Action

Mega Drive / Genesis, Sega

Pulseman [MD GEN – Beta]

monokoma
10-04-2010
No Comments

Pulseman is a side-scrolling action platform game developed by Game Freak and published by Sega for the Mega Drive / Genesis in 1994. The game was released in cartridge format only in Japan, with the North American version being released via the Sega Channel as an “exclusive”. When first announced, Pulseman was originally named Spark.

Derboo found a screen of the beta Spark  from the Korean gaming magazine, Game World #5 (1994). The on-screen display changed, and the screenshot shows a boss from the game with a slightly different sprite in a totally different situation.

The palette is also different, but the article also shows artworks with the characters colored just like in the final game, so it was probably just the prototype palette for the underwater effect.

Thanks to derboo for the contribution!

Beta:


Final Version:

Images: 

32X / Mega CD, Sega

Last Action Hero [Sega Mega CD – Cancelled]

monokoma
10-04-2010
5 Comments

Last Action Hero for the Sega Mega CD is a cancelled game adaptation of the Arnold Schwarzenegger film of the same name, developed by Bits Studios to be published by Sony Imagesoft.  The NES, Super NES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Boy and Sega Game Gear versions were released, but they all look different from the Mega CD version, that used pre-rendered characters and background, as in the Bram Stoker’s Dracula CD game. A Sega Master System version was also developed, but never released.

Thanks to Celine and S.J. Reed for the contribution! (scan from EGM51! and a few from HG101)

Images: 

Microsoft, Others, PC / MAC, Xbox

Mech Arena [PC XBOX – Cancelled]

monokoma
08-04-2010
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Mech Arena: The First Match (aka Battle Arena III) is a cancelled action / fighting game that was in development in 2002 / 2003 by Made By Kiddies, for PC and the original Xbox. As the title can suggest, the player had to combat against huge mechs in various arenas, to win the competition. In the end Mech Arena was never released, maybe because they did not find a publisher interested in the project.

The main features of the game were:

– Supports Single and Multi play

– Play from 10 different stunning interactive arenas.

– Play 18 challenging Single arena missions.

– Multiplayer action over Internet, modem or LAN. Human opponents deliver new tactical challenges with every engagement with battle records.

– Battle statistics

– Repair, upgrade and organize your player. The weapon and armory inventory is displayed at the garage with money available for the next upgrade.

– Buy new weapons and pilots with resource points gained by winning missions or trade in equipment you no longer need.

– Repair and refit your Mech to your own specifications.

Thanks to Userdante for the contribution!

Images: 

Microsoft, Playstation 2 (PS2), Sony, Xbox

Hell On Wheels [PS2/XBOX – Unreleased]

monokoma
07-04-2010
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Hell On Wheels is a prototype for an action game / beat ’em up that was in development by Skylab Entertainment in 2003 / 2004. Even if the name and the settings could make you to relate this game to Full Throttle: Hell on Wheels, this one was a different project, not related to the LucasArts series. The Skylab Entertainment studio was launched in March 2003 and it was based in Austin, Texas: it included original team members from Ritual Entertainment and Gathering of Developers. Hell On Wheels was their first original project, but it seems that they never found a publisher interested in it and in the end Skylab closed in down in 2005 without any released game.

Images:

Video:

 

Dreamcast, Sega

Rent A Hero No. 1 [Dreamcast – Beta]

monokoma
01-04-2010
No Comments

Rent A Hero No. 1 is an action game / beat ’em up with RPG elements, developed by Sega and published for the Dreamcast in 2000, with an Xbox port in 2003. When the game was first announced in 1999, it did not look like the final version: the city layout was completely changed, the HUD and the MAP were different. From a video of the Rent-A-Hero No. 1 presentation at the V-jump Festival 99, shared by Carnivol from his YT channel, the combat seemed almost turn based or “on-rails”, while in the final game they play like in a classic action beat ’em up with free movements.

It’s possible that this 1999 version was still an early beta, but it’s interesting to notice how much the city was evolved from it’s initial form.

Images:

Videos (Beta @ 0:53):

For comparison, here’s a video from the final Xbox version: