Cancelled video games project
This project concerns cancelled games in the range of 1995-2005.
Section: J
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Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk is a cancelled N64DD game by JACK and BEANS (at HAL Laboratory).
The classic fairytale was to have an inspiration on Nintendo.
Expected release date: 1996/1997
The game seemed to be a simulation mode like Harvest Moon.
You can walk around, do things, and there was an internal clock.
The most unique feature was the camera.
You can take photos of things ingame.
Sound familiar to another N64 game?
That's because the game was reworked into Pokemon Snap.
Hal shifted from the fairy tale into a franchise that would surely shift sales.
They also moved production from the N64DD to the regular N64.
This was probably around the same time they did the same to Earthbound 64 (Mother 3).
Some of the gameplay elements for this game were worked into Earthbound 64 (Mother 3)...
... which is another cancelled game.
Some gameplay elements, like the internal clock, were included in Majora's Mask.
https://www.nsidr.com/archive/hal-laboratory-company-profile/3
https://www.unseen64.net/2010/10/29/jack-and-the-beanstalk-nintendo-64-dd-cancelled/
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Jest
Jest is a cancelled Nintendo 64 and PC game by Curved Logic.
It is a third person platformer where you change appearance every level, like Gex.
Expected release date: Q2 1998, then Fall 1998
Edge issue 55 (February 1998)
N64 issue 12 (February 1998)
You play as Jok/Jax, a young jester's apprentice.
Your job is to work your way up to full jesterhood.
You would do this by acquiring powers and killing things. Of course.
There would have been 64 wacky levels (eight levels per eight worlds).
These ranged from a circus, a haunted house, Chicago, Mars, and the North Pole.
There were to be four bosses to face against.
There was also four difficulty levels to choose from.
Nintendo Magazine issue 65 (February 1998)
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 109 (August 1998)
Jest was shown at the Infogrames booth at the 1998 International Games Festival.
I don't think the game appeared at that year's E3.
Jest was cancelled in 1998 due to Infogrames not trusting the N64 to met sales figures.
That's why the 40 Winks M64 port was canned, followed by few releases for the N64.
It's just a theory but an educated guess at that.
Trailer
http://www.nintendo64ever.com/Nintendo-64-Game-Jest-Unreleased,455.html
https://assemblergames.com/threads/jest-n64-1997.67707/page-2
http://au.ign.com/games/jest
http://au.ign.com/articles/1997/11/27/surely-you-jest
http://au.ign.com/articles/1997/12/09/jest
http://au.ign.com/articles/1999/02/06/jest-and-space-race-in-cannes
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/04/jest-n64-cancelled/
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Joe Blow
Joe Blow is a cancelled PS1 and PC game by Abstract Entertainment/Telstar.
It is sort of like Bubsy 3D, just replace the bobcat with a monkey.
Expected release date: September 1997, then January 1998, then Septemner 1998, then February 1999, then May 1999
Edge issue 48 (August 1997)
Official UK PlayStation Magazine issue 38 (August 1997)
The game started off as a game from Sensible Software.
It was to feature a DJ Fresh, a rapping radish.
Then they decided to nix the singing vegetable and go with a monkey. Because yes.
You play as ten year old Joe.
Your task is to save the Queen of Dreams from the Nightmare King.
Protect the kids from having nightmares!
The Games Master issue 101 (October 1997
There was to be over 60 levels of 3D platforming action.
With an advanced engine of good graphics and smooth animation, it might have been a hit.
The trouble crept in.
Telstar had a heavy amount of debt piling up.
They probably cancelled this risky project to focus on profitable games.
In the end they were absorbed by Take 2 Interactive in May of 1999.
http://www.telstar.co.uk:80/html/joe_blow.htm (FIND AN ARCHIVE FOR THIS)
http://www.telstar.co.uk:80/assets/download/joe.zip (THIS TOO)
https://www.unseen64.net/2011/01/08/joe-blow-psx-pc-cancelled/
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Johnny Whatever
Johnny Whatever is a cancelled PS2 and Xbox game from Warthog Texas.
It was to be a punk rock anarchic dystopia musical wailing action romper.
Expected release date: 2004, then Winter 2005
Edge issue 140 (September 2004)
In a futuristic totalitarian England, the Iron Mother reigns supreme.
She has outlawed music. To enforce that law, she has created robot policeman.
Your task is to break the system and restore order.
You play as Johnny Whatever, a punk rocker who means well.
The game would play like a third-person musical sandbox action game.
Yeah, this game was the Brutual Legend in its time.
Like with Ocarina of Time or Patapon: different music pieces do different things.
One type of chord disables the 'robo-bobbies'. Another chord frees the mind of the slaves.
The music came from acts like Metallica, Deep Purple, The Ramones, and more.
