Ocean Software

The Shadow [SNES / Genesis – Unreleased]

The Shadow is a cancelled beat ’em up game developed and published by Ocean Software in 1994 for the Super Nintendo and the MegaDrive/Genesis. It was based on the movie of the same name, itself based on the character’s radio show.

On the forum The Ocean Experience, which was a forum founded by former Ocean Software’s developers, former artist Brian Flanagan wrote that the game was “99% done” but was cancelled because “the film bombed.

The Super Nintendo whole source code leaked onto the internet years ago. The gameplay is similar to other Beat ’em up games such as Final Fight or Double Dragon. The player has two bars; one for the life and the other allowing the player to perform special attacks (invisibility, speed running, a dome shield that knocks out everyone who hits it). The regular beat ’em up levels also include a section for gun play, where the player is able to shoot enemies and a driving stage.

Despite being cancelled at the last minute, the SNES version got mixed reviews by many video games magazines back then. The Genesis version has still yet to be found.

Images:

Video:

 

Joe VS. The Wall [SNES – Cancelled]

Joe VS. The Wall is a cancelled side scrolling action adventure in development / to be published by Ocean Software for the Super Nintendo, around 1992. It was listed by Nintendo Power (issue 34, March 1992) as one of the games shown by Ocean at the ‘92 Winter CES, with just a few details:

“Ocean was busy with several development projects: Radio Flyer, based on the upcoming movie, and Joe Vs. The Wall and Push Over— two unique puzzlers.”

Not much more was known about the game before its disappearance, but a single screenshot and its title screen were found by Video Game History Foundation on the Electronic Gaming Monthly 1992 Preview Guide:

“This side-scrolling action adventure title includes Mode 7 scaling and rotation. Amazing graphic and animation will thrill you, as you character with his hammer must make his way through a number of platforms and difficult situations.”

The game graphic has some kind of “Amiga feel“, maybe this lost SNES game was a port of another Amiga title? 

Iron Angel (Ocean) [PC – Cancelled]

Iron Angel is a cancelled sci-fi flight / combat simulator that was in development for about 3 years by Meta Mode Design, to be published in 1994 / 1995 by Ocean Software for PC. This was meant to be Meta Mode’s first game and while it looked promising, unfortunately it was never completed and soon the team vanished without any trace. The only details remaining from this interesting project are from a series of previews published in 1994 in various gaming magazines. It seems Iron Angel was also shown at ECTS 1994 but we did not find any footage yet.

Iron-Angel-Ocean-Meta-Mode-Design-Flight-Combat-Sim

In a preview published in PC Gamer (august 1994) we can read:

“From the people who brought us TFX (that’s Ocean, not Digital Image Design), comes an even more futuristic flight sim, with the action taking place both above and below the Earth’s atmosphere as you battle to save the world from Armageddon (again).

What’s so special? Well, have a look at the screenshots. Although this is Meta Mode’s first game, it’s already clear they’re no donkeys – it moves as impressively as it looks. Strike Commander and the forthcoming Inferno could have some serious competition…

If you’re into flight sim in any way, shape or form it’s going to be difficult to turn a blind eye to a game which promises not only mind-blowing visuals but an innovative campaign structure across over 150 missions.

Robert Muir and Alan MacDonald had known each other for years before, but decided to get together in 1991 to write a PC game because they weren’t impressed with what they were seeing in the software shops. So they had an idea, took it to Ocean, who liked it, and away they went. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

Iron-Angel-Ocean-Meta-Mode-Design-Flight-Combat-Sim

Well, three years on, and Muir and MacDonald, alias Meta-Mode Design (as a game design duo, they’re probably the smallest team working on the PC today), are now all set to unveil the fruit of their collective labors, Iron Angel – a futuristic flight combat game that nestles snugly between the simulation and arcade goalposts. But despite comparisons that are already being drawn between the likes of TFX and Strike Commander, Meta-Mode isn’t pushing the issue – the game was conceived long before most of these youngsters arrived on the block, so they can hardly be accused of plagiarism.

Set in the year 2025, Iron Angel has its front a little more into the future than Ocean and Digital Image Design’s impressive TFX. You’re cast as a pilot in the United Nations Space Force, at a time when the Cold War has re-emerged more threatening than ever before.

Four main superpowers compete for control of the globe, with a sophisticated SDI system protecting against nuclear attack. But a new breed of fighters, capable of destroying the SDI satellites, has made nuclear war a threat again, so the UNSF is set up to keep a lid on the things above and below the Earth’s atmosphere.

The Iron Angel, an ultra-sophisticated high-altitude fighter, is the UNSF’s main weapon, flying against opponents ranging from the relatively primitive F-16s and MiGs in service today to the superior ships flown by the largest superpower, an alliance of giant corporations.

Iron Angel’s main hook is its settings – a mix of sci-fi fantasy and reality. “This is a world where you’ll still see conventional planes, but the technology has improved” says Muir.

