Action Adventure

Playstation 2 (PS2), Sony

Splash Dive [PS2 – Cancelled]

monokoma
08-10-2010
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Splash Dive is a cancelled action adventure game similar to Ecco the Dolphin, that was in development in 1999 by SCEI  for the Playstation 2. The project was meant to be one of the first PS2 launch titles and it was even featured in the early console tech demos but something went wrong during the development and in the end Splash Dive was never released. From IGN we can read an interview with Splash Dive’s producer Kaoru Hagiwara:

HPPS2EX: First of all, what kind of game is Splash Dive?

KH: If you look at the screenshots, I think you’ll understand that its a game about the ocean featuring dolphins. We’re selling it as an action game. Not action-adventure, action. Players control the dolphin and try and make friends with other dolphins. Swimming at full speed, jumping above the water: I think it will have a refreshing sense of action to it. When you talk about games and the sea, adventure and simulations come to mind. There have been lots of games that feature floating or searching for fish, so we thought, “How can we create a new, refreshing kind of action?”

HPPS2EX: I see. The basic objective of the game is to become good friends with other dolphins, but what exactly do you do to accomplish this?

KH:The key will be what the player does, but the excitement of discovering what to do, is something that I would like to keep quiet.

HPPS2EX: In Splash Dive, you will be able to enjoy dolphins and their form of communication, right?

KH: Dolphins, have their own form of communication, which is very different from humans. One type is voice. Kind of like “Dolphinese.” We’re trying to put in all of these into the game as best as we can. We don’t want to have a dolphin specialist look at the game and say “That’s not right!” Therefore, we’re really working on the dolphins’ appearance and the way they sound.

Thanks to Celine for the contribution! If you are able to find that old Spash Dive video, let us know!

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Playstation 3 (PS3), Sony

Ætherion [PS3 – Cancelled]

monokoma
05-10-2010
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Ætherion (Aetherion) is a cancelled adventure game that was in development by Qube Software in 2005 / 2006 for the Playstation 3. The studio worked on  Ætherion’s concept and created an early prototype that was pre-approved by Sony, but in the end the project was never finished. As the main focus of Qube has always been the development of 3D software for 3D middleware and not games,  they probably found some problems during the development and Ætherion was soon cancelled. Only few artworks and some 3D models are archived in the gallery below, to preserve its existence.

Thanks to Sewia for the contribution!

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Nintendo, Wii

Metroid Other M [Wii – Beta / Unused]

U64 Staff & Contributors
03-10-2010
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Metroid: Other M​ is an action-adventure developed by a team consisting of staff members from Nintendo, Team Ninja, and D-Rockets. Metroid Other M did something that no Metroid game before it even attempted. It gave samus a human side. Known as being the cold bounty hunter, Samus was given a softer yet unrefined image. Other aspects of the game rocked the boat to a degree, but overall, it still has that metroid gameplay that true fans of the series have come to love.

Production had a really large scale, with over 300 storyboards which took six months to be completed, and ten teams being employed to develop cutscenes. To make a game though, you have to decide what to put in, and what to leave out. Thanks to the unlockable art gallery, we can see some of what was left out of the game, over it’s 3 year development period.

Thanks goes to Proto1 for pointing out these differences and to Metroid Database for sharing the artworks!

In the beta gallery below you can see:

  • Samus’ beauty mark was not part of her conceptual design, likely added towards end of development.
  • Unused GFtrooper armor.
  • A conceptual, streamlined powersuit. Not in game.
  • A shot of an unused Lyle character model that depicts him unarmored (no helmet, w/undershirt). Not in the game at all.
  • Alternate, unused designs of MBs hair piece.
  • Concept art depicts Waver once had the ability to infect other enemies. Further, art shows them recoiling off of walls. Not in game.
  • Grippers might have at one point been able to fly.
  • An unused baby Dragotix.
  • Alternate design for Biosphere terminal.
  • Unused Ian and Samus photographs
  • Teenage Samus w/different hairstyle.
  • Unused Samus civilian clothes, purple shirt.
  • Unused Phantoon design

Also, FacePunch are currently hacking apart Other M, and have found some interesting unused assets:

  • Unused Power Suit, likely beta. It’s missing several creases along the shoulder pads, arms, legs and has a different colored arm canon.

Here’s a list of several unused character models that have yet to be ripped:

  • 249-zss body HQ
  • 250-young samus (from prerendered cutscenes)
  • 251-adam in uniform (from prerendered cutscenes)
  • 252-255 hq samus powersuit
  • 257/260- metroid

Another member found test rooms and unused clothing:

“There are some development left over files for sure. So far i found the old suit model i posted earlier, a few characters/outfits which are only appearing in pre-rendered sequences and some test rooms from a very early stage of development.”

Thanks to Zero7 for the contribution!

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Microsoft, Others, PC / MAC, Xbox

Advent Rising [XBOX PC – Beta / Unused]

monokoma
27-09-2010
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Advent Rising is a science fiction action adventure developed by GlyphX Games and published by Majesco for Xbox and PC in 2005. As we can read on Wikipedia, Advent Rising was the first in a planned trilogy which also saw the development of Advent Rising PSP, a side story that took place at the same time as the first game. However, the first game’s retail performance fell short of expectations. By the end of 2005, Majesco Entertainment had completely revised its business plan and canceled plans for future Advent Rising games. Advent Rising was an ambitious project, but even the only released chapter was cut and changed before the final version.

Greg was able to find a lot of unused content in Advent Rising that is still accessible through the PC version’s console. This includes content that was promised in trailers, E3 demos, and the like, but cut for various reasons. Much of the content still exists in partially usable form once you spawn it into the game. 

Saturn, Sega

Aqua (Scavenger) [Saturn, PC – Cancelled]

monokoma
06-09-2010
3 Comments

Aqua is a cancelled action adventure that was in development by Scavenger for the Sega Saturn and PC. Players would have been able to explore a sunken Mayan city under the sea, looking at fishes and other aquatic fauna. The gameplay could have probably been similar to Everblue (PS2) / Endless Ocean (Wii) by Arika or the Aquanaut’s Holiday series by Artdink, but sadly Scavenger’s Aqua was never finished. In 1997 the company had to close down for bankruptcy.

Thanks to Rod_Wod for the scan!

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