In 2004 Warthog Texas was brought out by Gizmondo, and thus became Gizmondo Texas.
Johnny Whatever would then become a Gizmondo exclusive in 2005.
All of this would come crumbling down.
Gizmondo failed badly, becoming defunct in 2006, which in itself worthy of an article/video.
The Gizmondo's failure lead to the closing of Gizmondo Texas.
The once-promising game was taken down.
But wait, the story doesn't end there.
The liquidators sold the rights to Johnny Whatever back to the original CEO of Warthog.
During Johnny Whatever's stay at Gizmondo, Warthog all the while was leaking code.
This leaked game code ended up at RedOctane, a US-based games publisher.
A developer at RedOctane played a leaked build of Johnny Whatever. It was good.
He built a controller to play a similar kind of game and called it 'Guitar Hero'.
That's right, Johnny Whatever helped create one of the biggest gaming franchises.
Is that why one of the guitarists in Guitar Hero is called Johnny Napalm? As a tribute?
Either way, from the ashes rises a phoenix.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/johnny-whatever-hands-on/1100-6108271/
https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/07/20/johnny-whatever-announced
http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/johnny-whatever/
https://venturebeat.com/community/2014/07/23/the-thin-line-between-video-game-success-and-failure/
https://spong.com/game/11038245/Johnny-Whatever-Xbox
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/johnny-whatever-cancelled/
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Jonny Drama
Jonny Drama is a cancelled Xbox game from Sierra.
It was to be a light-hearted parody of spy films and games.
Expected release date: Q4 2001, then 2002
Official UK Xbox Magazine launch issue (March 2002)
You would of played as the eponymous Jonny Drama, former movie star but current spy.
Dr. Bumbershoot, the Dr. Evil of the game, wants to take over the world.
It's all groovy baby, as the plot takes a back seat to the action parts.
A horde of weapons that would make James Bond salivate is at your disposal.
From laser guns to lockpicks to security-camera-jamming-thingies.
You can also drive around in a sidecar motorcycle, among other vehicles.
Being a spy game, there is a duality of stealth and action here.
The game would have been fast-paced, only slowed down by stealth and puzzles.
There was also to be a four-player multiplayer, likely a deathmatch mode.
The feeling and mood of the game is enhanced by the cel-shaded graphics.
The cartoony gameplay works better with cartoony graphics.
The music would dynamically change, giving a unique track for every situation.
Jonny Drama failed to impress at E3 2001 due to poor frame rate and optimization.
Sierra went back to the drawing board, pushing the release date to 'indefinite'.
That was the death knell of the game; it would never leave hiatus.
Trailer
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2001-first-impressionjonny-drama/1100-2761918/
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/jonny-drama-announced-for-the-xbox/1100-2760396/
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sierra-reevaluates-jonny-drama-concept/1100-2780210/
http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/jonny-drama/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/jonny-drama-xbox-cancelled
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Joust 64
Joust 64 aka Joust X is a cancelled N64 game by Midway.
It was to be a remake of the classic arcade game Joust.
Expected release date: October 1997
Magazine 64 issue 5 (May 1998)
At the time Midway were remaking a lot of their classic arcade games into 3D.
Joust was touted for the N64 as Joust 64 and then Joust X.
It wasn't to be, though.
The gameplay of Joust works best as a 2D single screen.
A 3D arena would make things too difficult and limit fun.
The game was likely cancelled due to this and its reflection on sales.
http://www.nintendo64ever.com/Nintendo-64-Game-Joust-64-Unreleased,456.html
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Jump Runner
Jump Runner was a cancelled PC and Dreamcast game by Simis, published by Glass Ghost.
It was to be an online space shooter that never reached orbit.
Expected release date: December 1999, then Q2 2000
Edge issue 71 (May 1999)
Next Generation issue 56 (August 1999)
The plot is of the jump runner, Ethan Fall, who must smuggle a mysterious package.
Before he can learn where to deliver it, his contact is killed. Six bounty hunters then hunt after Ethan, who are the bosses you'll face.
You must do missions to build up resources and prepare yourself for the bounty hunters.
Doing the plot missions slowly uncovers clues of the package.
Dreamcast Monthly issue 2 (October 1999)
The game was going to allow a persistent internet connection.
This was to perhaps have a shared universe between players.
The Dreamcast version got cancelled around 50% competition.
It possibly got cancelled for being too ambitious for the Dreamcast, whose popularity was waning.
The PC version was then handled by another developer and heavily altered.
It was eventually released as Halcyon Sun.
http://au.ign.com/articles/1999/07/15/jump-runner
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/10/jump-runner-dc-cancelled/
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Jungle Bots
Jungle Bots is a cancelled N64 game by Conceptual Realities/Navigator Entertainment.
Expected release date: Fall 1997, then 1998, then Q1 1999
The game was meant to be a first person shooter set on a deserted tropical island.
It was there you had to do battle with mutated robot monsters.
Kind of like a mix between Turok and Beast Wars: Transformers.
The game was cancelled due to slow and trouble development process.
Titus then shifted their time and resources to Superman 64. Time well spent lol.
concept trailer
http://gilgalegrouik.free.fr/index.php?level=album&id=13
https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/03/27/its-a-jungle-out-there
https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/04/13/titus-shelves-bots-and-camelot
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/10/25/jungle-bots-n64-cancelled/
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Jungle Emperor Leo
Jungle Emperor Leo is a cancelled N64DD game from Nintendo.
It was to be based on the 1997 anime film, based on the manga.
Expected release date: Spring 1998
64 Magazine issue 9 (January 1998)
After the film's release, Shigeru Miyamoto wanted a tie-in game for the new N64DD.
He requested that the original manga author's son, Makoto Tezuka, help work on it.
Since Makoto Tezuka was too busy and unfamiliar with video games, it didn't go so well.
Jungle Emperor Leo was to be a 3D action game with vast open areas.
Imagine the world of Banjo Kazooie but with a white lion cub as the protagonist.
The plot just pretty much follows the animated film, with some liberties for gameplay fun.
Edge issue 54 (January 1998)
Computer & Video Games issue 195 (February 1998)
The game was first announced at the Shoshinkai Show in 1996.
At Nintendo Space World 1998 a playable demo was presented.
Since then the game had been delayed.
The original manga's author's company, Tezuka Productions, oversaw the work.
They were to do graphic design, music, and sound effects. Nintendo were to do the rest.
Shigeru Miyamoto, a fan of Tezuka, also had a helping in the game's development.
Trouble started when the 64DD flopped. Production shifted to the regular N64.
The downgraded game impeded the design process. Simply put: it simply wasn't fun enough.
Rather than dishonour Tezuka-san by releasing a subpar game, Nintendo cancelled the game.
Another factor was cost: the Jungle Emperor license is very expensive.
Nintendo could have made a great game with the license but it would have cost a lot.
Nintendo figured they might not recoup the cost and thus this could be a factor to its closure.
Another factor was the time frame.
Development was taking too long and the N64's life-cycle would be close to over by its release.
A lengthy costly development of a potentially substandard game was a recipe for disaster.
E3 trailer clip
https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/03/31/the-dying-king
http://www.nintendo64ever.com/Nintendo-64-Game-Emperor-of-the-Jungle-Unreleased,433.html
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/04/emperor-of-the-jungle-junguru-taitei-kimba-n64-cancelled/
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Jurassic Park: Survival
Jurassic Park: Survival is a cancelled PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC game by Savage Entertainment.
The game was to be released alongside Jurassic Park III but not based on the film.
Expected release date: July 2001, then Q4 2001, then November 2001, then January 2002, then April 2002
Survival started off as Jurassic Park III, based on the movie.
Savage was unable to adequately source it, so they made their own stand-alone game.
The PS2 version was the most discussed. The Xbox version was to be called Jurassic Park X.
The GameCube version was the least faithful, as it never got a release date.
The PC version was announced but no more was spoken of it.
Next Generation issue 79 (July 2001)
The plot revolved around a third secret island full of dinosaurs.
A shadowy organization, keen on acquiring dinosaur DNA, attacks and takes control of the island.
You play David Vaughn, and must rescue the humans from the dinosaurs and the organisation.
The game was to be a combination of Turok and Tomb Raider.
There are 12 levels, each with a mixture of platforming, stealth, and dinosaurs.
To aid you are plenty of weapons, like guns, rocket launchers, and cattle prods.
Yes, this game was aiming to be Trespasser done right.
Savage developed their own game engine: Sabertooth.
There was motion capture, cinematic cutscenes, and highly detailed dinosaurs.
Things were shaping up in a big way.
The Xbox version release date was shifted to coincide with the PS2 version release.
The GameCube version was abandoned, probably due to being not a powerful enough system.
In July 2001, Vivendi Universal delayed the game due to poor quality, especially animations.
In November 2001, Savage Entertainment quit working on it due to Vivendi not providing funding
.
The game was expected to be picked up by a different developer and worked on for a 2002 release.
That unfortunately did not happen.
Trailer from E3 2001
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurassic_Park:_Survival
http://jurassicpark.wikia.com/wiki/Jurassic_Park:_Survival
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/first-look-jurassic-park-survivor/1100-2717266/
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/jurassic-park-survivor-preview/1100-2760305/
https://web.archive.org/web/20010803102953/http://www.elecplay.com/preview.html?article=6357
https://web.archive.org/web/20010515060706/http://ps2.ign.com/previews/15468.html
http://jurassicoutpost.com/interviews/robertstahl/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/jurassic-park-survival-cancelled/
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