Pollen Sonata is a game prototype created by 10 students from the danish academy of digitial interactive entertainment (DADIU). It was created in may 2007 using Valve’s source engine […] They worked a few months on trying to get the project to Nintendo Wii, but those plans have been put aside for good. Pollen Sonata will never become a finished game, and the team members has gone away to other projects.”
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One of the strangest games ever created for the N.64, Cubivore was originally revealed (already ported on cartridge) at the Spaceworld 2000. It was without a doubt the most creative game of the show, not only because of the extreme stylized graphic, but also for the main objective of the game: became the forefront of the evolution chain. Unfortunately, it was first a victim of the failure of the 64DD, and then, when finally ported on a cartridge, of the forthcoming release of the Project Dolphin. It did come out however in 2002 on the Gamecube and, despite being graphically almost identical to the N.64 version, it was released even in the USA.
[spoiler /Clicca qui per la versione in Italiano/ /Nascondi la versione in Italiano/] Di tutti i giochi insoliti inizialmente previsti per il 64DD, Dobutsu Banchou (che vuol dire più o meno Animal Leader) era probabilmente il più bizzarro. Apparso per la prima volta allo spaceworld 2000, già peraltro convertito in cartuccia, il futuro Cubivore si era infatti subito distinto sia per il suo comparto tecnico, particolarmente stilizzato, quasi da esposizione cubista, che per l’obiettivo del gioco, divorare gli altri animali fino a diventare l’essere più in alto nella scala evolutiva.
Si trattava certamente di un concept interessante, ma che ha fatto purtroppo la fine di tanti altri giochi 64DD, venendo improvvisamente cancellato quando Nintendo aveva ormai capito che il suo add-on aveva poche possibilità di riuscita. Fortunatamente in seguito (2002) Dobutsu venne portato su Gamecube, e nonostante l’aspetto grafico pressochè identico alla versione Nintendo 64 non lo rendeva certamente un titolo appetibile a tutti, la solita, grande Atlus è riuscita comunque a fare avere questa piccola gemma a noi occidentali, ottenendo i diritti di distribuzione da Nintendo e rilasciandolo sotto il nome di Cubivore.[/spoiler]
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Space World 2000 Trailer:
Mario Artist and Creator 64 are a set of creative software / development tools that were meant to be used for the Nintendo 64DD. Before the 64DD was published, Nintendo talked about many options and different programs for this new Mario Artist series, but in the end only few ones were finished. Paint Studio, Polygon Studio, Talent Studio and Communication Kit were available in shops, but Game Maker, Graphical Message Maker, Sound Maker, Video Jockey Maker and Creator remained unreleased. In the gallery below you can see a collection of old images from the original Mario Artist Set, in which there could be some screens of the cancelled discs and early versions of the released ones (with different icons and HUD).
Sadly, as we never played the final Mario Artist, we are not sure about which screens are beta and which are not. Please, if you played Mario Artist 64DD, let us know!
From the official Pickford Brothers’s website, we can even read about a cancelled american version of Mario Artist for the Nintendo 64, that was in early development by Software Creations:
Mario Artist: Paint Studio / Sound Studio: Originally intended as a single product – a sequel to Mario Paint in 3D for the N64 – this eventually saw light as multiple Japanese only products released for the N64 and the 64DD disk drive system.
Software Creations were initially asked to pitch a concept to Nintendo of America for a Mario Paint style product for the N64. John came up with a concept based on living 3D environments where the user could mess about with the creatures in the world – both editing the textures on the models themselves, and modifying the parameters of entities themselves – the physical size of a dinosaur, say, and its other visual attributes, as well as its AI properties such as aggression, speed etc. The result would be living playground where the player could mess around and play God.
The project was caught up in political infighting between NOA and Nintendo of Japan over who was controlling the project, and eventually the Japanese took control and rejected many of the ideas which had been accepted enthusiastcally by the Americans, steering the project in a different direction after John left Software Creations to form Zed Two, and throwing away loads of work.
Thanks to Robert Seddon and Vaettur for the contribution!
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Blast Corps (Blast Dozer in Japan) was one of the earliest RARE games for the Nintendo 64. Using various vehicles, we had to clear the way for a truck full of nuclear material, so the dangerous cargo would explode only in a safe area. Certainly one of those games that you love or hate it, but without a doubt a truly original title.
Anyway, during the development Rare removed some of the strangest vehicles and tools, such a Scorpion-like mech, a strange throw-punches machine, a mechanical armor and a small tractor with a front paddle.
[English Translation by yota]
[spoiler /Clicca qui per la versione in Italiano/ /Nascondi la versione in Italiano/]
Uno dei primissimi giochi RARE per il Nintendo 64, è stato questo Blast Corps (Blast Dozer in versione JAP). A bordo di una moltitudine di mezzi diversi, era necessario distruggere ogni edificio che impedisse il passaggio ad un camion pieno di materiale Nucleare. In questo modo, il pericoloso carico sarebbe esploso in una zona sicura. Se tutto questo vi sembra strano, una volta provato il gioco potreste rimanerne innamorati all’inverosimile. Oppure odiarlo. Qualunque sia il vostro giudizio, sarete daccordo nel cosiderarlo un titolo davvero originale.
Durante il suo sviluppo, il design dei mezzi a disposizione del giocatore, si evolse in diverse fasi. In alcune immagini e filmati beta, possiamo infatti vedere che in origine erano stati inseriti una serie di macchine e mezzi robotici molto stravaganti e particolari. Possiamo infatti notare una specie di Mech Scorpione, una strana macchina tira-pugni, un armatura meccanica ed un piccolo trattore con pala anteriore. Tutti questi mezzi sono stati rimossi dal gioco.[/spoiler]
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Japanese 2007 blog entry about this game
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