Action

Foo [PC – Cancelled]

Foo was an action / stealth game that was in development in 2002 by Idol FX and was going to be published by Singularity Software . As we can read in the original press release:

Set in ancient China, Foo will challenge players to enter palaces and temples in the dead of night, loot them, and escape before the sun rises. Before each game, players will be able to choose a selection of traps to take in with them for hindering the progress of rivals, although every trap component carried will make movement slower and mean less room for hauling treasure. There will be five different characters in the game including a dragon, a tiger, an ape, a panda, and a rat–each with its own unique set of skills and characteristics. The game will also boast a random level generator, ensuring that no two games ever have to be the same.

The game was never finished and it vanished with its developer team.

Thanks to Lord Deathsaur for the contribution!

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Akila [X360 – Prototype]

Akila (also know as Project X) was an early prototype for a new XBOX 360 third person action game / hack & slash (with 4 players cooperative mode) that was created by New Pencil as a pitch to show to Z-Axis in 2005, to impress them enough to publish and fund the full game. Even if the game could have been fun, it seems that New Pencil did not find any publisher interested in Akila and the project was later cancelled.

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Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom [PS2/XBOX/GC – Beta]

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is an action video game based on the television show SpongeBob SquarePants. The game has been released for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox.  Joel has made us to notice about a beta video that shows some differences from the final game:

1. The green arrows that are shown when targeting an enemy are replaced by a white glove pointing at them in the finalized version.

2. A purple collectible is shown when an enemy is destroyed that is not in the finalized version.

3. Various sound effects and soundtracks are missing.

4. A playable character (Sandy) has a completely different animation for sliding down tracks by doing it on her tail.

5. Another playable character (Spongebob) is shown with less-finalized attacks, showing his “bubble moves” with less detail and they are more rounded in shape.

6. A non-playable character (The Flying Dutchman) is shown in a different area of a level and he looks somewhat different (since he is a ghost character he has a glow effect in the finalized version that isn’t in the beta).

7. There is a smoke effect that I do not recall seeing in the finalized version.

Thanks to Joel for the contribution!

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Project Overkill [PSX – Alpha / Beta]

Project Overkill is a shoot ’em up game developed and published by Konami in 1996 for the original Playstation. The gameplay takes on a 3d-esque isometric view, in which the player chooses one of four mercenaries to lead through the levels. [Infos from Wikipedia]

My friend optiK sent me a link to this video (from Asuka120 youtube channel) and I thought it was neat:  it is in fact from a pre-alpha build and most of what we can see in this early footage was not in the final game.

Video (Alpha version):

Video from the final game:

 

X-Men [32X – Cancelled]

X-Men: Mind Games is a cancelled action game that was in development by Scavenger and it would have been published by SEGA in 1995 / 1996 for the 32X. The game was shown at the E3 1995 and a playable demo was found and leaked by the SEGASaturno community in August 2009! This version is playable only trough real hardware (edit: now supported by Kega Fusion) and it’s an  early prototype with a couple of levels. A mirror of the leaked beta can be downloaded on Hidden Palace. (edit: not available)

Thanks to Celine for the contribution and props to SEGASaturno!

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MEAN MACHINES SEGA 37, november 1995.

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