Kameo: Elements of Power is a video game launched for the Microsoft Xbox 360 video game console and developed by Rare. Kameo was originally slated for the Nintendo GameCube, and was set to be one of Rare’s flagship titles for the system, along with Star Fox Adventures and Donkey Kong Racing. However, when Microsoft announced its purchase of Rare in late 2002, Kameo’s future was put in question. It was decided that work would continue on the Xbox, and a planned release date of 2003 was given. After several revamps, causing repeated delays, Kameo was put on indefinite hold in late 2004. Following this, rumours began that the game was once again undergoing a platform change, this time from the Xbox to the Xbox 360, where it was the first announced game for the system. The original GameCube version had a different character design, but probably the core game was essentially the same. [Info from Wikipedia]
Rebirth was a Full Motion Video presented at Space World 2003 that was created by Mix-Core to show the ability of the GameCube to replay high definition videos.. and to have proof of some of it’s technological power. Keep in mind that before the GameCube, there was the Nintendo 64, that used carts as media for the games and with limited memory it was not possible to have such kind of quality footage. It seems that a small part of the video was running in real time on the GameCube hardware, proving the good graphic that the console could have recreated in the right hands. Even if there’s a bit of confusion on this project, Rebirth was never really meant to be a full game: it was just a “tech demo” to show that finally Nintendo had abandoned the limited cart format.
Thunder Rally, aslo know as “Car Battle” or “Car Combat”, was going to be a.. car combat game, similar to Twisted Metal and Vigilante 8. This was one of the first Retro Studios projects, from when the GameCube was still know as “Dolphin”. Retro Studios was probably the first software house to start to work on GameCube games, as Nintendo “assembled” the Retro team in 1998 just for this purpose. Initially Retro had various projects in development, as this one, Raven Blade (Runeblade), Retro Football and an action adventure game that later was changed to Metroid Prime. Sadly the team was badly organized and there were no real progesses on any of those games. Nintendo then decided to take on the situation, lay off some of the developers and cancell most of the Retro Studios projects, to let them to concentrate only on Metroid Prime. Noone ever seen Thunder Rally again after Nintendo’s wrath.
[spoiler /Clicca qui per la versione in Italiano/ /Nascondi la versione in Italiano/]Questo progetto appartiene al periodo buio dei Retro Studios, un periodo composto da licenziamenti, rumor poco confortanti, giochi cancellati, e tante altre pessime notizie che se sommate tra loro fornivano una panoramica piuttosto desolante, tanto che i dubbi sulla futura qualità di Metroid Prime erano tanti e legittimi. Fortunatamente Retro è riuscita a zittire tutti, fatto sta che questo TRC, assieme a Football 2002 e Raven Blade, rimane emblematico della pessima situazione in cui si trovava questa talentuosa società prima di mettersi a lavorare duramente. Il gioco doveva essere una specie di Twisted Metal / Vigilante 8, modalità multiplayer compresa. [/spoiler]
Roll-O-Rama was an interesting action / puzzle game in which the player would had used the GameBoy Advance and a special GBA Cart to use the portable console as a “Motion Sensor Pad”, to be able to play the game while moving and tilting the GBA. The gameplay was going to be something like the Kororinpa games for the Wii: tilt the playing field with the pad to navigate a spherical object around mazes to reach the end goal (as in Marble Madness and the Super Monkey Ball series).
The most interesting fact about the development of Roll O Rama is that in its early build the game was know as Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble 2, and it was going to have Kirby as the “ball”. In 2002 the development of Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble 2 was changed, Nintendo removed Kirby from the game, and it became Roll-O-Rama: it was essentially the same project, but without the Kirby mascot. After some years of development, Roll-o-Rama just vanished and the project was quietly cancelled. As we said before, probably you can just buy Kororinpa for the Wii, to play something much similar to the original Roll O Rama concept.
[spoiler /Clicca qui per la versione in Italiano/ /Nascondi la versione in Italiano/]Annunciato all’e3 2001 insieme a Kirby Tilt ‘n Tumble Advance per GBA, Rool-O-Rama era conosciuto originariamente con il nome di Kirby’s Tilt ‘n Tumble 2 e presentava un aspetto molto differente dalle foto di questa pagina. Il gioco ha cambiato nome del 2002, rimuovendo ogni riferimento al personaggio rosa di Nintendo. Roll O Rama non era altro che l’ennesima versione aggiornata e migliorata di Marble Madness, il celebre coin-op Midway. Il gameplay del vecchio classico è incentrato nel guidare un oggetto sferico (solitamente una pallina.. o un Kirby) attraverso livelli pieni di ostacoli, che tentano in ogni modo di fermare la nostra avanzata verso la fine del livello.
La caratteristica principale di Roll-o-Rama su GameCube era sicuramente la possibilità di interagire con la versione di Kirby per GBA, sbloccando cosi nuovi livelli da giocare grazie al sensore di movimento presente sulla cartuccia, che avrebbe permesso di muovere la pallina agitando il portatile Nintendo.
Sfortunatamente nè la versione Gamecube (Roll o Rama) nè quella per GBA (Kirby’s Tilt ‘n Tumble) erano destinate a vedere mai la luce.[/spoiler]
The original Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble was an action / puzzle game published and developed by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. It was first released in Japan on August 23, 2000 and in North America on April 11, 2001. The game uses a series of accelerometers to control Kirby: the goal of the game is to guide Kirby to the level’s goal within the allotted time by physically tilting the Game Boy in the direction in which the player wishes to move him. The game revolves around the collection of the numerous stars strewn about the levels. To beat the game entirely, one must collect each level’s secret star. [Info from Wikipedia]
At the Spaceworld 2001 a sequel was announced for the GameCube: with the help of the GBA as an alternative PAD and a special GBA cart with Motion Sensors, it was possible to play the game as the original GameBoy Color version.. something like the Kororinpa games for the Wii. In 2002 the development of Koro Koro Kirby 2 was changed, Nintendo removed Kirby from the game, and it became Roll-O-Rama: it was essentially the same project, but without the Kirby mascot. After some years of development, Roll-o-Rama just vanished and the project was quietly cancelled.
[spoiler /Clicca qui per la versione in Italiano/ /Nascondi la versione in Italiano/]L’idea alla base di Koro Koro Kirby era quantomeno intrigante, in quanto fu una sorta di anticipazione del pad del Wii. Tramite il collegamento GC/GBA Nintendo riuscì ad ideare un modo per muovere in maniera precisa, realistica e coinvolgente il piano sul quale rotolava la pallina rosa: attraverso un sensore da inserire nello spazio per le cartucce del GBA la piccola console Nintendo era infatti capace di rilevare qualunque inclinazione gli venisse impartita. Purtroppo, nonostante l’ottimo feedback ricevuto durante le varie fiere, il gioco venne accantonato e non raggiunse mai gli scaffali dei negozi, probabilmente anche a causa della scarsa diffusione del collegamento GC/GBA.
L’originale Koro Koro Kirby è uscito, sia negli Stati Uniti che in Giappone, in una versione pensata unicamente per Game Boy Color. Il gioco vendette circa 800.000 copie nel sol suolo del Sol Levante, quindi rappresentò un ottimo successo per Nintendo. Entrambi i Koro Koro Kirby erano in sviluppo presso il team interno R&D2. [/spoiler]
You can find more about the Kirby series in the WiKirby!
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