Cancelled video games project
This project concerns cancelled games in the range of 1995-2005.
Section: E
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E.T. Search for Dragora
E.T. Search for Dragora is a cancelled PS2, Xbox, and GameCube game by Zed Two.
It was a puzzle puzzle made for the younger player-base.
Expected release date: November 2002, then March 2003
The plot involves a meteor that crashes onto ET's home planet.
This collision has killed all the Dragora plants, which give life to the planet.
Guide ET to six different planets, doing tasks to ear seeds to hopefully recreate the Dragora.
Each planet would have four levels each, for a total of twenty-four levels.
Mixing different seeds creates different plants; up to 64 plants can be pollinated.
All of this to be released in time for the 20th anniversary re-release of the hit movie.
The game was finished but went unreleased due to the publisher NewKidCo refusing to pay them.
Zed Two didn't have the money to take NewKidCo to court to get their money.
This led to the cancellation of the game and the dissolvement of Zed Two.
E.T. and the Cosmic Garden for the Game Boy Colour is basically this game.
https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/05/18/et-has-dial-up
http://cube.gamespy.com/gamecube/et-the-extra-terrestrial/
http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/softography/index.php?game=69
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Earthbound 64 / Mother 3
Earthbound 64, known as Mother 3 in Japan, was a cancelled N64 game by HAL Laboratory.
The game was developed for the doomed Nintendo 64 DD, then the Nintendo 64.
Expected release date: March 1997, then Autumn 1997, then March 1998, then Q4 1999, then March 2000, then May 2000
Official UK Nintendo Magazine issue 54 (March 1997)
Mother 3 started off as a SNES title in 1994. Then the Nintendo 64 dawned in 1996.
When the Nintendo 64 DD was launched, Shigeru Miyamoto shifted development to the 64DD.
When the 64DD proved to suck, Miyamoto scaled back production to a N64 32MB cartridge.
By then two years had passed. Things were not looking well.
Computer and Video Games issue 186 (May 1997
64 Extreme issue 7 (October-November 1997)
Earthbound 64 revolved around a family: Flint the father, Ryuka and Krause the sons, and Boney the dog.
You play as Flint, who must protect the family and the village from something in the forest.
The same thing in the forest that possibly caused the death of the matriach, Hinawa.
The 64DD version was going to have a real-time clock and disk storage.
Transitioning to the Nintendo 64 canned those plans.
The game was to use the Rumble Pak for the battle scenes but that was scrapped due to making the controller a vibrator.
The game was made playable at Spaceworld 1999.
Judging by testomony at the time, the game was boring but the potential was there.
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 136 (November 2000)
Development was taking its sweet time.
The development team was inexperienced in 3D games.
The Nintendo 64 was tricky to code for. Earthbound 64 was not to be bound for earth.
Nintendo was cooking up a new console: the Dolphin (later renamed GameCube).
It was too late.
On August 21st 2000, Shigesato Itoi, game director, confirmed the cancellation of Earthbound 64.
Itoi would not give up so easy; the project was revived in 2003 after the release of Mother 1+2 for the GBA.
In 2006 Mother 3 was released on the Game Boy Advance... only in Japan.
A prototype copy of Earthbound 64 exists.
Brendan Sechter, playtester for Mother 3 for the GBA, confirmed that he has played it.
Who owns it? Who knows. Will it ever be released/leaked/sold? Not likely.
Gameplay
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_of_Mother_3#Nintendo_64
http://starmen.net/eb64/
https://wikibound.info/wiki/EarthBound_64
http://earthbound.wikia.com/wiki/Mother_3
http://earthboundcentral.com/2009/03/playing-the-earthbound-64-demo/
http://earthboundcentral.com/2014/01/rumors-of-an-earthbound-64-prototype/
http://earthboundcentral.com/2010/12/interview-with-a-mother-3-debugger/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/04/mother-3-earthbound-64-n64-cancelled/
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Echo Delta
Echo Delta is a cancelled Nintendo 64 real time strategy game by Clever Trick.
Being one of the few RTS games for the N64, it was eagerly expected.
Expected release date: December 2000
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 136 (November 2000)
You play as a submarine called Scout. Your goal is to repair a sunken ship.
You've got obstacles to contend with: enemy ships and the 18 minute time limit.
To raise the sunken ship you need energy.
You get energy by mining resources.
You can use these resources to upgrade Scout, upgrade the remote turrents, or fix the sunken ship to clear the level.
Every level needs 1000 energy to raise the sunken ship.
You can cash in your resources at the production core.
As the levels get harder the enemies get tougher, so upgrading Scout is a must.
You cannot neglect the remote turrents either. They come in short range or long range.
Echo Delta was showcased at Spaceworld 2000. Players who attended were excited.
Nintendo, however, did not see the same.
By late 2000 the Nintendo 64 was on the way out.
Nintendo was hard at work preparing its successor: the Dolphin project, later renamed GameCube.
To save expenses on a game doomed not to sell, Nintendo quietly cancelled the game.
The game was 90% complete but had the rug pulled out from under them.
That's business in the gaming world.
In July 2006 a prototype surface for eBay.
The 18 minute demo sold for $1,520.00... lawdy.
I'm not too sure it sold but the ROM hasn't been dumped yet. Here's hoping...
Gameplay from Spaceworld 2000
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_Delta
http://au.ign.com/articles/2000/08/10/echo-delta-mystery-solved
http://au.ign.com/articles/2000/09/07/echo-delta
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hands-on-echo-delta/1100-2620132/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/04/echo-delta-unreleased/
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Ecks vs Sever
Ecks vs Sever is a cancelled PS2 and Xbox by Zombie Studios.
It was based on an earlier script of the dreadful film.
Expected release date: November 2002, then 2003
Ecks vs Sever PSW issue 1 (July 2002)
The game was to be a first person shooter with two playable characters: Ecks and Sever.
Each have different weapons, and different strengths and weaknesses.
There was to be 20 missions, each based on sets scene in the movie.
This version of the game was likely cancelled due to the film flopping.
The GBA version is very well received; better than the film itself!
https://web.archive.org/web/20030209222421/http://www.bam4fun.com/games/ballistic/
https://worthplaying.com/article/2002/5/22/interviews/3931/
https://www.gamezone.com/news/ecks_vs_sever_coming_to_the_playstation_2/
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_47364
http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/ballistic-ecks-vs-sever/
https://spong.com/game/11030577/Ecks-Vs-Sever-PS2?cc=t
https://www.unseen64.net/2009/11/15/ballistic-ecks-vs-sever-xbox-ps2-cancelled/
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Elric
Elric the Necromancer is a cancelled Ps1 and PC by Haiku Studio for Psygnosis.
It was a 'sword and sorcery' clone of Diablo and Legacy of Kain.
Expected release date: Winter 1997, then Spring 1998, then February 1998
Gamefan issue 59 (November 1997)
Edge issue 52 (December 1997)
You play as Elric from the book series by Michael Moorcock.
Your quest is to save your lover Cymoril from your demon cousin Yrkoon.
She lies in eternal sleep. To awaken her, you must gather nine parts of a broken cross.
There are nine worlds to explore, each with a piece of the Cross of Chaos.
Each world is full of tricks, traps, monsters, and secret areas.
Eight of these worlds is accessible from a central hall.
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 101 (December 1997)
Next Generation issue 36 (December 1997)
There was to 40 different monsters to contend with.
To aid you are spells, for which there are many.
Spells are unlocked with runes. There are four to collect, and each has 16 ranks of power.
Each world has lots of secret areas.
Finding them all unlocks another ending. The true ending?
Levels include a lava level, a forest, a swamp, a castle, and more.
Ultra Game Players issue 104 (December 1997)
GamePro issue 112 (January 1998)
Elric went down when Haiku Studio went down.
Haiku Studio went out of business in 1997.
The company was a victim of circumstance.
Many other game studios were upping their game with acquisitions and expanding.
Unable to compete with the big boys, Haiku Studio closed down.
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.abandonware-definition.org/avis_developpeurs.php&prev=search
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku_Studios
http://playstationmuseum.com/video-game-graveyard
http://www.multiverse.org/imagehive/index.php/gameart/album21/album60
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/11/elric-psx-cancelled
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Escaper
Escaper is a cancelled 1997 PS1 game by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan).
It was slated to be like Tomb Raider but it was more like Tenchu.
Expected release date: Q2 1998
Edge issue 49 (September 1997)
Escape was to be a 3D third person action superhero game.
You could choose between two heroes, Escaper or Danger, or create your own.
The gameplay was action with puzzles.
You would have to escape rooms within the time limit (hence the game's title).
The emphasis was on puzzle solving.
Next Generation issue 35 (November 1997)
Ultra Game Players issue 104 (December 1997)
Escaper dropped off the radar in 1998.
The game was likely cancelled because Sony Music was also working on Tenchu: Stealth Assassins.
Not wanting an unsure project to be overshadowed by one they had more faith in, they cancelled it.
https://www.unseen64.net/2010/01/12/escaper-psx-cancelled/
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Eschaton
Eschaton aka Eschaton: Chain of Command is a cancelled PC MMORPG by Gnostic Labs.
It was going to be a sci-fi space mech game a la EVE Online.
Expected release date: 2004, then 2005
Eschaton was to be a team-based combat space simulation.
There are two factions, the Alephians and the Valtavech. You can play as either.