Iron-Angel-Ocean-Meta-Mode-Design-Flight-Combat-Sim

Meta-Mode vision of the airborne military of 2025 includes aircraft whose cockpits have been replaced by gyroscopic cradles that turn inside the plane to counteract the effect of G-forces, landing claws that enable an aircraft to land down on the site of a mountain, and even fighters that can fly underwater! But there’s more to this than just futuristic fancy. Muir becomes animated when he talks about the game’s structure and design. “I’m not impressed by the mission structure of most conventional flight sims, I get bored of just flying from waypoint to waypoint, hitting a target and coming home again. We’ve tried to make Iron Angel as different to that as possible. The closest thing to it is F/A-18 Interceptor on the Amiga, which really broke new ground when it first appeared. We’ve got about 150 missions and they can take up to two hours to complete, which will give you an idea of how involved they are. the gameplay’s much more strategic, you’ll be using your wingmen a lot – like in X-Wing. And we’ve got plenty of hidden extras, like enemy reinforcements if you hang around too long”

After three years in development, Iron Angel is still only 80% complete, so the Meta-Mode boys will have to pull their fingers out to get the job done in time for Christmas.”

Unfortunately it’s unknown if they ever completed the game before its cancellation and Ocean never gave an official statement about its demise. For sure the Iron Angel looked awesome for its time, and it could have been a revolutionary combat simulator, with players able to use planes, cars and mechs – all of them in the same game.

Robert Muir and Alan MacDonald seem to have worked on just a couple of other games, before to also vanish into nothing. If you are in contact with Robert or Alan and could help to preserve more info, images or footage from Iron Angel, please let us know!

Images: 

Green Lantern [SNES – Cancelled]

Green Lantern is a cancelled platformer / adventure game based on the DC comic of the same name that was in development for the Super Nintendo at Ocean Software in 1994.

A small preview of the game was feature in the French publication, Super Power Magazine issue 29. Their write-up reveals that the game was a side-scrolling platformer with shooter elements. The story featured Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern hunting down the queen of Xaos, who is planning to conquer the universe with an army of invisible alien soldiers, once she collects a set of all-powerful crystals.

green-lantern-snes-superpower-29

Seven levels in total were planned, each taking place on a different world in the DC universe. It all culminated with a final stage using mode 7, where the player would have flown the Lantern through space in a shoot ’em up style endgame.

green-lantern-snes-cancelled

A contributor from SNES Central was able to get in touch with some former members of Ocean to learn more about the project, as well as its demise. According to these sources, the game’s original programmer was Andrew Deacin. Unsatisfied with his efforts, the company’s management later replaced him with Bobby Earl, who rewrote its code from the ground up. This is just one of a number of restructuring moves made during Green Lantern’s development, says John Lomax, who was an artist on the team:

“Green lantern was an interesting one as I was only on the game for the first few weeks before moving of to work on Jurassic park 2. It kinda went through development hell (new programmers coming on to finish it as the original guys were fired).”

green-lantern-snes-joypad39

Bobby Earl, the coder who succeeded Deacin, revealed the circumstances of the project’s eventual cancellation:

“Green Lantern was a project I worked on quite a few years ago, for the Super Nintendo. The project was infact finished, but DC Comics wanted some very difficult and arduous changes to the product, thus considering the budget already spent, Ocean Software deemed it was not worth continuing with the project.”

Given the apparent pressure the license holders were placing on Ocean, it is likely that they were also to some extent responsible for the changes in the team’s staff throughout its development.

Dean Evans, the composer of the game’s soundtrack has since come forward about his experience with the title, even releasing some of the music he created for it on YouTube. According to Evans, a number of his songs from Green Lantern were re-used in Ocean’s Waterworld tie-in game.

Thanks to Celine, Ace, RetroGameFan9000 and Rod_Wod for the contributions! (Scans from Super Power magazine #29, CD Consoles #7, Joypad #39, Edge #8)

Also thanks to Ash The Dragon and Pipoumantis for translation assistance.

More information can be found here and on The Games That Weren’t book.

Scans provided by Gil B. for Frank Gasking and sprites assets from Senior Artist Ray Coffey provided by Dylan Mansfield from Gaming Alexandria.

Video: 

Images: 

Vanished Powers [PSX PC – Cancelled]

Vanished Powers is a cancelled action adventure / RPG that was in development in 1995 / 1996 by Neon Software (creators of Tunnel B1) and it would have been published by Ocean for the original Playstation and PC. It was going to use an isometric 2D graphic style, with prerendered backgrounds and lots of FMVs, along with more than 70 (weird) characters, modeled with Silicon Graphics. In the end the Vanished Powers was never released, but we dont know the reasons behind this decision.

Thanks to Celine for the contribution! Scans from Cd Consoles #15 and Player One #62

Images:

Videos: