Safari Joe is a cancelled action-adventure game that was in development by Titus Software around 2003. Key figures in the development team were Rob Stevens (project leader), Jean-Luc Martinez (programming lead) and Eric Marradi (art lead). The game was set in Africa – central Africa around the turn of the last century to be more precise.
The hero, ‘Safari’ Joe, is hired by an aging anthropologist, professor Livingwood, to take him into the jungle in search of a lost civilization his research has led him to believe is there. An expedition is formed comprising of Joe, the professor, the professor’s assistant, Myra, Joe’s partner, Mohammed, and a female journalist, Kate. Obviously they find the lost civilization and a little something extra; an evil witch doctor called Mobaj Mojumbo.
While Professor Livingwood is examining a mummy-like corpse laid out on an altar he accidentally resuscitates the malefic priest, who had been defeated during a combat with the priests of the lost civilization thousands of years ago. To stop the evil witch Safari Joe need to find four temples and explore their interiors to find each piece of the weapon, in the form of talismans. In order to find the temples, however, Joe and his friends must explore the jungle to unearth the traces of the ancient civilization. During their travels they encounter various different tribes, some friendly, some not, some human, some not, which lead them into various little side adventures to supplement their quest.
The game was never released, probably because Titus was living serious financial strains at the time that would end up bringing the company to bankruptcy in 2005.
Images: