GameCube

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes [GameCube – Beta]

Metroid Prime 2 for the GCN was a bit of a change from the metroid standard, as it featured for the first time, ammo for the beam weapons, and the ability to explore a dark world version of the main world. A bonus disk with a demo of the game on it was released as a gift from nintendo for a limited time, and a pack in bonus with copies of the first Metroid Prime. The demo takes several short cuts, jumping you straight to a mining facility that comes along a little later in the game. However, there are differences outside of that, that can’t quite be chalked up as cut backs for a demo release.

Video 1

3:40 Luminoth Webbing. scan is not in final game

3:53 “Mechanisms” is missing from log directory

3:56 it says that the statue’s motivator unit is broken, and won’t move. inthe final, instead of an eye, it has a dark crystal that when shot with the right beam, DOES move.

4:28 warns of a terminal fall ahead. not in the final game. Also, Luminoth Lore piece is missing from side of wall.

Video 2

2:04 Dark Webbing. scan is not in final game.

Video 3

This cut-scene is not in the final game.

Also, in one room in the final game, you can see a large number of flying enemies, but since you can only see it in morph ball form through normal play, you can’t scan it. However, if you enter the room by other means, such as going through or over walls with a glitch or Action Replay, you can scan it. The scan is as follows (as wrote on Wikitroid):

“Mechanism: Airthorns. Rogue airborne mechanoids. Targets are small and travel in packs for safety. Avoid contact.”

“The Luminoth made the Airthorn to patrol local airspace. The small, speedy machines were a boon to the war effort until their programming failed. Now rogue, they serve the Ing as fiercely as they served their creators.”

More information about unused enemies can be found at The Cutting Room Floor.

There are also enemies that were planned to be in the game at one point, but appear to have not even made it off of the concept art, which can be viewed at the Metroid Database

Retro Studios decided against recycling the features of the first game, and instead used new sound models, weapon effects, and art designs. They also implemented the Screw Attack and wall jumping features seen in previous Metroid games, which were not incorporated in the first Prime due to time constraints. [Infos from Wikipedia]

In some Pre-Release screenshots we can notice that the Hud, Dark Samus colors, the score counter in the Multiplayer mode and the visor hud while in morph ball are different. Also, there are other little changes in the scenarios.

Also, thanks to a model viewer created by Interdpth and Revel8n it’s possible to find various unused models hidden in the game’s code. You can download the Metroid Prime model viewer (mpxviewer) in here. If you are able to find more unused models, please let us know!

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Doomsday Rescue [GC/XBOX/PS2 – Cancelled]

Doomsday Rescue was an action / combat racing game  that was in development at Beyond Games in 2002 and it was going to be published by Midway.  The project was later cancelled as many other Beyond Games titles, probably because of the bankruptcy of the company.

[spoiler /Click here to read the original Midway press release/ /Hide the press release/] LOS ANGELES – May 22, 2002 (E3 Booth # 800, South Hall) – Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading software industry publisher and developer, announced today that Doomsday Rescue, an all-new combat racing game, is in development and scheduled to ship in 2003 for next-generation systems.

When a deadly asteroid shower hurtles toward earth, the collective governments of the world band together to save the human race by resettling on Mars. In order to ensure the revitalization of human life, key scientists, doctors and politicians from around the globe have been selected for transportation and relocation to Mars. To further guarantee the success of the resettled civilization, a planet-wide relocation lottery was held and a number of lottery-winning civilians have been granted seats on ships to the new settlement. As a hotshot driver for the Doomsday Rescue Corp., you embark on a frantic adrenaline-rush mission to find and deliver these key humans to their waiting transport ships within 24 hours. Doing your job means saving your own life. If you complete your rescue missions, you can resettle on Mars.

“Doomsday Rescue is the only combat racing game set in apocalyptic urban environments where players battle with rioting civilians to save themselves and the human race,” said Helene Sheeler, vice president of marketing, Midway. “With an engaging mix of time-based combat racing and sheer wanton destruction, Doomsday Rescue brings a fast-paced, tension-filled experience to next-generation consoles.”

In your quest to resettle the human race, crash and bash your way through seven free-roaming urban environments and destroy anything and anyone between you and your goal – including hordes of rioting civilians who know they aren’t included in the resettlement. Players must be on high alert as meteorite showers pummel and obliterate urban buildings, cars and civilians, presenting new obstacles and opportunities as the environments dynamically evolve on-the-fly.

To complete your mission and guarantee your own relocation to Mars, you must also defeat the Back Yard Rocket Federation (BYRF), a group of terrorists whose plans to steal your colonists puts the survival of the human race in jeopardy. With a real-time physics engine tuned for pick-up-and-play driving action, players can jump right in the driver’s seat and unleash total carnage from their transport vehicle with an awesome arsenal of weapons including machine guns, lasers, missiles, chain guns, cannons and more. [/spoiler]

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Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom [PS2/XBOX/GC – Beta]

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is an action video game based on the television show SpongeBob SquarePants. The game has been released for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox.  Joel has made us to notice about a beta video that shows some differences from the final game:

1. The green arrows that are shown when targeting an enemy are replaced by a white glove pointing at them in the finalized version.

2. A purple collectible is shown when an enemy is destroyed that is not in the finalized version.

3. Various sound effects and soundtracks are missing.

4. A playable character (Sandy) has a completely different animation for sliding down tracks by doing it on her tail.

5. Another playable character (Spongebob) is shown with less-finalized attacks, showing his “bubble moves” with less detail and they are more rounded in shape.

6. A non-playable character (The Flying Dutchman) is shown in a different area of a level and he looks somewhat different (since he is a ghost character he has a glow effect in the finalized version that isn’t in the beta).

7. There is a smoke effect that I do not recall seeing in the finalized version.

Thanks to Joel for the contribution!

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Turok Evolution Sequel [XBOX/PS2/GC – Concept]

The original Turok: Evolution is a FPS developed and published by Acclaim Entertainment for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2002. After Evolution, a small Acclaim team was trying to work on a direct sequel, but the project never got off the ground so they soon moved on to other projects. Only few artworks remain from this Turok Evolution sequel that never was. When Acclaim was closed, Turok vanished from the gaming scene untill when Disney Interactive Studios purchased the rights to the Turok franchise. Propaganda Games developed the next Turok, that was released for XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 in 2008.

Thanks to Hey Hey for the contribution!

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Quest (Rare MMO) [GameCube / XBOX – Cancelled]

Quest was a cancelled Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) game that was in development at Rare Ltd. Before Raretopia.com vanished from the web, they had some interesting informations about the project:

When Microsoft purchased RARE, one of the things it highlighted was its established series. Having paid such a high price for the renowned codehouse, Microsoft naturally wanted to exploit its past work to the utmost. Shortly after its acquisition, it therefore organised a restructuring of the company where high-profile franchises such as Perfect Dark and Conker were prioritized over more experimental titles.

The first game to suffer from this change of focus was  RARE’s top-secret online game that was originally planned for the Nintendo GameCube but soon converted to the Microsoft Xbox. Codenamed Quest, it was a massively multiplayer online space shooter led by Mark Edmonds, Duncan Botwood, and Chris Seavor in the programming, design, and art roles respectively. Despite having been in the works for about two years, development on the game was progressing slowly, largely due to its lack of distinct direction with regards to design. With the Xbox already being overcrowded with online games, Microsoft thus decided to cancel the title and relocate the 13-strong team to more important titles.

Thanks to Purerarity, some more info were leaked in october 2011:

Quest started around 2000 after Perfect Dark N64 as a mixed fantasy MMO. One name it had for a while was Elements of 3 Powers but it wasn’t related to Kameo (the other team probably took over the name when it was abandoned). Around 2001 Quest was a space shooter for the Gamecube and in 2002 it was converted to the Xbox and shortly thereafter put on hold. After Perfect Dark Zero a fantasy MMO version came back, this time titled Cascade. It was however cancelled in 2007 when the team did GoldenEye 007 for the XBLA instead. As you all know, the latter was finished but never released.

Sadly there are no Quest images or videos available at the moment.