero 64DD expansion, Ura was meant to add more content to Ocarina Of time, with new mini-games, new sub-quest, redesigned and new dungeons. In an interview, Miyamoto tells us that when the player would have completed Ocarina of Time, with Zelda Ura he could revisit the same world, but with new features, new characters and more places to explore. Many questions and mysteries from Ocarina of Time would be aswered in Ura, like the invincible runner from Hirule Field, the Unicorn Fountain, the Ocarina Pedestal and many others.

This game was designed so it can be applied to the disk drive system, and by hooking up the N64 DD, you can play another version of Zelda. By that method, all the dungeons will be replaced by new ones. I think that will be the next Zelda we will make. – Nintendo Power Shigeru Miyamoto Interview

Zelda URA features planned for the 64DD:

Ura Zelda supposedly unlocked new mini-games, new sidequests, characters and shuffled around items to give Zelda players some new stuff to do in the familiar world of Hyrule.
Shigeru Miyamoto told us shortly before the launch of Ocarina of Time, that “you first play the initial disk version of Zelda — after finishing everything, you can enter into the world, into the basic design of the same.
It’s very much a parody game based on Ocarina of time, but with new dungeons to explore. It even features the same storyline. (from IGN64)
The title might support the GB Camera to create masks for Link. Miyamoto hinted of this possibility in a 64 Dream interview. If this does turn out to be true, gamers will be able to create their own masks in Talent Studio and implement them into Ura-Zelda. IGN: The Legend of Zelda DD / 22 Sep 1999 (this was working and was shown for Mother 3)
Ocarina Of Time was design with the introduction of the DD in mind, and if you load the game with the drive connected to your system, you will see a screen option, which says “Ura Zelda” another version of Zelda.
There were several ideas I could not incorporate into Zelda because of the lack of time and various other factors. For example, I wanted to creat some extra dungeons for those who had completed the quest. – Next-Generation magazine Feb 1999 (?)
The 64DD adventure is said to enable gamers to revisit areas and dungeons of Ocarina of Time and experience new adventures in familiar surroundings.
Miyamoto: “Whether or not we release it or not, we are still working on the game.”
Ura-Zelda isn’t so much a new game as it is an expansion to an existing one: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (it is not compatible with Majora’s Mask).
One of the few features that Nintendo told us about was the addition of new mask quests. Apart from the existing masks, Ura Zelda was to include many more — some of which were no doubt included in Majora’s Mask.
August 25/2000: Speaking to the press in an open forum held yesterday in Tokyo, Japan, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto casually commented that “Ura-Zelda” (aka: Legend of Zelda DD) has been completed for some time now.
Ura Zelda could not be played without owning Ocarina of Time.

Some magazines scans that covered the Zelda 64DD expansion:

The Legend Of Zelda: Beta Quests

The Ocarina of Time Beta Quests are weird events and scenarios not seen in the normal game, but that can be reached thanks to some Action replay/Game Shark codes. There is an incredible number of variants in the beta quests, and most likely no one has really seen them all: some of these are connected with the new features planned for Zelda URA, while in others it’s still possible to see some of the items unused when Zelda 64 was ported from 64DD to cartridge, or just strange places and glitched areas. Certainly a precious source of information to dream about the beta of Zelda 64.

The Legend Of Zelda: Master Quest

Released as a preorder bonus for Wind Waker, Master Quest was essentially an edited version of Ocarina of time with redesigned dungeons. The order of the rooms was changed, as many of the puzzles. The Outside world is still the same as Ocarina of Time, and it was a great bonus for gamers that already completed the main game, just like the original NES Zelda’s Second Quest. Master Quest is probably only a small part of the original Zelda Ura for 64DD.

Some magazines scans that covered Zelda Master Quest:

Zelda: Master Quest features on GameCube:

In the Deku Tree there’s this one chest I can’t open… it looks like a big blue box with a fancy design on it… and there’s a track next to it, as if it could be pushed or pulled… except it can’t.
The dungeon maps are all (supposedly) the same. It’s just the insides that are different.
Music seems to be exactly the same as the N64 version. The game select screen at the very beginning has a nice rendition of the classic Zelda theme.
The general map layout of the first dungeon is the same, but the puzzles, enemies, enemy locations and item locations are different. For example, many of the torches, chests, crates, floating platforms and the like have been mixed up and moved around, and some rooms have different requirements for you to fulfill in order to be able to proceed.
Also, remember those little mini-gohmas that Gohma dropped from the ceiling during the boss fight? Well, they’re all over the dungeon now… in eggs. When you get close to one, it pops out of its egg and starts attacking.
One room in the Deku Tree is full of tombstones with little Triforce designs on them. If you hit them with your sword, items pop out (rupees, hearts, etc.). I don’t remember anything like this in the original Ocarina.
Enemies are tougher. Some that required one hit in Ocarina require two in Ura. I’m not sure if they do more damage or not, though.
Also noted, some of the enemies, like the Deku Babas (Venus Flytrap head things) will some times be larger, which take more hits to kill. Enemy placement is different. Places where there would be a Deku Scrub, there may be a Deku Babas, or something.
Dodongo’s Cavern and Jabu-Jabu were both remixed nicely. In the case of Jabu-Jabu, there are cows lodged in the walls all throughout the dungeon now. :) You have to hit them with the slingshot or boomerang to make them drop chests or open doors and whatnot. It’s pretty cool.
I’m probably about 50% to 60% of the way through Ura Zelda, and to this point, the -only- changes are inside the dungeons. The overworld stuff is all exactly the same as in Ocarina of Time.
They added in more of those blue boxes that you can make appear/disappear with the ocarina, and they shuffled around some platforms and whatnot, but otherwise the layouts have been mostly the same.
The Ice Cave has areas that were featured in earlier shots, remember the two ice horses looking down? Well this is actually a new puzzle which is hella cool.
There is also a new mini boss which is a mutated version of a white Wolfos.
There are three new rooms in Ice Cavern with different puzzles.
The game is IDENTICAL to OoT, except for the dungeons.
There are NO extra items.
The fire temple plays almost completely backwards.
Lizard guy. Half-way bosses in the fire dungeon. They appear all over the place now, but also ones with white trimmings that seem to fight better.
A bigger blue floating jellyfish, that appear in Lord Jabu Jabu.
I also encountered a “mother” sand dweller. You know those plants that surface in the desert and come at you. This one was bigger and black.
The Thieves Cave (where you win the Ice Arrows) is a pain and a half. A lot of rooms with time limits. Especially one where you have to defeat an axe armour guy in sand, which makes your movement difficult, with a strict time limit.
There seem to be more “kill every enemy to open a door” rooms with more, strong enemies.

The Legend Of Zelda: Debug ROM

This debug version of Ocarina of Time was leaked online many years after the original release of the game. It’s a version of the game that developers used for testing specific section of Ocarina of Time, and it is possible to go anywere inside the ROM code with a debug menu. The most interesting part of the Zelda Ocarina of Time debug rom is, of course, that you can still find many leftovers from the beta, like some removed locations and models seen in the early screenshots and videos. Another interesting fact about the debug rom is that it should be based on Master Quest, as it was probably used to test and develope this GameCube bonus.

The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3DS

Released in June 2011, this game is a full remake of Ocarina of Time and many gamers hoped that Nintendo could have added some of the removed Zelda 64 features as a bonus content. Sadly Zelda 3DS doesn’t have many differences apart from the graphic upgrade and the unbeatable runner in the Hirule Field is still unbeatable. The 3DS remake contains modified Master Quest dungeons and mirrored overworld in addition to the original game. Maybe the mirrored overworld was planned for URA Zelda too? It was not included in the GameCube Master Quest so it’s something that was not fully developed yet.

In this video you can see all the differences between Zelda 3DS and Zelda N64:

The Legend Of Zelda: Gaiden

When Nintendo decided that the first Zelda for the Nintendo 64DD was being ported to cartridge, they began to develop a new Zelda game for the 64DD. The title, formerly known under the codename Zelda Gaiden, would have fully used all the 64DD features, especially the internal clock. In Gaiden gamers would have played as Link trapped for a week (yes, 7 days!) into a strange world on the verge of destruction. At the end of the seventh day, a natural disaster would have occured and to sruvive Link would have to travel back in time, trying to find a way to save the Termina. It was also possible to buy “more time” with rupies.

Later identified as Legend of Zelda: Gaiden (when it once again moved to cartridge), this title again starred young Link who was supposed to spend a week in a doomed world. After seven days, a disaster would destroy everything and Link would have to travel back in time to avoid it. IGN: Hyrule Time Volume 4

Environmental and time changes were going to be saved in the rewritable section of the special 64DD disks, thus influencing the events of the seven days. Another interesting feature would have been a new version of the great fishing mini-game already seen on Ocarina of Time, this time called Jabu Jabu fishing. Miyamoto even said that to stop the moon (or to stop time?) you would have needed to fish Jabu Jabu, the fish-god, but it could have been a joke.

With the 64DD failure, Gaiden was cut and quickly redeveloped for a release on the standard Nintendo 64, which was then already being forgotten because of the “next-gen” consoles (Dreamcast, PS2, Xbox and GameCube).

There will be no version of Gaiden for the 64DD. “We have made various changes to the engine, so it is only going to work on cartridge,” said Miyamoto – IGN: The Legend of Zelda DD / 22 Sep 1999
Since the game was originally designed to run on 64DD, a unit that required the 4MB RAM expansion, it’s no surprise that Gaiden (now on cart) will support the RAM Pak.

As we can read on IGN64, Zelda Gaiden was meant to be a different game than Zelda URA:

In an interview with Japanese game magazine Famitsu Weekly, Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed once and for all that the cartridge-based Zelda Gaiden and the long talked-about 64DD Ura Zelda are two separate projects.

Thanks to Glitterberri’s translations we can read more about the development of Majora’s Mask.

Koizumi: That’s what he told us! I remember thinking to myself “That’s not helpful at all!” [Laughs] I’d originally been designing a board game, based around the theme of cops and robbers. I wanted to make it so that you technically had to catch the criminal within a week, but, in reality, you could finish the game in an hour. I figured I’d just throw what I already had into Majora’s Mask.

From Iwata Asks interview for the release of Majora’s Mask 3DS we can read more info on the these differences:

Aonuma: Right. But at first, it was one week.
Iwata: Three days was originally one week?
Aonuma: That’s right. But when you returned to the first day it was like “Do I have to go through an entire week again…”, so we thought three days would be just right.
Iwata: Wait, it got decided just like that? (laughs)
Aonuma: (laughs) In this game the townspeople do different things each day and many different things happen, but when the timespan becomes a week, that’s just too much to remember. You can’t simply remember who’s where doing what on which day.
Iwata: moreover, you probably wouldn’t have been able to make it in a year if you were aiming to make a game filled with so much content for seven days.
Aonuma: right, we never would have been able to do it. We felt it would be best to make it a three-step process, and we compressed all sorts of things we had planned for over a week into three days.
Aonuma: The development of Ocarina of Time was so long, we were able to put in a whole lot of different elements into that game. Out of those, there were ideas that weren’t fully utilized, and ones that weren’t used to their full potential. One of those was the mask salesman8.

The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Released for Nintendo 64, the “sequel” of Ocarinaof Time lacked many of the features of the original 64dd version. Four days out of the original seven were removed, some dungeons were never completed, and many subquests never seen the light (or who knows.. maybe they were reused in Wind Waker). Yet, even so heavily redesigned, Majora’s Mask is certainly one of the best and most interesting games of the Zelda series.

Thanks to Glitterberri’s translations we can read more about the development of Majora’s Mask. The team planned to finish the game in 1 year and in that short time they surely had to cut some things from the project:

However, it really only takes a year to make the game itself. For Majora’s Mask, we had 30 to 50 staff members working on the game right from the get-go. With amount of resources required for a Zelda game, we had everyone working overtime. Striving for a unique experience with every game makes for hard work. And we did manage to do that with Majora’s Mask. So, all in all, I can say that it made for one strenuous year.

A Link To The Past

But what of the original Zelda 64 project has been left hidden inside the final games? Thanks to countless hours of exploration spent in the two games, hackers kills and Gameshark codes, it’s possible to find some interesting unused content in all the N64 Zeldas.

Zelda 64DD / URA > Ocarina Of Time

In the Japanese version of Ocarina of Time, when a 64DD is connected, a screen is displayed that warns the player to insert the Zelda URA disk.

The Hyrule Field Runner, found in Gerudo Valley, is famous for his unbeatability. In fact, even stopping the time with a Gameshark and finishing the course with a 0:00 timer, the runner will always say that he has already beated you by 1 second. Nintendo admitted that is not possible to beat him in Ocarina of Time, and it was probably going to be a new quest for Zelda Ura, using a new item to beat him.

When checking the text inside the Ocarina Of Time rom code, it’s possible to find some sentences that don’t appears in the final game, like “Hi! I’m a talking door!”- “The Entrance to the Past” – “The Entrance to the Present” – “The Entrance to the Future” – WHAAAT!? Look at all those flags! Can you figure out which ones are real? – This door is currently being refurbished [Thanks to Triforce of the Gods for the contribution!]

Thanks to some Gameshark codes, it’s possible to find this unused ice structure in one of the Beta Quests, a model that was later used in Master Quest.

In a Beta Quest you can see a strange pedestal with an Ocarina icon, never used in the final game but maybe connected in some way or another with Zelda Ura or with the beta game. The pedestal is located at Zora Domain, at the entry of the Jabu Jabu’s mouth.

These two icons left inside the rom of Ocarina can be translated as Wind Medallion and Ice Medallion, and they are most likely the leftovers of two temples removed from the final game and probably scheduled for Zelda Ura.

It’s also possible to find two unused tunics which perhaps were going to be used in the removed dungeons: The golden one (Light Temple?) and the white one (Ice Temple ?).

In the secret cave across the entrance of Gerudo Valley, it’s possible to find one of the gossip stones. The message that the stone says is: “They say that there is a switch you can only activate by using the spin attack“, but in the game there isn’t a button which it is activated only with the spin attack, and then it is likely that it refers to a puzzle of URA. UPDATE: Thanks to Ultraman82 we found out that in Ocarina of Time there is really a switch that should be activated only with a Spin Attack. Is this one in the Water Temple:

In reality, the 3D engine collisions in the game is not perfect, so you can activate it with the Biggoron Sword too (because is longer than the normal sword), but otherwise only a spin attack can activate it!

One of the first NPCs that were shown was a girl named “Aria” that could have had a central role in Zelda 64DD. This character and her 3D model were never used in the final game, but hidden in the game’s code the data for Aria’s 3D model were found and restored in all their glory, as you can see in the image below. As far as we know, there are no official info about who Aria was and what her role could have been.

Aria in Zelda 64DD

Aria restored model in Ocarina of Time

Another strange message of one of the gossip stones at Zora’s River is: “They say that there is a man who can always be found running around Hyrule Field”, but this statement is pointless because in order to read the advice you need the Mask of Truth, available only when you have already met the Hyrule Field runner.

A code for the Game Shark can instead make appear in the Kokiri village an Air Wing , a spaceship (for those who don’t know) used in another Nintendo game, Star Fox. The polygonal model is perfectly animated, with a laser gun that attacks Link, and when hit it even falls down and explodes..therefore it seems much more than a simple model left inside the game. Maybe it was originally used for an easter-egg quest, available only with URA.

Inside the Debug Rom of Ocarina of Time: Master Quest it is possible to find a room not available in the final game, but showed many years from the release of Zelda 64 in many beta screenshots. This beta room was left inside the rom all these years..Nintendo forgot it because it didn’t notice it or for another reason ? We are still researching the secrets of this new Debug Rom.. and maybe some day it will be possible to find even the fabled Unicorn Fountain.

Here is another beta room from the Debug version of Ocarina of time, which was first showed in many old screenshots of the game, and that is was also left inside Ocarina of Time all these years..

Another beta room not available in the final version of Ocarina of Time, but explorable in the Debug Rom.

As Ocarina of Time was released to be ready with the 64DD Expansion, in the final game is still possible to find the icons for the Zelda URA saves:

Nintendo 64DD extension of Ocarina of Time is the existence of N64DD Save Files. They can be created on a real N64 by slowly pulling out the left side of the cartridge while copying a file. Files created this way have a “Disk” tag attached to it and cannot be opened, as they’re grayed out. Trying to copy or delete such files crashes the game. Version 1.2 clears this flag before displaying the menu, so the tag can’t be seen.

Do you know some more beta connections? Leave a comment below!

Ocarina Of Time / URA > Gaiden / Majora’s Mask

Even if not normally found in the game, the Blue Fire of Ocarina of Time was left inside the final version of Majora Mask. Unfortunately, it is possible to see it only with a code for Gameshark.

Another two items from Ocarina of Time not used in the final version of Majora Mask: The Fairy Ocarina and The Fairy Slingshot.

The photo on the left show the beta design of the treasure boxes in one of the old versions of Ocarina of Time. In the final game they were replaced with another kind, but, as you can seen from the screen on the right, they were later reused in Majora.

It seems like that some of the Skulltula House of Majora Mask were originally beta dungeons of Ocarina of Time which were never completed but later rearranged for the sequel.

The Bunny Hood is one of the mask of Majora, used to go faster. In Ocarina of Time. the runner says that with this mask you could run faster and became unbeatable. So it is likely that it was one of the new skills of the masks in Zelda Ura, and with one this mask it was finally possible to beat the runner. When Zeldan Gaiden was began, some of the ideas for the new masks were taken from the same characteristics of the masks featured in URA.

Do you know some more beta connections? Leave a comment below!

Zelda URA / Ocarina Of Time > Zelda 3DS

As we can read from TCRF, some unused items and file names are hidden in Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS and those have some interesting relations with Zelda URA and the development of the original game:

The texture file used for choosing the Master Quest option from the menu screen is called ura.ctxb.

The mirrored maps used in the Master Quest have “DD” in the filename, a reference to the Disk Drive.

As the Forest Temple was once a Wind Temple in Ocarina of Time, some file are still named with their “wind” name: NA_BGM_OCA_WIND, kazenomenuetto.csab (Minuet of Wind), zelda_gi_melody_wind.cmb, mjin_flash_model_wind,

Also, the Water Temple was once referred as an Ice Temple: zelda_gi_melody_ice.cmb, mjin_flash_model_ice

Zelda Gaiden > Majora’s Mask

Thanks to the Gameshark it is possible to make appear this unused item in Majora Mask’s inventory. It’s probably just a fish or a bait in a bottle. The japanese text tells us that the item is called “Hyrulian Dojo”, and it is most likely a leftover from the already quoted fish mini-game that was going to be available in Zelda Gaiden.

Another text not used in the final version of Majora, The “Grandma’s Drink“, probably a potion like the one from Wind Waker.

As we can read on TCRF, in Majora’s Mask there’s an hidden Link Mask, that is unused in the final game. It seems that Skull Kid could have used this mask in Zelda Gaiden for some reasons, maybe a removed cutscene or a different ending? In early Zelda Gaiden screenshots we can see that there was an Adult Link Mask, but we don’t know if these 2 are related somehow.

Do you know some more beta connections? Leave a comment below!

Once Upon a Time

The original story of Zelda 64 was different

Link is preparing for his coming-of-age ceremony, in which he will receive his guardian spirit. In the tradition of his people, children receive a fairy from the Fairy Tree when they reach adulthood. This fairy becomes a person’s lifelong familiar. The fairy accompanies the youthful adventurer seeking his or her fortune in the maze-like forest or in the lands beyond. Link’s ceremony, however, is not destined to be a happy one. The Fairy Tree, source of guardian spirits, is captured by a strange creature from the depths of the forest. Link is able to locate his guardian spirit, Navie, and with her help, slay the creature. However, in the process, the Fairy Tree is grievously damaged. As its life force ebbs, the Fairy Tree speaks the words that will shape Link’s destiny.
“Do not allow the thief, Gannondorf, to claim the Triforce … ” the Tree mystically communicates. “Oh brave one, you must take this sacred stone to a wise man….”
Gannondorf was infamous throughout the land for his evil practices as the king of thieves. He lusted for the power of the Triforce and searched throughout Hyrule for its resting place, most recently plunging into the forest of Link’s people. Link knew he was in grave danger should Gannondorf find him. He took the sacred stone from the Fairy Tree and set out for Hyrule Castle, the capital of the Hyrulian people. Upon entering the castle, Link is welcomed by the young Princess Zelda, a woman of the Hyrulian royal family about the same age as he. She is well aware of the crisis facing the land of Hyrule. Zelda relates further details about the Triforce’s hiding place, telling Link that he needs to find the three sacred stones that fit into a magical Ocarina, which serves as the key to hidden realm. Link’s race with the evil Gannondorf to find the sacred stones and the hiding place of the Triforce is on!

The End.

Would you like to play Zelda 64 but you lost your cart? Buy it again from Amazon!

Unseen Articles, Unseen Features

Flashback Legends GBA Beta Analysis

yota

16-04-2008

2 Comments

Delphine, the notable French software house which created at the beginning of the nineties two of the greatest action adventures of all times, Another World and Flashback, was officially closed down in 2004. Some of their projects were therefore not completed, among which, of course, the most famous was Flashback Legends. Later a beta of the game was released on the internet and, despite being incomplete and bug-filled, revealed a title in an advanced state of development, probably not too far away from being finished.

[Article by Yota]

In the first screen of Flashback we can choose the language , but unfortunately the beta is French only.

After that fake choice, there is a comic-like introduction. This adequately prepares us for the real graphic engine, which is rather distant from the sobriety of the first Flashback, sprite of the main character aside.

Once learned the controls, we realize that Flashback Legends is very similar to the original, even if with much simplified puzzles, this time limited to find cards in order to open the various doors and to search for batteries in order to restore electricity.

An useful tutorial, together with the usual PDA (which will notify us of the new items obtained by Conrad), will help us to learn the basics of the game, which is a rather classic action adventure. Other than solve puzzles, we will jump over precipices, electrified fields, and kill with the gun the various enemies on the path.

Also, despite the presence in this beta of many different levels, the stages don’t offer any significant variations. The game is quite difficult, mainly because checkpoints are still absent.

Flashback Legends, as far as we know, is incomplete, ending abruptly at level ten, even if it is possible to play some unfinished version of stages 12-16. Moreover, this beta is bug-filled, and often in order to pass some sections is necessary to use some emulator features.

Thanks to Robert Seddon, who extracted the text from the rom, we now know more details about some features of Flashback Legends that were going to be implemented in the final version, like three different difficulty levels, a password system, save points. Also, it seems that the stages of the game were going to be mission based.

For more screenshots >> Flashback Legends Images Archive

[Article by Yota]

Videos:

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Unseen Articles, Unseen Features

Sonic The Hedghog 2: Beta Analysis

Sonic 2, like the other installments of the series for the Genesis ,doesn’t need any presentation. Released in November 1992, after the great success of the first episode, the new Sega title become promptly the best selling game for the 16 bit console. More interesting for our site, the beta of Sonic 2 is currently the most important beta document of the series, and one of the most intriguing ever.

The prototype was initially rediscovered in December 1998, when Simon Wai released on a newsgroup a beta version of Sonic 2 previously found on a Chinese website. We say rediscovered because the existence of the proto was already known, and Simon Wai himself played it in 1992. Yuji Naka said in a interview that it is probably the same prototype stolen in New York in 1992. The beta was then illegally released in the Asian videogame market.

Anyway, the prototype was finally in the hands of the Sonic community and it immediately revealed all its wonders, notably two levels not included in the final version and many beta leftovers.

[Article by Yota]

Green Hill zone

As you can seen from the screenshots, this is the first level of the final game, Emerald Hill. It is the most finished zone of the beta, and the only one with a boss, even if with some differences (there is no sound from the paddles when Robotnik enters, and no explosion when it is defeated) . The badnick in the screenshot was removed from the final game. The music is the same as the released version.

Wood zone

This is the first zone removed from the final game. Already well known from magazines pics, the Wood zone was a level set in a forest. Not much work was done on this stage, and it is fully playable only with the debug mode. The music is the same as the metropolis zone.

Metropolis zone

Metropolis Zone it is the only level in Sonic 2 with three acts, and the same can be said about this beta, even through they are all still incomplete and without enemies and rings. Early in the development, the third act was supposed to be a completely different stage. The most interesting beta feature of this zone is a strange lift (pictured in the screenshot) that is was totally removed from the released game. The music is slightly different from the final version.

Hidden Palace Zone

Those who played Sonic & Knuckles will certainly remember a level called Hidden Palace Zone. The zone from Sonic 2 is however a completely different stage, set in an underground cave. The Hidden palace was never completed, although his presence in an even early version of Sonic 2 suggest that it was one of the first level developed. Anyway, it is one of the most interesting zones of the beta due to the presence of the big green emerald , similar (but not connected) to the master emeralds, of the Tails 1-up (which it was really just a ten-ring monitor) and of the badnicks removed from the final game. The Hidden Palace is still accessible in the released version of Sonic 2 with the action replay, but the graphic is completely messed-up.

Hill Top Zone

It is one of the most completed zone, and the main differences, aside from the layout, are the lack of the sound effect of the earthquakes and the absence of the rolling animations in the tunnels. The music is the same as the released version.

Oil Ocean Zone

Not much to say about this zone. The most interesting beta feature is a strange ball that is activated by a button. The music is still the same as the casino zone.

Dust hill Zone

This stage is just the mystic cave zone with a different name. The zone is still in the testing phases, and it is fully playable only with the debug.

Casino night Zone

The Casino Night zone was still early in development, and because of the lack of the slot machines and the springs the level is fully playable only with the debug. The background of the act 2 is different from the original. The music is slightly different from the released version.

Chemical Plant Zone

Aside from the first level, this is the most complete zone of the beta. Even the general layout of the stage is very similar to the final version. There are however still some interesting changes, like the different conformation of the circular structures (pictured in the screenshot) and the strange sound effects of the blue fluids from the tubes. The music is the same as the final version.

Genocide city

This zone it is empy, and maybe its development was never really began, because all that exist from this zone it is an early black & white concept art (that later inspired a stage from Sonic Spinball) . The music is the same as the Chemical Zone.

Neo Green hill Zone

This zone is just the Acquatic Ruin Zone with a different name. The layout is similar to the original, but the level is still incomplete and without enemies. The music is already the same as the final version.

Death Egg Zone

This is the final level of Sonic 2, but it is still empy. More interesting, in this beta the zone has two acts. It is the only level in this beta without music.

Sonic The Betahog

Aside from the layouts of the levels, some animations were also different from the released version, like the spin-dash.After eight years of the original release of Simon Wai, in December 2006 a new prototype was found with even earlier version of Emerald Hill, Hill Top, Hidden Palace and Chemical Plant. This beta featured the Green Zone and other leftovers from Sonic 1. But the story doesn’t end there. In fact, in February 2008 many betas from various Sonic games, including Sonic 2, were leaked and released to the community.

You can find more informations about the beta of Sonic 2 on Sonic Retro.

Thanks for MariosegaFreak for the corrections.

[Article by Yota]

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Unseen Features, Unseen Podcast

Unheard Podcast [ITA]

monokoma

11-02-2008

1 Comment

The Unseen 64 Podcast is only in Italian, sorry!

Avete tempo da perdere e volete ascoltare un gruppo di super nerd che parlano di videogiochi beta? allora la Podcast di Unseen 64 fa per voi! Se il progetto andrà avanti, in ogni episodio lo staff prenderà come argomento di discussione un gioco o fatti curiosi riguardo lo sviluppo di videogames, per poi rendersi ridicoli e parlarne online. Ci ascolterà mai qualcuno? Per iscriversi e ricevere automaticamente la Podcast di Unseen 64, potete utilizzare il Feed RSS alla pagina:

www.unseen64.podomatic.com/rss2.xm

Se non utilizzate programmi per l’organizzazione RSS (Come iTunes), potete scaricare direttamente il file MP3 di ogni episodio, seguendo la lista riportata qui sotto. Non aspettatevi grandi cose, per lo più ascolterete frasi senza senso e gente che ride senza motivo apparente, ma cercheremo di migliorare col tempo se il progetto risulterà abbastanza interessante. Probabilmente no.

Per ogni problema con la Podcast o se volete sentire parlare lo staff di qualche gioco in particolare, potete contattarci alla nostra e-mail, per aiuto, consigli, critiche e richieste!

Episodi disponibili:

U64 Podcast: Episodio 2.1 – Super Mario Beta Saga (Parte 2) [105:03] (streaming) ebbene si, siamo riusciti a registrare una nuova podcast! In realtà questa la abbiamo registrata la scorsa estate, ma tra una cosa e l’altra abbiamo avuto tempo per sistemarla e uploadarla solo oggi. Assieme a mono, Reno, Bakka, Yota e Mr.Game ci siamo incontrati di sfuggita per parlare di Mario Galaxy e delle sue caratteristiche rimosse, con una introduzione sulle leggi di censura online (che probabilmente saranno ormai superate), strani fenomeni paranormali e suoni che uccidono nascosti in pokèmon, il mistero dietro l’urlo di munch, e forse si, abbiamo anche fatto una lunga e approfondita discussione su tutti i modelli inutilizzati nascosti nel codice del gioco! Solo i veri fan o chi non ha di meglio da fare, riusciranno ad ascoltare questo episodio fino alla fine.. buon ascolto! >> U64 Episodio 2.1 – Super Mario Beta Saga (Parte 2) [105:03]– Download Versione in MP3

U64 Podcast: Episodio 2.0 – Super Mario Beta Saga (Parte I) [78:54] (streaming) – In qualche modo la podcast di Unseen 64 è arrivata al 20esimo episodio, la qualità non è di certo migliorata ma ci divertiamo tanto quanto la prima volta! In questa puntata bonus, organizzata dal nostro ascoltatore Mr Game, ci siamo ritrovati ad approfondire vari aspetti dello sviluppo dei capitoli tridimensionali della saga di Mario, partendo ovviamente da Mario 64. Le differenze fra le versioni Alpha 1, Alpha 2, Beta 1, la difficolta’ nello sviluppo, i riferimenti ad altri giochi, i dati beta inutilizzati trovati nel gioco, la famosa “Impossible Coin”, la leggenda di “L is Real 2041″ e vari ricordi più o meno demenziali sulla nostra esperienza nel castello di Peach. Siamo poi saltati a dispersioni varie su Super Mario 128 (a.k.a. Super Mario 64 2) e le teorie sulle aggiunte a Mario 64DS, elementi più o meno segreti in Super Mario Sunshine, la Beta dell’E3, le musiche e i video non usati, la bellissima debug room e il libro misterioso, oltre a strani rumors su Mario Sunshine 3DS. Avrete il coraggio di ascoltare questo nuovo episodio fino in fondo? >> U64 Episodio 2.0 – Super Mario Beta Saga (Parte I) [78:54]– Download Versione in MP3

U64 Podcast: Episodio 1.9 – Perfect Dark Zero Beta e Perfect Dark Core [58:34] In questa puntata della podcast finiremo il discorso sulla saga di Perfect Dark, assieme a mono, Yota, Infrid, John Doom e Mr Gamer: parleremo del tech demo di Perfect Dark su GameCube, la versione in Cell Shading, la scoperta delle foto di Perfect Dark Zero per Xbox, l’originale Mai-hem e i suoi capelli killer, le dubbie scelte degli sceneggiatori e la trama random, i livelli cancellati dalla versione finale, i misteriosi fratelli messicani, le origini scozzesi di Mr. Carrington, il design spastico di Joanna Dark, lo sviluppo accellerato per rilasciare il gioco al lancio dell’Xbox 360, lunghi tentativi per finire le missioni nell’originale PD, Otacon in PDZ, i cloni di Joanna, i collegamenti con PD per GameBoy Color, Joanna pelata, i DLC mai rilasciati, ingorghi automobilistici, il prototipo di Perfect Dark Core, le drammatiche pronunce in inglese, le animazioni di ricarica, la verità sulla morte di Elvis, i possibili modelli inutilizzati nascosti nel codice, la fine di Rare in casa per casual gamers, i segreti di Mr Pants. >> U64 Episodio 1.9 – Download Versione in MP3

U64 Podcast: Episodio 1.8 – Perfect Dark 64 Beta [61:41] Dopo più di 2 anni di silenzio, lo staff di Unseen 64 ha trovato il coraggio (e il tempo) per registrare una nuova podcast, dedicata alla beta di Perfect Dark. In questo episodio mono, yota, blek, reno, infrid e tyrian3 (di www.Gamescollection.it) parleranno per un’ora del secondo FPS sviluppato da Rare per Nintendo 64, sui motivi dell’abbandono della licenza di James Bond, l’odio per Elvis, spunti sul remake per Xbox Live Arcade, l’amore di Blek per il signor Carrington, gli enigmi random dell’ultima missione, gli Skedar rimossi dal gioco, l’idea poco utilizzata di sfruttare luci e ombre per il gameplay, le differenze con e senza expansion pack, commenti sul leggendario articolo di analisi della beta di PD, teorie su Joanna fuori dalle finestre, il cartello “Anal Land”, i cambi e i tagli nelle missioni in singolo, l’entrata esclusiva al Pond Punk Bar, l’amore dei programmatori per il formaggio, gli alieni nemici nell’area 51, il mix delle armi beta, il bersaglio nascosto, la modalità face mapping e dispersioni sull’Hot Coffee di GTA, l’editor dei livelli e le flash card per N64, le lamentele per la qualità di Skype, le orride facce di Perfect Dark per GBC, i prototipi di Rare scoperti dai collezionisti e i codici segreti inutilizzati. Saremo migliorati o peggiorati dopo tutto questo tempo? >> U64 Episodio 1.8 – Download Versione in MP3

U64 Podcast: Episodio 1.7 – Metal Gear Solid (Parte 2°) [53:38] Eccoci giunti alla seconda Podcast dedicata alle beta della saga di Metal Gear Solid: in questo episodio parleremo dello sviluppo di MGS2 ed i suoi cambiamenti, o almeno ci proveremo. I nostri eroi super nerd continuano a sproloquiare fra merendine scomparse, ricordi d’infanzia, le modifiche della trama di MGS2 a causa degli avvenimenti storici, i dubbi sulle petroliere, il prototipo in cell shading, la meravigliosa scoperta di Dragon’s Lair per GBC, la perdita della fuga dall’inondazione della barca, sconvolgenti rivelazioni sulla vita sessuale di Otacon, l’origine femminile di Vamp, l’attacco aereo sul ponte di New York, i modelli poligonali beta all’interno di The Document of MGS2, indagini sull’età di Mey Ling, la comparsa di Raiden, ricerche filologiche sulle riviste videoludiche dell’epoca, allegri giochetti con le scatole di cartone ed il metodo scientifico per identificare la nuova password segreta. Preparatevi per un ora di viaggi mentali in compagnia del tragico staff italiano di U64. >> U64 Episodio 1.7 – Download Versione in MP3

U64 Podcast: Episodio 1.6 – Metal Gear Solid (Parte 1°) [49:25] Ebbene si cari fans della podcast di U64, ecco a voi un nuovo episodio a poco più di un mese di distanza dall’ultimo! In questa puntata lo staff si è riunito per parlare dello sviluppo della saga di Metal Gear Solid, superando qualche problema tecnico e la stanchezza dopo un’intera giornata di lavoro o di studio (aspettatevi qualche voce registrata più bassa del solito e delle P molto rumorose). Questa prima parte sarà dedicata alla beta dell’originale Metal Gear Solid per Playstation 1, partendo dalle origini della saga su MSX, il progetto di Metal Gear 3 su 3DO, il passaggio su Saturn e PSX, i collegamenti con Policenauts, aspetti segreti della vita di Kojima, le ispirazioni che hanno portato a Metal Gear, dispersioni mentali su Suda 51, i rumor della versione N64 di MGS, l’implosione della podcast e la morte di Skype, la presentazione al Tokyo Game Show, le prime tech demo e l’evoluzione alla beta, le caratteristiche rimosse e le ricerche filologiche sulle vecchie riviste di videogames. Pronti a perdere un’altra ora della vostra vita ascoltando un gruppo di tragici nerd? >> U64 Episodio 1.6 – Download Versione in MP3

U64 Podcast: Episodio 1.5 – Bull 64: Blast Corps [59:03] Dopo quasi 6 mesi di assenza e promesse mai mantenute, finalmente lo staff italiano di Unseen 64 si è riunito durante un nevoso pomeriggio invernale, per regalare al nostro fan numero 1 la podcast dei suoi sogni: un ora di discussione sullo sviluppo di Blast Corps, dedicata con amore al nostro caro Rosalex! Durante questo episodio bonus i nostri eroi cercheranno di argomentare le poche informazioni disponibili sulla beta del gioco, con i feedback sul nuovo server, richieste di aiuto, la voce sexy di Reno, fenomenologie sulla direzione retta dei camion nucleari, teorie assurde sul prototipo, le analogie con RC Pro-AM, i veicoli rimossi, i collegamenti con Jet Force Gemini, rivelazioni su Donkey Kong Racing ed altre piccanti rumors sulle beta di casa RAREware, le tecniche per avvicinare gli sviluppatori, il mistero della scomparsa di Tim Spampers e le preoccupazioni sul camionista nucleare. Come perdere un’altra ora della vostra vita? Ecco la risposta più nerd. >> U64 Episodio 1.5 – Download Versione in MP3

U64 Podcast: Episodio 1.4 – Sonic Xtreme 3° parte [32:37] Eccoci finalmente all’ultimo episodio della podcast dedicato alla leggenda di Sonic Xtreme, per concludere la discussione sul progetto e mettere un po’ di ordine alle tante informazioni di cui abbiamo parlato nelle scorse puntate. Una mezzoretta in compagnia dello staff ormai stanco e poco sveglio, per ascoltare la triste storia del team impiegato per 16 ore al giorno nel tentativo di finire Xtreme, la richiesta dell’engine 3D di Nights, il rifiuto di Naka, la malattia di Coffin, la fiducia di Sega Of America, la cancellazione definitiva del progetto Sonic Saturn, i collegamenti con il cartone animato, la sostituzione con Sonic 3D Blast, i misteriosi livelli bonus di Sonic 3D Poll, le palle di Sonic, le lezioni di economia aziendale del sig. Bakka, la filosofia giapponese dello sviluppo videoludico, Sonic e la lotta contro il tempo, l’eredità del progetto Xtreme, il rilascio online del prototipo giocabile, le crudeli lotte fra i Sonic fans, la rinascita di Xtreme nel Project S, l’utopica questione delle beta rilasciate su WiiWare e le aggiunte a Pokemon Snap, le rivelazioni segrete di un Nintendaro fallito e il cambio di personalità di un giovane Segafan. Un degno finale per una podcast con poco ordine. >> U64 Episodio 1.4 – Download Versione in MP3

U64 Podcast: Episodio 1.3 – Sonic Xtreme 2° parte [30:29] In questa seconda parte i nostri eroi continueranno la loro avventura nel misterioso mondo di Sonic Xtreme, per approfondire il discorso del passaggio di concept sulla nuova console a 32 bit di Sega, la divisione dei team di sviluppo del progetto Xtreme, il “level engine” contro il “boss engine”, il lavoro su PC e quello sui veri tool per Saturn, la trama del gioco ed i nuovi personaggi, le seghe mentali sulle fidanzate antropomorfe di Sonic, la questione sul motore 3D di NiGHTS, strane voci di interferenza e cani infernali, la creazione dell’effetto Fish-Eye, le abilità dei diversi personaggi giocabili, i rapporti con Sonic Adventure e gli scarti di Xtreme in Sonic 3D Blast. Siete pronti a perdere un’altra mezzora ascoltando le paranoie soniche dello staff di Unseen 64? >> U64 Episodio 1.3 – Download Versione in MP3

U64 Podcast: episodio 1.2 – Sonic Xtreme 1° Parte [27:33] Nell’aria c’era ormai il timore che lo staff italiano di U64 avesse deciso di smetterla di registrare quelle inutili podcast, respinto dalla vergogna o eliminato dallo staff inglese che sta ormai prendendo il sopravvento numerico.. ma invece, dopo un lungo travaglio, siamo di nuovo pronti a renderci ridicoli parlando per ore di giochi beta come se fosse un argomento filosofico! Dopo mesi di astinenza, finalmente gli ascoltatori abituali della tragica Podcast di Unseen 64 potranno tornare perdere tempo con un nuovo episodio, dedicato al più grande unseen di casa SEGA: Sonic X-Treme. Bakka, Yota, SegaMaster e monokoma vi terranno compagnia in questa prima mezzora di discussione incasinata, cominciando da un riassunto sullo loro vite private, il rinnovamento del sito, i problemi di pronuncia di X-Treme, le basi del progetto, i primi concept per Mega Drive, la rivalità fra SoJ e SoA, il passaggio su 32X, i titoli perduti di Sonic, l’attacco delle formiche volanti e la nascita del Saturn, fra strani screpitii e problemi tecnici vari. Buon ascolto! >> U64 Episodio 1.2 – Download Versione in MP3

Unseen 64 Podcast Episodio 1.1: 007 GoldenEye Beta – 2° Parte [34:43]: Si conclude con questa puntata, la discussione dello staff sulla beta di GoldenEye, uno dei titoli più interessanti della collezione Unseen per Nintendo 64. Bakka, Ness, Reno, Sega Mastah e Yota, continueranno ad analizzare le numerose modifiche effettuate da RARE sul gioco, mentre fanno finta di sapere di cosa stanno parlando. Ovviamente con i soliti problemi tecnici e difficoltà di ascolto. Con un piccolo sforzo, potrete forse sentire le ultime analisi sulla modalità beta in singolo, i misteri del Silo, i problemi di Copyright di James Bond, l’amore di Reno per 007 sul GameBoy, le corse di topolino, Cip e Ciop contro GoldenEye, la valigetta sospetta di Orumov, le castagne avvelenate, Frigate e la scomparsa di Xenia, la rimozione della missione al Casinò, la giungla e l’elicottero militare, i cambiamenti degli obbiettivi in Streets. Passando alla modalità Multiplayer, i nostri eroi verranno infastiditi da strani rumori, ma riusciranno comunque a parlare di tutt’altro, con riferimenti subliminari a Tingle, strani simboli su YouTube, i personaggi eliminati dal multi, pubblicità illecita per Time Splitters 2, le potenzialità grafiche che si misurano dal naso, gli oggetti beta sbloccabili con il GameShark, le modifiche stilistiche alle armi del gioco, i vuoti di memoria sulle missioni bonus e strane teorie inventate al momento. Per concludere lo strazio, commenti sull’Editor dei livelli, seghe mentali sugli emulatori e le ultime novità sul ritrovamento del prototipo di Mother 3 per 64DD e le foto del Project Dream (Banjo). >> U64 Episodio 1.1 – Download Versione in MP3

Unseen 64 Podcast Episodio 1.0: 007 GoldenEye Beta – 1° Parte [30:40]: Dopo la lunga pausa estiva, lo staff di U64 quasi al completo ha finalmente deciso di tornare a rendersi ridicolo, con una nuova puntata dedicata al primo FPS sviluppato da RARE. La nostra squadra di super nerd si è lasciata un po’ andare con l’entusiasmo, riuscendo a registrare oltre 1 ora di programma, che sarà suddiviso in 2 capitoli, per non annoiarvi troppo. In questa prima parte sarete rallegrati con: rumori di cellulari, il prototipo del progetto su Super Nintendo, le origini del nome KLOBB, le truppe gemelle, il mistero delle sedie, la diga beta, l’isola segreta, la barca ed il finale rimosso, gli allarmi sessuali, il sangue delle guardie, il camion inutile, chi ha inventato il doppio analogico, i bagni leggendari, il recupero di Citadel grazie agli hacker, la nascita della modalità MultiPlayer, intrusioni da sega fan, tutti i james scomparsi e come inseguire un aereo in moto. Saremo migliorati al ritorno dalle vacanze? No. >> U64 Episodio 1.0 – Download versione in MP3

Unseen 64 Podcast Episodio 0.9: Eternal Darkness Project [41:52]: Sono state molte le richieste di una podcast dedicata al thriller psicologico dei Silicon Knights e finalmente siamo riusciti a soddisfarle! Lo sviluppo di Eternal Darkness è stato lungo e problematico, passando dal Nintendo 64 al GameCube, è facile comprendere i motivi del suo fascino sotto l’aspetto delle Beta. La nostra trinità nerdosa (Ness, Yota e Bakka), proverà ad organizzare un discorso sensato attorno alle teorie unseen del progetto ED, perdendosi come al solito in stupidi ed inutili Off Topic. Partendo dall’inizio del rapporto fra Silicon Knights e Nintendo, lo staff parlerà dell’annuncio del gioco per N64, lo sviluppo e la rimozione di alcuni personaggi giocabili, i cambiamenti di particolari storici, opinioni sui motivi dei numerosi tagli nella trama, lo spostamento su GameCube, l’ampliamento della saga in una prevista trilogia, i rapporti con Microsoft, la genialità dell’Insanity Effect, divagazioni Bakkiane su Earthbound e Mother 3 e gli aggiornamenti dal Tingle Fun Fan Sexy Club! Per concludere, alcune breaking beta-news che faranno felici gli amanti di Sonic e Zelda. >> U64 Episodio 0.9 – Download Versione in MP3

Unseen 64 Podcast Episodio 0.8: Zelda Beta Quest Parte 3 [29:08]: Con questo terzo episodio, arriva alla conclusione la discussione sulle Beta Quest del mondo di Zelda. Lo staff, ormai depresso dall’infinita quantità di materiale a riguardo, cercherà di terminare una volta per tutte questo strazio di podcast, raccogliendo i frammenti del discorso tralasciati nelle precedenti puntate. Fra i rumori di una chitarra misteriosa, i nostri eroi parleranno degli hack per riesumare i beta attack, la possibilità di ricreare l’originale Beta Zelda, le immancabili perle di saggezza Bakkiane su Mario 64, speranze su eventuali leak di Beta Demo, i sogni erotici sulla moglie di Miyamoto, i mondi paralleli di Link’s Awakening, dispersioni su Majora e naturalmente non mancano i deliri su improbabili finali alternativi. Non vi eccita l’idea di conoscere quali sono i boss preferiti da questo triste gruppo di nerd? Quali sono i rapporti libidici tra Freud e le Cuccos? Fino a dove si può spingere l’ammirazione per Tingle? Le risposte, nell’ottavo episodio di questa inutiile Podcast! >> U64 Episodio 0.8 – Download Versione in MP3

Unseen 64 Podcast Episodio 0.7: Zelda Beta Quest Parte 2 [31:39]: Dopo un’estenuante attesa, tutti i fans del folle team di U64, potranno finalmente sprecare un altra mezzora della propria vita, ascoltando la continuazione dell’analisi sulle “Beta Quest” della saga di Zelda! In questa seconda parte, potremo ascoltare Ness (a.k.a. monokoma) mentre si destreggia fra l’ignoranza generale in tema di Debug ROM e le sue Beta Rooms, ripetizioni sclerotizzanti di argomenti già trattati ed i segni tragici della vecchiaia che avanza. Strani vaneggiamenti sulle tette di Tifa, il delirio di Klay che tenta inutilmente di spiegarsi, il mistero dei personaggi interattivi nel finale di Ocarina Of Time, ulteriori analisi sul rapporto fra il tasto dell’ocarina ed il Red Ice, le tuniche rimosse ed i relativi dungeons, gli oggetti beta sbloccabili grazie al GameShark, il Menù trick di Zelda URA, le Test Area di Wind Waker. In conclusione, una breve riflessione sugli Hack MOD e la ricreazione di Ocarina in Cell Shading.. >> U64 Episodio 0.7 – Download versione in MP3

Unseen 64 Podcast Episodio 0.6: Zelda Beta Quest Parte 1 [30:54]: Per questo sesto episodio della Podcast di Unseen 64, il gruppo di super nerd torna alle origini dell’avventura, riprendendo il discorso su Zelda ed in particolare sull’affascinante “modalità” Beta Quest. Il team cercherà di spiegare, senza riuscirci, le strane caratteristiche osservabili nel gioco modificando le variabili numeriche attraverso Game Shark. Saranno analizzate le teorie su questo mondo parallelo nascosto in Ocarina Of Time, dove è possibile incontrare le situazioni più assurde: Hyrule in versione inquietante, personaggi segreti che parlano nel filmato finale, il Kakariko Village in fiamme, le caverne scomparse, il clone di Jabu Jabu, il ranch dei Gufi, Star Fox dai Kokiri, gli Zelda MOD e le fate prostitute. Un nemico proto in Mario 64? Yota batterà il suo record di problemi di linea? Lo potrete scoprire solo resistendo ad ascoltare la prima parte di questo nuovo e demenziale episodio. >> U64P Episodio 0.6 – Download Versione in MP3

Unseen 64 Podcast Episodio 0.5: ShenMue Beta Parte 2 [32:00]: In questa seconda parte della discussione sullo sviluppo di ShenMue, gli amici dello staff, mezzi addormentati, cercheranno di precisare meglio le caratteristiche della versione Saturn, i progressi sul 32 bit, per arrivare a teorie sull’ipotetico ShenMue 3. Si parlerà dei misteriosi cambiamenti fra la versione Dreamcast e quella XBOX, il beta Magic Weather System e l’ombrello scomparso di Ryo; potrete ascoltare imbarazzanti osservazioni sul realismo del gioco, strane ipotesi sull’albero che da il nome alla saga e sulle simbologie dei personaggi. Un gustoso contorno di collegamenti con Virtua Fighter 5 ed invitante dessert con perle di saggezza Nintendara del Dr. Bakka, che riescono a deragliare la discussione su Deku Tree e Zelda.. un vero professionista! >> U64P Episodio 0.5 – Download versione in MP3

Unseen 64 Podcast Episodio 0.4: ShenMue Beta [30:55]: Inizia con questo quarto episodio, una chiaccherata in due parti sulla saga unseen di Yu Suzuki. In questa prima mezzora, lo staff perderà tempo a discutere della nascita del progetto Virtua Fighter RPG, passando dalla versione Saturn, fino al Project Berkley. Verranno analizzati i documenti riguardo l’originale suddivisione in capitoli del gioco, la verità sul rimosso Chapter II, qualche confusione sui demo, teorie sulle funzioni magiche dei personaggi e le possibilità di vedere la continuazione della saga. Strani ed inquietanti personaggi accompagneranno l’ascoltatore, in un susseguirsi di iilluminazioni incomprensibili, rapporti fra la Yakuza e l’economia commerciale, le visioni di Segata Sanshiro.. senza dimenticare gli immancabili dubbi sulle pronuncie dello staff. >> U64P Episodio 0.4 – Download versione in MP3

Unseen 64 Podcast Episodio Bonus: Goemon Beta [45:38]: Durante le vacanze pasquali, tre patetici appassionati dello staff hanno deciso di celebrare il loro amore verso il piccolo Ninja di Konami. La saga di Goemon ha saputo lasciare un segno indelebile nelle malate menti di questi giovani, aiutandoli a crescere e trovare il cammino della loro vita. Li ha resi più saggi, più belli e sempre più nerd. La loro vergogna è senza limite? eccoli pronti a perdere tempo, cercando di analizzare documentazioni inesistenti, sullo sviluppo e le beta del Ninja Mistico. I punti forti dell’episodio saranno lunghi e noiosi ricordi su Goemon 64, seghe mentali sulle modalità in cooperativa, esaltazioni per Goemon DS, paurose voci in sottofondo, lamentele per il prezzo delle cartuccie e deviazioni su 40 Winks. Che cazo centra? bho. Riuscirà questa volta Yota a non far esplodere il PC? solamente i veri maniaci di Goemon potranno scoprirlo. Gli altri spegneranno dopo pochi minuti. >> U64P Episodio Bonus – Download versione in MP3

Unseen 64 Podcast Episodio 0.3: Resident Evil Beta [36:45]: Finalmente, dopo alcune settimane di agonia, i nostri eroici nerd sono riusciti a riunirsi per registrare questa terribile podcast! L’argomento trattato nel nuovo episodio è un analisi generale sulle numerose versioni beta della saga di Resident Evil! RE 1.5, RE Dash, RE 4 Beta, teorie su RE Wii e particolari curiosi, inerenti o forse no. Non mancano le divagazioni mentali su schede audio difettose, triste umorismo trash, problemi di connessione, rumori fastidiosi ed i nuovi, entusiasmanti dubbi, sulle pronuncie del nostro staff: fuk? maiamoto? >> U64P Episodio 0.3 – Download versione in MP3

Unseen 64 Podcast Episodio 0.2: Mario 64 Beta [28:48]: Finalmente, con il secondo episodio, tutti e 5 i fans della Podcast di U64, avranno un altra mezz’ora da perdere, ascoltando i 3 nerd specializzati del nostro staff! saranno riusciti a migliorare dalla prima prova? oppure sono peggiorati? c’è un solo modo per scoprirlo. In questo episodio: Mario 64 Beta, questione sull’esistenza di Mario 64 2, la verità su Mario 128, i collegamenti con Mario 64DS, Zelda 64 e Mario Universe. Dispersioni su Marionette, Impossible Coin e la leggenda di Luigi Is Real. Vale la pena anche solo per i primi 3 secondi, in cui Bakka imita l’intro di Mario 64… quesito del giorno: come si legge TOPIC? >> U64P Episodio 0.2 – Download versione in MP3

Unseen 64 Podcast Episodio 0.1: Zelda 64 Beta [31:05]: Tre super nerd dello staff di Unseen 64 perdono tempo a chiaccherare sulla beta di Zelda 64. Questa è la prima prova per un eventuale Podcast del nostro sito, ci sentiamo tanto ridicoli, ma ci siamo divertiti, non è forse questo che importa? in questo episodio su Zelda 64: Beta Lost Wood, Confronto con lo sviluppo di Twilight Princess, Gameshark, viaggi mentali su Tingle, misteri rivelazioni scottanti e frasi da pura emozione. >> U64P Episodio 0.1 – Download versione in MP3

Avete commenti, consigli o critiche per aiutarci a migliorare la qualità della nostra podcast? oppure per farci capire che è meglio smetterla di registrare nuovi episodi, perchè la qualità è pessima? fatecelo sapere via e-mail :P

Unseen Articles, Unseen Features

Press!

monokoma

01-02-2008

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Se trovate altri siti che citano Unseen64, avvisateci tramite e-mail!
If you find some other articles about Unseen64, send us an e-mail!

A list of geeks that like U64:

Retro Gaming Australia – Retro Reading #8 [7 march 2010]

Busy week for the boys at Unseen64, with some extra stuff in addition to their usual selection of information about betas and cancelled games. I thought the Jet Force Gemini game for the GBC looked alright – it’s a shame that Rare’s GBC titles didn’t experience the level of success they anticipated.

GameSetWatch – Possible Concept Art From Backbone’s Mirror’s Edge Wii Demo [22 July 2009]

Looking to expand DICE’s first-person platformer Mirror’s Edge beyond the Xbox 360, PC, and PS3, publisher Electronic Arts asked Backbone Entertainment (Monster Lab, Rock Band Unplugged) to create a demo for a possible Wii version of the game last Fall, according to a report from Unseen64. At least one former Backbone employee’s resume confirms that the studio worked on such a project. These two pieces of concept art uncovered by Unseen64 are purported to be for that Wii prototype, revealing what appears to be a new cel-shaded approach to the game’s already distinctive graphics; of course, Backbone could have restricted this look to the concept art, not extending it to the actual demo. […]

Joystiq – Internet archaeologists discover artifacts of cancelled PS3/360 Indiana Jones game [4 August 2009]

Originally, LucasArts’ Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings was planned to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as well. After a couple of years of troubled development, the next-gen version was shelved, and a few months later the game arrived on Wii, DS, PSP, and PS2. Unseen64, following a car chase, a fistfight with Nazis, and a trip through a booby-trapped cave, unearthed early footage and screens of the next-gen game. We’ve got one rough gameplay clip after the break; check the site for more early gameplay and test animations, and decide for yourself if LucasArts chose wisely or poorly.

Tiny Cartridge – Cooly Skunk [March 2010]

Early image of Cooly Skunk for SNES. If you ever wondered why the PlayStation platformer Punky Skunk looked so much like an SNES game (that is, if you’ve ever thought about Punky Skunk at all) — it was! Unseen64 says that “The project was probably canned for the 16 bit system because of the new Playstation and Saturn consoles, that “killed” the SNES / Mega Drive (Genesis) market.” The game is a lot more interesting now that I’ve seen this unreleased version.

The Gaming Liberty – exclusive interview [28 November 2009]

We felt that we’d like to sit down and mention a site that we have been fond of for years now. Unseen64.net is a gamers heaven: a pirate’s treasure if you will. Imagine owning some of the most sought after “scrapped” titles on the planet?

Blogtown – Weekend Reading: Unseen 64 [3 April 2010]

Writing about games for a living isn’t all fancy parties, mountains of drugs and scoring wicked hot tail. In fact, it’s nothing like that. In reality, it’s all about sitting on your couch in a pair of warm ups, forcing yourself to play through hours and hours of endlessly derivative games and — if you’re good — researching the nebulous history of trivial gaming accessories on your free time. Hit the jump and I’ll attempt to salvage this depressing introduction. Where was I? Oh right, my life is dull. To wit, this morning I found myself reading up on a number of games that were canceled for whatever reason when a friend of mine happened to ask what I was looking at. “Oh, um, it’s this website that collects canceled, and early versions of games and discusses why they were canned or what changed between the beta and the eventual release version.” Giving me a quizzical look, he pressed on, “Uh, I really was just asking about that Castlevania thing. Is that Castlevania?” “Yeah,” I replied. “It’s a look at the totally screwed up history of the Nintendo 64 Castlevania.” […]

Time Warp Gamer – Making New Friends on the InterTubes [18 February 2010]

Today, I noticed that Unseen64 was linking to TWG via its forum. What is this site I wondered, so I checked it out. What I discovered was a fabulous resource for information about unreleased games and betas. Some coverage that especially enticed me: Batman [NES – Beta] Mii [NES – Prototype] Ninja Gaiden [Mega Drive – Beta/Unreleased] Phantasy Star IV [Mega Drive/Genesis – Beta]

Kombo – Super Mario’s Wacky Worlds Footage Revealed [9 Sept 2009]

Super Mario’s Wacky Worlds was intended to be a true sequel to Super Mario World, but never actually saw the light of day. Despite this, Unseen64 has managed to dig up some footage to give us an idea of what might have been.

The 8th-Circuit – Unseen 64 [June 2009]

E3 2009 has come and gone and wow was it an exciting one. But remember back at E3 ’97 when that awesome looking game that was coming all of a sudden just got lost in existence? Well here is a site you might want to take good look at just to find that once awesome game and its called Unseen 64! Unseen 64 “looks like a a usual gaming blog, but Unseen 64 is a big archive for canceled, beta and unseen video games”- says the head of Unseen 64 Luka (monokoma). Started in 1999 in Italy by ” me and some other Italian geeks obsessed with the Nintendo 64″. Unseen 64 began as a dedicated Perfect Dark fansite. But what was really interesting to visitors was the Unseen section of their site “At the end of 2003, we closed down the Perfect Dark website, but as we still got many visitors interested in the Unseen 64 section, we decided to create a website dedicated to “Unseen Section”. […]

Superlevel – Unseen 64 [15 April 2009]

Das Blog Unseen64 gibt es bereits seit acht Jahren und widmete sich in der Anfangszeit ausschließlich Nintendo64-Spielen. Inzwischen sind dort jedoch alle möglichen Systeme vertreten. In den Artikeln geht es um Spiele, die nie das Licht der Welt erblickten – sprich: Titel, die zwar begonnen, aber nicht abgeschlossen wurden. Sehr interessant.

Kotaku – What Factor 5’s Superman Once Looked Like [9 March 2009]

[…] Unseen 64, where games goes when they die, has concept screen shots and a brief video of the planned PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game, visuals dating back to when Factor 5 employees were still being paid. It looks good enough, but also looks about as finished as the Flash game that BottleRocket was working on for Brash before the publisher’s collapse.

Edge Magazine – Website of the Month [# December 2008]

LA Game Culture Examiner – From the graveyard: forgotten and cancelled games [7 Jan 2009]

With a holiday season full of blockbuster titles behind us, let’s take a look at forgotten and cancelled games that never saw the light of day. It’s a facet of the video game industry that normally gets little coverage but has increasingly found its way to front-page news with the current economic downturn that has resulted in dozens of development houses closing down, leaving many games cancelled or left in development limbo. There’s plenty that can be learned from looking at cancelled games and the dedicated folks at Unseen64 take on the arduous task of preserving the legacy of such titles for the general public. […] Perhaps the wildest thing of all is knowing that the games listed on Unseen64 are only the tip of the iceberg. One can only speculate on the number of games that were cancelled and scrapped long before any official announcement of their development was made public. Sadly, the current economic downturn will see plenty more games cancelled partway through development accompanied by many game industry job losses and dev studio closures (which seem to be happening every week now). That, my friends, is the wonderful world of game development.

1UP.com Retronauts Blog – Unseen 64 on the Scene [20 Dic 2008]

While poking around the internet, I stumbled across an Italian web site called Unseen 64. Like Frank Cifaldi’s popular The Lost Levels, the site covers games that were thiiiis close to hitting store shelves, but ultimately wound up in the circular file. But where The Lost Levels sheds light on stillborn software from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, Unseen 64 casts a wider net, with articles on unreleased games for practically every console under the sun. Even the very current Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have their own sections on the site!

One of the more interesting non-releases featured on Unseen 64 is Magic Karts, a PlayStation 2 racing title from the creators of Beetle Adventure Racing. The sporty Volkswagen bugs from that Nintendo 64 sleeper hit have been replaced with silly automobiles that look like they were pulled straight out of the old Hanna-Barbera cartoon Wacky Races. Unfortunately, Magic Karts seems to have been killed early in its development cycle, judging from the pictures on Unseen 64 which include polygon models and environments, but no actual footage of the game in action. Oh well — looks like it’s back to Jak X: Combat Racing for me.

Another surprise was Toon Panic for the Nintendo 64. This Japanese title is best described as an early ancestor of Power Stone… you select a fantasy-themed character, then leap into battle against big-headed yetis, knights, and mermen. Instead of a trio of gems, a single brightly colored hammer acts as the trump card in Toon Panic… grab it and the music picks up tempo as your opponents make a hasty retreat to the corners of the screen! This game was much further along than Magic Karts, but the video clip on Unseen 64 demonstrates why the developers pulled the plug on this project. Hey, they can’t all be winners!

There are dozens of other games showcased on Unseen 64, so if you’re curious to see what might have been on your favorite systems, I’d strongly recommend you give the site a look.

Zaamit Blog – Giochi mai usciti per XBOX – XBOX360 e altre console [30 Jul 2008]

Oggi giracchiando per la rete mi sono imbattuto in questo sito: Unseen 64. Di che parla questo sito direte voi, ma di tutti i videogiochi che non sono mai usciti per diversi motivi sul mercato. E’ un progetto interessante e sempre aggiornato con foto e filmati, è bellissimo vedere i progetti beta di molti giochi poi realizzati sulle console più potenti. Naturalmente il sito tiene conto di molte console. Invito tutti a passarci del tempo perchè è interessantissimo(è scritto anche in italiano).

Back of the cereal box – Mario’s Lost Bytes [23 April 2007]

My online stumbling has led me to Unseen 64, a truly righteous site that compiles images from beta versions of famous video games. Sure, half the text is in Italian, but that shouldn’t stop you from taking a look. After all, doesn’t Mario speak Italian? Screenshots from not-ready-for-prime-time versions of various Mario games are always a trip, as any true gamer can’t help marvel at what could have been. […]

Those We Left Behind – U64 detailing development hell of videogames [26 June 2008]

Just came across this fantastic website: www.unseen64.net

that details the changes that videogames undergo before they get to market, if they get to market. It has a great search engine, so say I want to check out Resident Evil, I get all kinds of returns, like Resident Evil 1.5 for the PS1 (see the screenshot above) and the beta for Resident Evil 4, which looked stunning. This site is inspired and fascinating and anyone with even a passing interest in gaming needs to go and check the site out. If you don’t, you’ll never understand the thrill of finding out about the game adaptation of Waterworld for the Sega Saturn that never came to fruition; or the best title of a game I have heard in a long time – I give you ‘Wet Corpse’, another cancelled Saturn game.

SegaPT – Os jogos que desapareceram [9 Maggio 2008]

Graças ao portal Unseen64 descobri algumas pérolas perdidas da Sega e muitas outras empresas que simplesmente desapareceram, ficando apenas remtidas a artigos ou vídeos de demonstrações que nunca se materializaram. Estes são alguns dos vapourware mais populares(ou desconhecidos) da Sega. Streets of Rage 4 – Dreamcast: O que é que aconteceu? Segundo a Unseen64 algumas tech demos foram feitas no Japão, porém a Sega da América nunca teve confiança no projecto, pois a sua administração era recente e não conhecia o franchise propriamente dito, daí que SOR4 nunca passou de uma demo. Comix Zone 3D – Saturn: O que aconteceu? Nunca se soube o é que tinha acontecido com este projecto. Ainda é um mistério e estas são as únicas fotografias que comprovam a sua existência(foto da Sega-16.com). Vectorman – Playstation 2: O que é que aconteceu? Uma nova versão baseada no clássico da Mega Drive foi cancelada pouco tempo depois de ter sido anunciado porque achavam que o jogo estava demasiado diferente do original. Muitos também fizeram comparações entre a personagem do Vectorman e Master Chief da série Halo. Fifth Phantom Saga – Playstation 3: O que é que aconteceu? O paradeiro deste jogo permanece um autêntico mistério, foi na E3 de 2005 que foi revelado, 3 anos depois ninguém sabe do que é que é feito deste FPS muito invulgar da Sonic Team.

Er Blog de Jumafas – Un “prematuro” Burning Rangers [15 Gennaio 2008]

Esto de ser Bombero (“bomberfan” no, eh? que os conozco :-P) en los tiempos actuales de DUBEDE y PLASMA es un poco rollo, que si salva el gatito de Doña Remigia, que si quita la farola en medio la calle, … que si se nos quema el Carrefour de al lado…. o_O´´ menos mal que a manos del Sonic Team (con Yuji Naka al frente y “to”)se nos brindó áños atrás ese “pedrazo” juego que fué el sobresaliente Burning Rangers. Con unas cotas técnicas que hicieron palidecer a la misma Playstation1 demostrando que Saturn podía hacer cosas “potitas y fermosas” con los Poligonos esos. Siendo aparte un juego 3d con transparencias DE LAS BUENAS (nada de “famosas” TRAMAS Saturneras), y de los que aprovechan los SH2 como nunca. Temas introductorios aparte, los amigos de UNSEEN64 han incluido un video de una BETA del juego, en el que podemos ver cambios Notables con el HUD del juego, curiosos los dialogos japoneses (según la wikipedia eran cantantes pop de reconocido prestigio). Cuanto menos curioso, una pena que dure tan poco…quien sabe si andará por ahi una beta “tostable” , je je je… bon apettite.

AnotherCenturysGamer – Awesome site about never before seen games [17 Gennaio 2008]

Ever wonder what happend to that Final Fantasy game that was coming the Nintendo 64? or that beta version of star fox 2 for super nintendo. Well you can find out at unseen64.net this site has some of the wierdest and even the coolest infor on games that were slated to come out but never saw the light of day!! check it out I personally felt like indiana jones looking for lost treasures or something I dunno see for yourself.

El Septimo Cielo – Juegos cancelados e imagenes beta [25 Gennaio 2008]

El otro dia encontre esta pagina en la que aparecen todos los juegos cancelados de todas las consolas e imagenes de los juegos en fase beta, algunas imagenes de algunos juegos son sorprendentes y nunca llegaron a aparecer en la version final del videojuego. La seccion mas interesante en mi opinion es la de N64 , aunque tambien hay juegos de la PS2 como NICO, en la que el personaje del juego de ICO aparece subido al caballo (Agro) de Shadow Of The Colossus.

Generation Wii – Unseen 64 [6 Febbraio 2007]

“Voila typiquement le genre d’initiative qui fait plaisir à voir. Un petit site internet recense actuellement l’intégralité des jeux jamais sortis – mais bien entendu annoncés! Du vaporware haut de gamme quoi! Allez donc y jeter un œil, ça vaut vraiment le détour. D’une part, votre culture vidéoludique va être multipliée par cent (de quoi frimer en société), et d’autre part si vous êtes connaisseur, y’a de quoi verser sa petite larme.”

Game Set Watch – Unreleased Game Bonanza! [3 Dicembre 2006]

“Via, I think, the AssemblerGames forums, I stumbled across a set of YouTube videos of unreleased games that includes a bunch of interesting, rare titles. The videos are actually part of the Unseen 64 website, which has a pretty decent collection of screenshots of unreleased games, even though some of the text is in Italian. But the videos themselves bear a second glance too, since they include things like a video of Dee Dee Planet for the Dreamcast, which I very vaguely remember hearing about. A creator interview from Shift Magazine explains of the ‘dori dock’-designed game: “This ‘Dee Dee PLANET’ is a kind of shooting game which shoots using a parabola, and is pastoral rather than speedy. It has a mathematical clearness by controlling the parabola with only two parameters – angle and shooting power. We set up a totally different theme apart from the offensiveness of other shooting games.” It’s a fascinating rarity – but there’s plenty of other stuff like Gold Star Mountain for Gamecube, an unreleased From Software game, also neato in the extreme – go poke around?”

Destructoid – GBA tech demo shows off some mighty horsepower [4 Aprile 2007]

“Talk about impressive. This video from Unseen64 demonstrates the kind of horsepower that the GBA really had, showcasing a tour of a facility not unlike the docking facility in the original Metal Gear Solid. Pretty neat that the best 3D on the GBA outweigh sub-par work on, say, the PSX. Not that you’d ever want to, y’know, play a 3D game on the platform — bit of a pain with only 4 buttons and a D-Pad — but it just goes to show just how much juice could be squeezed out of the little bastard with the right engine behind it.”

Destructoid – Unseen 64: screenshots of beta/unreleased games = your entire night shot [17 Dicembre 2006]

“This might surprise a lot of people, but a stork doesn’t bring video games. A lot of talented people actually get together in a room and hump. Nine months later, one of them pushes a game from between his or her legs. It’s quite a beautiful little miracle. Unseen 64 is a fantastic site dedicated to showing us the miracle of video game life. An ever growing collection of scans and screenshots of beta and unreleased games, it contains images of some of your favorites in forms you might not even recognize them. The image up there? Some game called Halo: Combat Evolved. Evolved indeed. The site appears to be in Italian, but you don’t need someone to tell you that early versions of Link from Ocarina of Time would make the baby Jesus cry. So go on. Spend three hours looking at the screen shots like I did. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

The Dreamcast Junkyard – Beta Overload [28 Maggio 2007]

Long time readers and visitors to the ‘Yard may, quite possibly, remember a post I knocked up some time ago that introduced a site called X-Cult. If not, go here now. Had a look? Good. Now you’re up to speed, I’ll crack on. Whilst perusing the net, which is something I’ve gotten quite good at in recent decades, I found another interesting little site that sort of does the same as X-Cult – reveals details of cancelled games for a multitude of formats…including our beloved Dreamcast. Before you groan, listen up: Unseen64 features previously…er…unseen pictures and screens of a few forgotten gems that would have been a credit to the DC had they been released, and even grabs of a few games I’ve never actually heard of… Of course, this little collection is just the tip of the iceberg – there’s even more beta action at the actual site, and that includes some rather interesting shots of an early Metropolis Street Racer and a massive Shenmue archive. Granted, explanations of the titles shown are either non existent or written in Italian (which is fine if you can read Italian…which I can’t) so you have to make assumptions about how some of the games may have played by sight alone. Still, very cool, if that’s yer bag.”

Wii! Wii! Wii! .de – Unseen 64 [2 Aprile 2007]

“Manche Spiele schaffen es einfach nicht. Schaffen es nicht, über das Betastadium hinauszukommen. Dafür kann es allerlei ganz wichtige Gründe geben, meist aber liegt es am sich in einem modrigen Erdloch verkriechenden Zeitgeist, wo er mit seinem Kumpel Überzogenes-Budget einen draufmacht. Andere Titel wiederum schaffen es sehr wohl und werden zu Knallern. Doch auch sie haben das ein oder andere Betaversion-Geheimnis, unveröffentlichte Video oder frühreife Screenshots zu bieten. Genau die sammelt Unseen 64. “Unseen 64 is just a simple archive where to have a collection of screenshots for beta & unreleased videogames, like a little online-photo album, nothing really special. We decided to make this site just in case there where others fans of beta videogames, like us.” Zum Beispiel kann man dort derzeit über 180 Beta-Videos anschauen. Oder Einiges zur Entwicklung des N64-Zeldas “Ocarina of Time” lesen. Aber Achtung: “Sorry if our english is not great, we are Italians and really lazy ;P”

Porlaputa.com – U64: El cementerio de los videojuegos [1 Aprile 2007]

“Unseen 64 es, fácilmente, el mejor sitio para buscar imágenes de juegos que no llegaron a la tienda. Mas información después del salto. Algunos de estos juegos no alcanzarón a ver la luz del día, mientras que otros fueron localizados, pero cancelados a último minuto, y están guardados ahora mismo en alguna bodega japonesa. También es posible encontrar algunos screenshots tempranos de juegos que sí fueron lanzados, que nos permiten ver algunos cambios que se hicieron cuando se lanzó el producto final, como Mario Kart 64 , donde vemos que hubo un tiempo en que el mago Kamek tenía su propio go kart, o una variación temprana del mapa del Super Mario World. La sección que es muy interesante es la del Nintendo 64, porque podemos ver muchos juegos cancelados, gracias al cuestionable éxito de la consola, y a la competencia de Sony, que incluso terminó llevandose muchas series para la casa, como es el caso de Final Fantasy y Metal Gear Solid. Hay algunos, a mi gusto, que debiern haber sido lanzados, como Starfox 2 o Mother 3 (Earthbound 2). Lo demás… malas ideas. Desafortunadamente hay harto texto en italiano, pero es muy fácil navegar con facilidad por el sitio. Ir a unseen 64!”

Route 127.0.0.1 Blog – Analisi di Zelda Twilight Princess [2 Marzo 2007]

“La rete, si sa’, e’ vastissima. Ma non mi sarei mai immaginato di poter trovare una minuziosa analisi sul rilascio di Zelda The Twilight Princess e le sue differenze con le varie release beta/demo. Da leggere attentamente, qui.“

Thomas Welt – Ankündigungen der Konsolenhersteller [18 Febbraio 2007]

“Unter dem folgenden Link gibt es ein paar Informationen, Bilder und Videos von Konsolenspielen, die es in der angekündigten Art nicht auf den Endkundenmarkt geschaft haben: www.unseen64.tk”

X-Tray: todas esas imágenes que no has visto [17 Febbraio 2007]

“Interesante la propuesta de esta pagina llamada Unseen 64, que descubrí gracias a Plastico.tv, en ella podemos encontrar cientos de capturas y vídeos de juegos antes de su salida al mercado, ya sea en su desarrollo previo, en pruebas para ver que tal quedaría de una forma u otra, además como no, de juegos cancelados durante su creación. Os dejo con algunas de las capturas que me han parecido más llamativas (pinchar en la imagen pare ver más), podéis ver el resto en su web y los vídeos en su canal de YouTube.”

Bram Ruiter Blog [14 Febbraio 2007]

“Na een onverantwoorde surfsessie kom je als internetter altijd wel langs iets prachtigs, schokkend of hartverwamend. Echter, ik kwam terecht op een site die me alle drie bood. Unseen64 somt alle ongeziene screenshots en verloren beeld meteriaal van voornamelijk gecancelde games. Ook erg tof om te zien: de oude artwork van HALO.”

Plàstico.tv: Todas esas imágenes que no has visto [5 Febbraio 2007]

“Encontramos una página bastante peculiar. SE trata de una recopilación de screenshots de diversas plataformas de juegos que aún estaban en desarrollo. Incluso tenéis imágenes de betas o de juegos que más tarde fueron cancelados. De ahí el título que firma la página: “Todas esas imágenes que no has visto”. Aunque seguro que quien esté al pie del cañón sí ha visto algunas. Como las del sucesor de ICO, que tuvo el nombre en clave NICO, y que ya dejaba visible cómo iba a ser la nueva obra de Ueda. O un Shenmue bastante desmejorado, que sufrió un gran cambio en un proceso lento y laborioso. Todas ellas las tenéis aquí. Unseen64″

X-Gaming February 2007 Newsletter [Febbraio 2007]

“Recognize that game? Maybe not, but you may recognize his face. That’s what Link looked like before he was finished for The Ocarina of Time™. This is one of many pics of beta games you can check out on Unseen 64. Unseen 64 is a simple archive collection of screenshots for beta & unreleased videogames. Unseen 64 is made for fans by fans, so everyone can contribute to the archive for preserving the history and changes in the videogames development. Some titles you should check out while you’re there; Dinosaur Planet, which later was transformed into Star Fox™ Adventures. Twelve Tales, the little cute squirrel shown there later became the foul-mouthed furrball known as Conker in Conker’s™ Bad Fur Day. And long before Kameo™ ever made it into your 360, we played it at E3 on the Nintendo® Gamecube™.

Flat Life Blog: Unreleased Perfect Dark Zero and more [6 Febbraio 2007]

“Despite the lukewarm reception from critics, I was and remain a big fan of Perfect Dark Zero. In fact I think it is probably my favourite first-person-shooter (with Dues Ex: Invisible War right behind it). So getting a chance to see the game in some of it’s beta stages is exciting to me. I think the above image is gorgeous, in fact I think Joanna looks even cooler in that shot than she did in the final version. More unseen Perfect Dark here. And here. And for all of you that thought PDZ was bad, well let me just say that I hate you and every fiber of your being. But no hard feelings, OK? Unseen64 is a foreign website (don’t worry it’s easy to navigate) that collects a variety of screenshots for unreleased games and released games looking very different from the final versions. Want to see Metal Gear Solid on the Saturn? Or The abandoned Resident Evil 1.5? Or even the Gamecube version of Too Human! They have these and many more over at Unseen64.”

Supercabra.com – Your favorite games in beta [5 Febbraio 2007]

“Now this is something I love looking through. As you know, before a game is released it has to go through many planning stages and concepts. Some work, but most don’t. Over at Unseen 64, you can see screenshots and movies of games when they were in the lab room. Most games are ones that you may be familiar with, but there are some gems that you never knew were being made. One can only hope that the scrapped SNES game Starfox 2 will be released in the future. (Nope, the DS game doesn’t count.) Unseen64”

Oh Wii.fr – Le site des images et vidéos rares [5 Febbraio 2007]

“Un petit site qu’un lecteur vient de m’envoyer et qui est tout bonnement excellent : UnSeen64 regroupe toutes les images et les vidéos les plus rares de Nintendo. Vous pourrez y voir les tout premiers essais de Zelda en 3D (on est loin de TP), des images des versions beta de Super Mario World mais aussi et surtout des images inédites d’un remake de Final Fantasy 6, abandonné, bien sûr !!”

Kotaku.com – Unseen 64’s Unreleased And Beta Archives [5 Febbraio 2007]

“Geist Force. Mario 128. Frame City Killer. Nico. Project Berkley. Too Human. Thrill Kill. Donkey Kong’s Fun With Music. If you’ve been following gaming for a while, you’ll recognize many of those names, knowing that many of them never saw the light of day or were in development for so long, console generations came and went without a release. If you’re looking to wax nostalgiac on dozens of games that never made it past the alpha stage, you may want to spend some time over at Unseen 64. In addition to a slew of unfinished, unrealized sequels and fresh franchises are games that underwent massive design changes. Sneak a peek at Okami’s photorealistic style, House of the Dead III’s cel shaded look, Rez’s half-dozen art direction attempts, or the abandoned Resident Evil 1.5. Wonder to yourself “Whatever happened to that game?” Michael McWhertor”

GameIT! – База данных невышедших игр [5 Febbraio 2007]

“Как выглядела игра, еще до её выхода? Наверное этот вопрос волнует не только профессиональных журналистов (польстим себе, мда…) вроде нас, но и обычных геймеров. Ведь всем, наверное, интересно, какого размера была грудь у Лары Крофт, прежде чем подобралась до нашего любимого, пятого? Или какого цвета были штаны у Дюка Нюкема и был ли он вообще Дюком, или он был женщиной? Воистину, вопросов может быть много, а ответов и того меньше. Однако те, что есть, собраны на сайте Unseen64. В основном, сайт специализируется на хитах для консоли Nintendo64 (что явно видно из его названия), однако и обладатели других консолей могут найти ответы на свои вопросы. Информация представлена по группам. Тут есть скриншоты из альфа-движков проекта, статьи из журналов с так и не вышедшими версиями игр, база “фичей”, которые разработчики планировали внедрить, но так и не сделали, и даже видео из играбельных демо-версий! Особенно рекомендую поразившую меня демку Full Throttle: Hell on Wheels (эх, жаль проект был закрыт – получилось бы весьма интересно!) и полноценный Resident Evil на… страшно это подумать – Game Boy (обязательно посмотрите скриншоты – это просто надо видеть)! А уж фанаты Final Fantasy и Metal Gear могут потерять очень многое, если не зайдут на этот сайт.”

Digg.com – Ever Wanted To See […] [4 Febbraio 2007]

“This website (unseen64.tk) has tons of pictures and videos of many popular video games in their development stages, such as Mario 64, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Sonic, Shenmue, and many more – something from almost every gaming console, even Game Boy! It even has content for video games that were canceled or never released!”

Go Nintendo: remeber these videos? [4 Febbraio 2007]

“The first time I saw that demo video for The Legend of Zelda on the 64, I nearly passed out. I couldn’t believe that Zelda looked that good! Things have changed a little bit in-between now and then, but the memories are still there. Africansk8r sent me a link to a site that houses all sorts of old school videos. Videos for games that never came out, beta videos of games, and more. There are a bunch of Nintendo related videos just like the one above. I have been checkin out this site for awhile, but never thought to post on the weekend! Wow…there were a lot of cancelled N64 games!”

El Blog de Manu [18 Dicembre 2006]

“Quizás el título de la entrada sea algo exagerado, pero lo cierto es que en Unseen 64 podemos encontrar imágenes de juegos que nunca salieron, así como prototipos de juegos conocidos que luego cambiaron radicalmente. Por ejemplo, este juego llego a ser “Ristar“ – “Too Human” iba a salir inicialmente en Playstation – “Ico” también empezó siendo un juego de Playstation: – Dreamcast iba a tener su ración de “Castlevania” con protagonista femenina incluída: – “Kameo” se comenzó a desarrollar en Gamecube antes de que Rare fuese comprada por Microsoft: – Y el original “Band of Brothers” para Nintendo DS fue inicialmente un título para Game Boy Advance: Por si fuera poco con las imágenes, también han subido a Youtube multitud de videos, algunos tan interesantes como estos: “Viewpoint 2064” (Nintendo 64) – “Vectorman” (Playstation 2)”

QJ.net Wii [17 Dicembre 2006]

“Ever seen an elephant graveyard? Well, it’s filled with dead elephants. Imagine giant beasties that used to roam the lands, now gone and forgotten, their bones setting the tone of the landscape. At the same time, they’re also a reminder that their death brought about the life of other things. None of us have ever actually been to an elephant graveyard (not enough dead elephants around the block!), but we’ve seen something that kinda reminds us of it. Destructoid put up a mention of this elephant graveyard of sorts to old, dead, or remade Sega, Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft games called Unseen64, and it’s kind of amazing how different a finished product can be from its prototype form. We’ve decided to take some of the more interesting games for people to go and gawk at, so you’ll be seeing shots from “elephant graveyard” versions of Onimusha and Metal Gear Solid, House of the Dead 3, and the original Halo (which was supposed to be an RTS). It’s an interesting reminder for us gamers: the things we see before the game comes out might never truly represent the actual gaming goodness we get to experience. Still, we should thank these lost ideas for helping to bring out the games we’ve grown to love.”

vgmuseum.com site news [12 Dicembre 2006]

“You have got to check out this site, Unseen 64; You will find screenshots for tons of games in their beta stages, most of them which never came out. Did you know there was a Seiken Densetsu/Secret of Mana game in development for the Famicom Disk System called “The Emergence of Excalibur”? How about a Zelda 2 remake for the Super Famicom? Or how about about Final Fantasy 4 for the NES? Also, check out that fugly Sega Genesis Ristar beta called Feel. A very different Super Mario World game that looks more like Mario 3. Also Mario’s Wacky Worlds for the CD-I (eww). Too Human, the Playstation version, afterwards in delelopment for the Gamecube and now the Xbox. Third time the charm? And finally, an UNRECOGNIZABLE Zelda: Ocarina of Time when it was first shown in 1995. There’s a lot more content on the site, even videos of these beta games in motion, so don’t miss it.”

Paul Palmer’s 1UP Blog: N64 Week Day 4 [28 Settembre 2006]

“So Tuesday I briefly mentioned some of the games featured in EGM’s Nintendo 64 magazine that ended up never seeing the light of day. Today we’ll take a look at a few titles that were cancelled or shelved until the next console generation, including one particular title which I shall forever pine for. Robotech Crystal Dreams […] Kirby Air Ride […] Dinosaur Planet […] Freak Boy […] Mother 3 […] Shadowgate Rising […] It’s always sad to see games that look like they have such potential eventually go the way of vaporware due to lack of finances. But sometimes they come back when you least expect it; Mother 3 eventually found its way to the GBA, and Kirby’s Air Ride was revived for the Gamecube. Going to www.Shadowgate.com reveals that the company is still alive and kicking, though on a much smaller scale, offering Shadowgate Classic on a variety of platforms such as Windows, PalmOS and cell phones! In their extras section you can even read the comic about Raven, the star of the axed Shadowgate Rising. Maybe one day they’ll get around to bringing that last chapter of Shadowgate to some lucky console. Check back tomorrow as my Week of N64 feature comes to a close. Thanks to Unseen64
for the screenshots used here.”

Vandal Online Blogs (Portada) [23 Settembre 2006]

“Esos tres nombres son de alguno de los juegos que se muestran en esta página con imágenes de aquellos juegos que han sido cancelados o rediseñados en algunas consolas como la N64, GC, PSX, etc…www.unseen64.net La página está en italiano, pero es fácil navegar para buscar estos juegos que nunca vieron la luz o que salieron de forma distinta. Saludetes.”

Press The Buttons: Sights Unseen [05 – Settembre – 2006]

“Not too long ago we took a look at old screenshots of games from when those games were still early in development. Now it looks like we’ve hit the mother lode on beta images. Unseen64 is on a mission to archive as many pre-release images and videos as possible for a variety of consoles. Nintendo products are the most heavily represented, but there’s some Sega goodies in there as well as a little 3DO action. Marvel at early versions of Banjo-Kazooie, Goemon 64, Castlevania: Resurection, Resident Evil for Game Boy Color (in 3D!), Mini Racers 64 (unreleased), Yoshi’s Island 64, Phantasy Star V, and many more. The catch? The descriptive text for each game isn’t in English. Once again we’re left to wonder what became of some of these games and what would have happened if the final versions reflected early developmental roots.”

Echo Player: Unseen Screens [06 – Settembre – 2006]

“While in production, games naturally change and evolve – sometimes the initial builds are completely different to the finished product, or at other times those initial builds simply never see the light of day. Unseen64 is a site that catalogues unreleased and unseen game screenshots and footage, from a range of different game systems (currently through a SNES to Dreamcast period). To anyone with a keen interest in a particular game or series, you’re likely to have seen most of this media before, but it’s still very interesting to see what certain games could have turned out like – such as Shenmue on the Saturn or (the possibly canned?) Banjo-Threeie on the GameCube. A thread on the NeoGAF forums also contains similar screens and videos, although it features a larger variety of different games. Certanly worth a browse for a peek in to the past.”

Games Blog: Giochi (mai) visti [06 – Settembre – 2006]

“Unseen64 è un interessante sito che mostra gli screenshot delle versioni non definitive dei giochi per Nintendo 64 e 64DD; sono anche presenti le immagini di molti giochi mai usciti come Final Fantasy 64 e Mother 3. In realtà il sito non è dedicato solo alla console a 64 bit di Nintendo: sono presenti screenshot anche di giochi per altre piattaforme. Tralaltro il sito è italiano, quindi la marchetta è doppiamente piacevole.”

Poison Mushroom: Points Of Interest [8 – Settembre – 2006]

“Awhile back, a thread came up at the GAF forums dedicated to posting images from games that were in development, which ended up looking different by the end. Now, again thanks to Press the Buttons, comes word of a new site by the name of Unseen64, dedicated to archiving as many pre-release images of games as possible. Seems Nintendo is the most standard fare there, but it is by no means exclusive to that…I still want a Super Mario World that looks more like that one.”