Beta + Cancelled SNES + Super Famicom Video Games - Page 13 of 33

The Mask is a platform game (based on the film with the same name) developed by Black Pearl Software and published in 1995 by THQ for the Super Nintendo. Early in its development, the game was much different from the final version, as noticed by Mister Syd on the Lost Levels Forum:

Health meter is a series of facial expressions, while the health meter is numerical in actual game.
The Mask’s sprite is completely different in shape, color and design, almost as if this build was completely dismissed and recreated from the ground up.
Visually, I find this the most interesting because it looked like it was going to play more like a brawler than the platformer it turned out to be.
All of the screenshots’ backgrounds are not used anywhere in the final version of the game.
Unused abilities; The Mask has no low-kick, or a (strange-looking) gun that fires projectiles in the game and the mallet is a different color (and pose) but the tornado’s design might of been used in the game.
Some of the enemies in the screen shots I think are actually still in the game, but could be edited a bit in the release; the man with the gun by the bank vault is likely not in the final release though.

The Mask was also planned for the Genesis / Mega Drive, but this version was never released.

Thanks to Celine for the contribution! (scan from EGM #61)

Images:

Nintendo, SNES + Super Famicom

Ardy Lightfoot [SNES – Beta]

monokoma

21-09-2010

2 Comments

Ardy Lightfoot is a platform game developed by ASCII that was released in 1993 for the Super Famicom (Japan) and in 1996 for the Super Nintendo (USA and Europe). It seems that a beta version of the game was somehow leaked online, as we can see many videos from this early version on Youtube. More info on the differences in this beta are available at Flying Omelette!

Ardy’s speech bubbles are differently coloured, and Nina looks different.
The prologue stage is completely empty of stars
The push block gets a new graphic in the final, presumably to indicate it can be pushed and isn’t just scenery.
The beta presents a chest with a bomb, while the final does merely places it next to the wall and requires being moved closer.
The tunnel you fall into requires awkward walking to venture through, while the final makes a little more sense by having you slide through it.
The beta version of Scene 2 is very unfinished and different
Catry has all new sprites, but they’re pretty bad in comparison to the final ones

Images:

Videos (Scene 2 beta):

Videos (Scene 2 Final):

Videos (more beta):

Game Boy (+ Color), Mega Drive / Genesis, Nintendo, Sega, SNES + Super Famicom

Elite [SNES MD GB – Cancelled]

U64 Staff & Contributors

09-09-2010

3 Comments

As we can read on Wikipedia, Elite is a space shooter / trading game written and developed by David Braben and Ian Bell, originally published by Acornsoft in 1984 for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron computers. The game’s title derives from one of the player’s goals of raising their combat rating to the exalted heights of “Elite”. Elite was one of the first home computer games to use wireframe 3D graphics with hidden line removal. Another novelty was the inclusion of The Dark Wheel, a novella by Robert Holdstock which influenced new players with insight into the moral and legal codes to which they might aspire.

Despite being ported to virtually every home computer of that time, there is just one version available for a console and that’s Imagineer NES port, released only in Europe in 1991 ( the NES port is considered the best 8-bit version by the authors). However there were various attempts in early nineties to bring this milestone title to other Sega and Nintendo systems.

In fact Nintendo Magazine System issue 9 revealed how Hybrid Technology (developer of the Archimedes version) was developing the ultimate version of Elite using the Super FX chip. However , as Stern correctly noticed, the screenshots in the article were probably taken from the Amiga version. In the next issue ( #10 ) NMS unveiled ( this time for real ) the first official pics for Super Nintendo. Contrary to what they wrote in the previous issue, Elite for SNES wouldn’t utilize the SFX chip and despite that the game was said to have smooth framerate and Mode 6 ( SNES hi-res mode ). Super NES Elite had additions compared to the original title like a “planet buster” bomb and a more console-friendly interface that use icons ( like the NES version ) .

Those two article made clear how Hybrid Technology had yet to found a publisher for their project at the time so that’s likely the reason why it never come out.

Later on , in 1994, Hybrid Technology created two small tech demos as a pitch to port Elite to Genesis / Mega Drive and Game Boy however nothing came out from them. The two tech demos are available on Ian Bell ( Elite co-author ) ‘s website (backup at elitehomepage.org). You can watch two short videos about them below.

Article writteb by Celine, thanks to Steven for the contribution!

Images:

Videos:

Elite [Game Boy Tech Demo]

Elite [ Genesis/Mega Drive Tech Demo ]

Mega Drive / Genesis, Nintendo, Sega, SNES + Super Famicom

The Lawnmower Man [SNES GEN MD – Beta]

monokoma

21-07-2010

3 Comments

The Lawnmower Man is a platform / action game based on the 1992 film of the same name, developed by Sales Curve (SCi) and released for the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive (with different versions on PC, Sega CD and Gameboy). As we can read from Wikipedia, player takes control of either Dr. Angelo or Carla Parkette (the mother of Jobe’s best friend) in a typical side-scrolling shooting action. A Lawnmower Man beta was somehow leaked online, and you should be able to find it easily with Google.

Some screenshots from a supposed “Lawnmower 2” project were published in Super Pro magazine (scan by Retromags) before “Lawnmower Man 1” was released, but it seems that they are really beta images from the first game. As 90’s Gamer wrote in our Forum:

The Lawnmower Man II is of course the actually released Lawnmower Man for SNES, one of my fav’ titles on it, created by Simon Pick. A beta version of the game is also brought into the open. It contains another soundtrack, different sound effects, other intro sequence, the order of levels was altered, some level designs were changed, and it seems a harder game. Unfortunately i could not find any footage of it. The upper screen however seems a unique one, as i didn’t encounter a gigantic head of the antagonist ‘Jobe’.

Those screens published in Super Pro are probably from an earlier beta version than the leaked one.

Thanks to 90’s Gamer and Celine for the contributions!

Images:

Nintendo, SNES + Super Famicom

ClayFighter [SNES – Beta / Unused Stuff]

monokoma

21-07-2010

2 Comments

ClayFighter is a fighting game developed by Visual Concepts and published by Interplay for the Super Nintendo in 1993, and later ported to Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994. In an old promo video, uploaded on Youtube by gamecubedude03, we can see some beta differences as a removed Super Move green meter. As noted by Falcovsleon20, Blue Suede Goo was originally named Elvis the Impersonator, Ickybod Clay was originally named Ghost Guy, Helga was originally named Val, and Tiny was originally named Crusher.

Also Nabz noticed that on back of the Box Art there is a picture with the Blob transforming into a Bomb and another screen in which an opponent is thrown into the slime river at the clowns stage. These special moves were removed from the final game. The unused Blob / bomb move can still be seen thanks to a game genie (6280-DD6F): Blob will turn into a bomb and after a couple of seconds, it will explode and hurt both himself and the opponent. Kind of a pointless move, which was probably why it was disabled in the first place.

Lucas also noted that Taffy was orginally named Taffy Man and his alt pallete is Green, The Blob was orginally named Blob, Blue Suede Goo outfit orginally is Blue, Ickybod Clay was named Icky Bod Clay after Ghost Guy and all the charatcers have his own intros

Beta Biographies

Bad Mr. Frosty
Likes: Pizza
Hates: Fire
Clay Type: O-
Sex: Clay
Married: No

Taffy Man
Likes: Glue
Hates: Perns
Clay Type: B
Sex: Clay
Married: Yes

Crusher
Likes: Color
Hates: Sega
Clay Type: R
Sex: Clay
Slogan: Win!

Blob
Likes: Hair
Hates: Port
Clay Type: X
Sex: Other
Moto: Ill

Ghost Guy
Likes: Wind
Hates: Day
Clay Type: M
Sex: ???
Moto: Float

Bonker
Likes: Xmen
Hates: Soap
Clay Type: Z
Sex: Clay
Slogan: Pie!

He also rumored these Biographies

Impersonator
Likes: Music
Hates: Drugs
Clay Type: J or O+
Sex: Clay
Rival: Val

Val
Likes: Opera
Hates: Food
Clay Type: AB
Sex: Clay
Rival: Elvis

Thanks to Lucas Araujo for the contribution!

Images:

Videos: