Leaked

Tyrian 2000 [GBC – Cancelled]

The original Tyrian was a shoot ’em up developed for the PC by Eclipse Productions (later named World Tree Games) and published in 1995 by Epic MegaGames. A version of Tyrian 2000 was in development for the Game Boy Color, but it was later cancelled to work on the Tyrian 2000 GBA version. The game was eventually leaked online as a rom.

In the Game Boy Color version, the Full Game incorporates a shorter stories (from Episodes 1-4) than the original DOS game, but planet Ixmucane core always gets destroyed at the end, and the levels were redesigned. The rear weapon from the DOS game is not available. Player can carry 2 Sidekick weapons at once, but only 1 is usable at a time. New game modes and items can be unlocked by purchasing Extras using credits obtained by completing a stage. [Infos from Wikipedia] You can find more about Tyrian in here.

Thanks to Celine for the contribution!

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Unreal [PC – Beta / Tech Demo]

Unreal is a FPS developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes and published by GT Interactive in 1998. Originally, Unreal was going to be a Quake-style shooter: earlier screens showed a large status bar and centered weapons, similar to Doom and Quake. The main character was also going to be a woman, however in the final version the main character’s gender is selectable in the game’s “player setup” screen, though the default is a female character named Gina. One of the weapons shown in early screenshots was the “Quadshot”, a four-barreled shotgun. The model remains in-game, while there is no code for the weapon to function. Another weapon shown was a different pistol, however this may have just been an early version of the Automag. At one point the rifle could fire three shots at once, which is wrongly stated as the alternate fire in the Unreal manual that comes with the Unreal Anthology.

As development progressed, various levels were cut from development. A few of these levels reappeared in the Return to Na Pali expansion pack. A number of enemies from early versions are present in the released software but with variations and improvements to their look. One monster that didn’t make the cut was a dragon. [Info from Wikipedia]

Various Unreal beta builds were leaked online and thanks to Leo some of those files were fixed to play them better. You can download these files in here.  Some other early demos can be find at Unreal Services:

Unreal TechDemo 1995 (Size: 2.27 MB)
A unique piece of Unreal’s history: A playable technology demo from 1995. The demo contains 5 never seen before maps with textures and music that did not make it into the final game.

Unreal Beta 1997/98 (Size: 141 MB)
Big Unreal demo from 1997, leaked in 1998. An entire beta Unreal version including UnrealED. With many working levels and some levels that are not working or not completed yet. It’s really nice to see how some levels have been improved from this beta on and sad to see that some very good levels have been scrapped later. It also included levels of Return to NaPali, but at that time it was still one game.

Also, if you have some free time you can check this long thread at the Beyond Unreal Forum, in which there are many info on the various beta versions.

Thanks to Leo for the contribution!

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Sonic CD [Beta / Unused Stuff – Mega CD]

Sonic the Hedgehog CD, or simply Sonic CD, is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, released for the Sega Mega-CD in Japan on September 23, 1993, in Europe in October 1993, and finally for the Sega CD in North America on November 19, 1993. After the release of Sonic the Hedgehog, Lead Programmer Yuji Naka had grown dissatisfied with the rigid corporate policies at Sega, so he moved to the United States to work with the Sega Technical Institute. Incidentally, a large number of the original design team of Sonic also left for the U.S., to help instruct the American developers. With half of Sonic Team and two of its most important creators present, the Sega Technical Institute eventually got the job to develop Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Meanwhile in Japan, Sonic CD (or at this point, “CD Sonic” as it was first known) was handled by a separate development team, headed by Sonic creator Naoto Ohshima. Initially, as revealed in interviews and magazine clippings, Sonic CD, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System and Game Gear were supposed to be the same game. However, during development, Sonic CD evolved into a vastly different type of game. [Info from Wikipedia]

An early version of one of the bosses in the game had pinchers instead of bumpers on its hands. In the beta version of the Special Stages, the background had a large mountainside and planet instead of the usual dark space. The UFO was originally a baloon which Sonic would have to pop.Various unused sprites can also be found in the game’s code. Rumors also had it that Tails was going to be in the game but it was later removed. A couple of removed Levels were know as R2 and Final Fever.

It seems that various Sonic CD Betas were leaked online, as the ones labeled 510, 712 and 920. The Sonic CD 510 Beta has many differences that were seen in early screens, with changes in the graphic details, removed level sections and unused monitors (S and Gem monitors that transform Sonic into Super Sonic and a Timer monitor that would have stopped or slow down the time). As we can read at Sonic Retro:

Sonic the Hedgehog CD prototype 510, referred to as CD Sonic the Hedgehog on the title screen, is among the first prototypes of the game Sonic the Hedgehog CD for Sega CD. This prototype was discovered by a group of fans called Sega Extreme in the summer of 2000. The game contains all the stages of the final game, but at first sight the player can only highlight the first three: Palmtree Panic, Collision Chaos and Tidal Tempest. The rest can be viewed through the Level Select. Secrets also are in the game. Using the Sound Test menu and entering a Specific Code for each one will reveal some secret artwork. One is a cute Sonic with Japanese text that reads “You are cool”. Another one is a Scene where Sonic and Metal Sonic rap and Robotnik as the DJ. Another one is a epic tribute to badman. The last one is so creepy im not even posting. It appears both by using the sound test AND running a pirated version of Sonic CD. Its Sonic with a scary face with no pupils and looking mad with Japanese text that reads something like “Fun is never ending with Sega – Manjan (which can be translated to Devil or Demon” So you probably know why now.

For more info you can check the SoST archive and X-Cult!

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RS Links: removed C&C Generals level released after 6 years

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Robert Seddon linked us to this article on Kotaku, in which they talk about a removed level from Command & Conquer Generals, a RTS game that was released in 2003.

Called “Black Sheep”, the mission tasks you with driving one of the Global Liberation Army (ie the terrorist faction) chemical weapons vehicles around a “town that had been corrupted beyond salvation by the USA’s propaganda”.

Coming at the height of the WAR ON TERROR, EA decided back in 2003 that such a mission may have been a little much, and cut it from the game when it shipped.

In march 2009 the developers decided that it was time to let it go, and the removed Black Sheep level was finally released as a download from the official C&C website! As we can read from there:

In celebration of the sixth anniversary of the award-winning real-time strategy classic Command & Conquer Generals, we are releasing an exclusive gift to Command & Conquer fans — the lost mission of Command & Conquer Generals. The never-before-seen and controversial Global Liberation Army mission was not included in the game’s original 2003 release and has been hidden and securely stored away in a secret location at our EA Los Angeles development studio until today. Command & Conquer, download the mission Black Sheep for free and unleash their inner General.

Black Sheep was originally slated to be the third mission in the Global Liberation Army campaign where players were given command of the Toxin Tractor, a slow-going farm vehicle modified to spray a deadly corrosive agent, and ordered to eliminate the town that had been corrupted beyond salvation by the USA’s propaganda. While the mission was ultimately removed from Generals, the Toxin Tractor was available in other campaign missions, as well as in multiplayer and skirmish modes.

Huge props to EA! 

Wingz [PS2 – Cancelled]

In April 2009, Dr.daichi and Unclejun from the Assemblergames Forum have shared a lot of screenshots from an unreleased Playstation 2 shoot em up, that was in development in 2002 at Joycast / Hanbitsoft, two korean companies. Wingz was going to be an on-rail shooter, similar to Panzer Dragoon or StarFox, but it seems that it was later cancelled for some reasons. You can find more infos and a playable version of the game to download in the original topic, props to Dr.daichi for sharing the game and to Unclejun for the screenshots!

Thanks to X-Cult for the videos!

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