The Valtavech have sgronger firepower ships, whereas the Alephians have better support tech.
The gameplay is a free-fall dogfighting in various spacecraft.
You can swoop in and help out in any battle for any reason.
Other roles include trading, cargo freight, and even tax collecting.
There was to be thousands of planets to visit and explore and exploit.
There were no quests or story line , just what you make of it.
So it's basically like No Man's Sky.
The game only got as far as its alpha demo before being discontinued in 2004.
The reason for the cancellation is unknown. Probably ran out of funding.
Their dormant website lasted until 2006.
trailer
Trivia: I found that trailer on an archived page on 3dgamers.com and got excited until I saw that same trailer (linked above) uploaded many years ago. D'oh!
https://web.archive.org/web/20020609041650/http://eschaton-online.com/
https://web.archive.org/web/20030416200401/http://www.eschaton-online.com/faq-0.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20060324205233/http://actionvault.ign.com/features/interviews/eschatonpt1.shtml
https://web.archive.org/web/20060221173024/http://actionvault.ign.com/features/interviews/eschatonccint.shtml
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Exarch Online
Exarch Online is a cancelled PC MMORPG by Realm Interactive and NCSOFT.
It was to be a fast-based MMO that looks and plays like WoW.
Expected release date: late 2001, then 2004/2005
Exarch began life as Trade Wars: Dark Millennium.
It was to be a 3D version of the popular BBS game series.
It has been ten millenia since the Great Cataclysm destroyed humanity.
In a world of greed and struggle for power, only the tough can survive.
The gameplay was to be PvP heavy on a pop down isometric perspective.
In 2003 Realm Interactive was acquired by NCSOFT.
Trade Wars: Dark Millennium was turned into Exarch Online.
Timeline:
2001: announced as Trade Wars: Dark Millennium.
2003: announced as Exarch Onlime
trailer
https://www.bluesnews.com/a/548/ncsoft-announces-exarch-online-game
https://www.ign.com/games/exarch-online
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EXO
EXO is a cancelled PS2 game from Particle Systems.
It was to be an ambitious futuristic first person shooter.
Expected release date: Spring 2002
Next Generation issue 79 (July 2001)
The year is 2060. AI is making robot slaves for humanity.
A cyberterror attack in New Hong Kong has turned the robot slaves against the humans.
The terrorists take US government officials hostage and demand a huge ransom.
You would play as a team of security agents.
There is Tanx, the winner of the V-War league champions.
Then there is Yolanda Jackson, the NSA cyber crime expert who detected the attack.
Gameplay would be team based, taking cover and giving orders like in Mass Effect.
You and your squad mates are donning exoskeletons, of which there are three types.
These different suits give characters different skills. Puzzles would need solving this way.
There was to be 18 distinct indoor and outdoor locations.
As the game progresses it would have gotten more broad and varied.
As you can see, the game had great graphics for the time.
A newly developed graphics engine specialized in realism, pushing the PS2 to the limit.
A new physics engine was also programmed to excel.
Particle Systems, the developers, was acquired by Argonauts in January 2002.
The company was renamed Argonaut Sheffield.
The acquisition gave the dev team the funds to work on EXO.
By 2003 the game was running slow at 15-20 frames per second and wasn't 'fun'.
It would take an estimated another year to get the game truly finished and optimised.
Time was not on their side.
Edge issue 98 (June 2001)
Infogrames, the publishers, lost patience and cut all funding.
The team couldn't convince Infogrames to move the project to the Xbox.
EXO was thereby cancelled.
An alpha build exists at around 95% completion.
All the levels are present.
Maybe one day that will be dumped
https://web.archive.org/web/20011204201838/http://www.particle-systems.com:80/news.htm
http://au.ign.com/articles/2001/05/17/e3-2001-first-look-at-exo
http://www.ps2home.co.uk/exo
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/exo-ps2-cancelled
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Extreme Dreams
Extreme Dreams is a cancelled PS1 game from Capstone Software.
It would be a hoverboard romp adventure game. Like Psybadek?
Expected released date: Fall 1996
GamePro issue 84 (July 1996)
You would play as Dim, who is dim.
He escapes from menial jobs by flying his rocket board around his weird world.
The game would have you piloting Dim across a morphing landscape.
The desert would become water in real life (hopefully complete with physics).
This was to fall in line with the other Gen X extreme stuff coming out.
But it never did.
Capstone Software was a subsidiary of IntraCorp.
IntraCorp went bankrupt in 1996, taking down Capstone Software and this game with it.
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/CAPS+Productions+Announces+New+Product+Line-Up+for+E3+Three+Premier+...-a018289091
http://www.mobygames.com/company/capstone-software
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IntraCorp
http://playstationmuseum.com/video-game-graveyard/2/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/11/extreme-dreams-psx-cancelled/
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