Playstation

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater [Beta – Playstation]

This is the beta for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. There were very big differences from the beta to the final game. Some levels are heavily edited from their final versions, and some levels didn’t make it at all. In the character select screen, the characters (save for Bucky Lasek) are very unchanged from their final versions. Chad Muska is used as placeholder for some of the characters.

The School is the first level in the beta. There are some differences, like the fact that the rooftop is blocked by fans, and that the pool area is also very changed. Instead of collecting 1 secret tape for each level, there are multiple secret tapes to be found in each level. The “Bonus 500” and the “Bonus 200” point symbols are now just plain rings.

Thanks to Christopher Mauro for the contribution!

Some more details about the early prototype version of Tony Hawks were shared with us by Teetha Mundo:

“Based on the information from the source, a forum post from 1998, these screenshots are from a Pre-Tony build, or a build that was shown to Tony Hawk.

This build features one of the first original skateboarders in the game, being built a month or two after the Apocalypse-Build.  There’s actually a hologram of Bruce Willis in one of the levels, it’s the same model from the Apocalypse game.  In some of the screenshots you can see early versions of existing levels or even levels that didn’t make it to the final release. The skater and skateboard model still exists in the games files up to Tony Hawk‘s Pro Skater 2.”

Here is footage of some levels that didn’t make it:

Downhill: This level didn’t make the final cut because it looked too similar to a level in the arcade game, “Top Skater”.

Classic Concrete: This level didn’t make it because it was just a physics test, to see how the skater model reacted to terrain like grass, dirt, etc.

Suburbia: It’s unclear why this level didn’t make it. Some say that it was an early version of the San Francisco level, And I definitely see similarities. But for the most part, it doesn’t look anything like it.

Freeway: This was probably taken out because it was boring and didn’t have many things to trick off of. I think some of the level was used in the second level of Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX, like the grindable steel girder and the porta-potties.

Chris also recorded many videos from beta and test levels:

Recently rewatched the didyouknowgaming video about the tony hawk pro skater series and they really skimmed over a lot of the content that was cut. Such things like the (inaccessible) test level, freeway map, downhill map and more. I decided to play the betas myself and see what I could do to try and get into the test level without a cheat device. Well I succeeded. I took the betas, mixed certain build files together and rebuilt the rom (and can play it on hardware as of yesterday so yay for this) and realized I had forced the test level to be a selectable stage.

Heres the levels (excluding Suburbia) that I recorded for Tony Hawk’s beta. The title says “MIXED BETA” because it’s not the original build. The 2 betas that are online I mixed together in some ways so it’s not truly the original rom, but all the stages are in tact and all stages are from the original builds (again except Suburbia which was overwritten by the test level).

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Joe Blow [PSX PC – Cancelled]

Joe Blow is a cancelled platform / action game featuring a ten year old monkey that blow away his enemy (literally!) with the goal to save the Queen of Dreams who has been kidnapped by the evil Nightmare King. Player had to explore 6 worlds with overall 60 levels to free Dreamland from the new ruler, confronting humorous opponents. Joe Blow was in development for Playstation and PC by Abstract Entertainment while Telstar was going to be the publisher, however the title was never released for unknown reasons.

Scans from Edge issue 48 and GameFan5-8. All in-game screenshots are from the PC version.

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Warriors [PSX – Cancelled]

Warriors is a cancelled beat ’em up (?) that was in development by Atreid Concept (a French company founded by Nicolas Gaume)  for the original Playstation. As we can read from Wikipedia, in late 1994 Atreid Concept became part of Mindscape (as Mindscape Bordeaux) and later Nicolas Gaume bought Mindscape Bordeaux back in 1996, and renamed the company Kalisto Entertainment. It’s possible that Warriors was in development in that chaotic time and the project could have been canned during the various changes of companies.

Atreid Concept did release a 2D fighting game titled “Savage Warriors” for PC in 1995, but Warriors for the PSX should have been a 3D beat ’em up, at least from what we can read and see in the few concept arts / target renders found by Celine in an article from CD Consoles magazine #2.

If you know someone that worked for Atreid / Kalisto during those years and  that could have some more info about Warriors PSX, please let us know!

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Lufia 3: Ruins Chaser [PSX – Cancelled]

In early ’98 japanese publisher Nihon Flex announced that it was funding the development of the third game in the Lufia series (known as Biography of Estpolis in Japan ). Lufia 3: Ruins Chaser took place 300 years after Lufia 1. Neverland Company intention was to conclude the popular SNES story line and at the same time begin a new one. There were six main characters and the graphics was said to be isometric 2D similar to past Neverland Company work, Energy Breaker.

At Spring Tokyo Game Show ’98 , held at Makuhari Messe in Tokyo from March 21 to 22, Flex unveiled Lufia 3 for the first time giving out a 12 pages booklet, and a video with it, with preliminary artworks and details. The title was reported to be 20% completed. Natsume , the american publisher, confirmed at E3 ’98 that the game was scheduled for the second quarter of 1999 for Playstation.

However in July ’98 Nihon Flex declared bankruptcy thus forcing the project to be put on hold. In mid 1999 the development was resumed but on the more modest Game Boy Color and completely changing the previous work, the game dropped the III and was subtitled “The Legend Returns”.

Below you can see the original Lufia 3 artworks, the video bundled with the booklet at Spring TGS ’98 and a music video with a song shared by composer Yukio Nakajima thanks to Forfeit Island and SinReVi. Also japanese site RPG Data Library was a good source of information.

In February 2016 the full design doc of Lufia 3 was offered on the Japanese Yahoo auction website, here’s a Google translation of the description (if you can make a better one, let us know!):

Released in 1998, it had been scheduled is planning specifications set of “Lufia III”. Released from Japan flex company had been planned, but now on sale canceled due to the company’s bankruptcy. This exhibit will be the complete set of game specifications at that stage.
※ total 320 sheets, it will print out basically A4.

Scenarios related (plot, dungeon maps) 109 sheets
– Battle screen specification layout 43 sheets
– Eight field map specification layout
– Five world map specification layout
Camp specification layout 30 sheets
· Balloon specification layout nine
Movie picture 27 sheets Conte
Capsule Monster rough design 13 sheets
Party character combat pattern, 40 sheets monster material
Image board 22 sheets
Image board 14 sheets (B4 size)
Not included in the material to a floppy disk of the scenario data is lost ※.

If you read this article, Lufia, or it was supposed III become what game is in response to the Lufia II. In addition, you can understand, but was scheduled to use how hard that PlayStation. To save the state was bad, torn envelopes you put a document, a stain, but there is a folding trace etc., There is no problem to read the article. In addition, there is a folding mark at the center in all of the image board of B4 size, There is a tear marks on the part of the character rough image.

Artworks:

Spring TGS ’98 Trailer:

Yukio Nakajima original song:

 

Aqua Prophecy [Playstation – Cancelled]

Aqua Prophecy is a cancelled action adventure game that was in development by ASCII for the Playstation. The project was shown at E3 1997, but sadly it was never finished for some reasons. More info about this game can be found on IGN in an old interview / chat with Rob Fleischer from Ascii:

Adam@PSXPower: Tell us about Aqua Prophecy.

Rob@ASCII: Aqua Prophecy is an underwater adventure where you are out to save the world. You must save the world from the prophecy of Nostradamus and you travel to various different underwater locals.

Dinosaur: “Like Tomb Raider, only all under water?”

Rob@ASCII: Kind of, Dino.

Spelunx: “Is it like Ecco for Genesis?”

Rob@ASCII: There is a lot of puzzle solving and not a lot of killing. You explore sunken pyramids, ships, planes.

Bizarro: “Have you been researching the Nostradamus prophecies for the game?”

Rob@ASCII: Yes, it is true to form.

As with another cancelled aquatic game, Aqua by Scavenger, Aqua Prophecy’s gameplay could have been similar to Everblue (PS2) / Endless Ocean (Wii) by Arika or the Aquanaut’s Holiday series by Artdink.

Thanks to Celine for the contribution! Scan from GameFan magazine #5-8 and EGM ’97 Show Guide To E3

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Video (E3 1997):