Games That Weren't
@gamesthatwerent.com
Covering cancelled/unreleased video games and prototypes across a variety of consoles and home computers. Preserving unreleased video game history online since 1999, and longer offline.
Check out our archive and more at: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com
Check out our archive and more at: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com
Slowly starting to catch up. Recently @martinpiper.bsky.social has kindly linked up the unreleased #Commodore64 intro to Cyberdyne Warrior to the game, along with loading screen with a disk and tape version for you to check out. See page for Martin's video!
www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/cyberd...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/cyberd...
December 1, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Slowly starting to catch up. Recently @martinpiper.bsky.social has kindly linked up the unreleased #Commodore64 intro to Cyberdyne Warrior to the game, along with loading screen with a disk and tape version for you to check out. See page for Martin's video!
www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/cyberd...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/cyberd...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
This line from Video Games (Apr 83) was too prescient. One of the more frustrating things to me about the state of video game preservation is what feels like a general lack of interest in pre-'80s games; I will never stop banging the drum about the importance of '70s games (especially Death Race).
November 27, 2025 at 11:57 PM
This line from Video Games (Apr 83) was too prescient. One of the more frustrating things to me about the state of video game preservation is what feels like a general lack of interest in pre-'80s games; I will never stop banging the drum about the importance of '70s games (especially Death Race).
Reposted by Games That Weren't
Thank you to everyone who came to the opening of the Pump House today. A mammoth project and a milestone for the coming together of the collective and our ability to work together moving forward. 🤗
November 30, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Thank you to everyone who came to the opening of the Pump House today. A mammoth project and a milestone for the coming together of the collective and our ability to work together moving forward. 🤗
A few months away, but will no doubt come round quick. I'll be giving a talk about Games That Weren't at the Bristol Video Games Expo on the 28th February. I'd better start thinking about train tickets!
🕹️Guest Announced 🕹️- Frank Gasking will be doing a talk about his work preserving #GamingHistory and uncovering what games could have been!
🎮 Grab your tickets NOW! - BristolVGE26.eventbrite.co.uk 🎮
#GamePreservation #BristolVGE #retrogaming #bristol #BristolEvents #gaming #gamingcommunity
🎮 Grab your tickets NOW! - BristolVGE26.eventbrite.co.uk 🎮
#GamePreservation #BristolVGE #retrogaming #bristol #BristolEvents #gaming #gamingcommunity
November 27, 2025 at 5:54 PM
A few months away, but will no doubt come round quick. I'll be giving a talk about Games That Weren't at the Bristol Video Games Expo on the 28th February. I'd better start thinking about train tickets!
Reposted by Games That Weren't
A cool new Polish edition of "The Games That Weren’t" has been announced! 📕
This expanded volume adds 40 pages and nearly 30 cancelled Polish games to an already extensive archive of unreleased titles.
Very cool to see @gamesthatwerent.com!
#Gaming #Booksky #VideoGames
This expanded volume adds 40 pages and nearly 30 cancelled Polish games to an already extensive archive of unreleased titles.
Very cool to see @gamesthatwerent.com!
#Gaming #Booksky #VideoGames
The Video Game Library Newsletter - Vol. #027
New FF7 stories, an Elden Ring epic, Amnesia’s haunted history, canceled classics resurrected, and cocktails straight out of Diablo...game books have never gone this hard!
buff.ly
November 18, 2025 at 10:49 PM
A cool new Polish edition of "The Games That Weren’t" has been announced! 📕
This expanded volume adds 40 pages and nearly 30 cancelled Polish games to an already extensive archive of unreleased titles.
Very cool to see @gamesthatwerent.com!
#Gaming #Booksky #VideoGames
This expanded volume adds 40 pages and nearly 30 cancelled Polish games to an already extensive archive of unreleased titles.
Very cool to see @gamesthatwerent.com!
#Gaming #Booksky #VideoGames
Reposted by Games That Weren't
To add onto this, Jaquays also was involved in video games, particularly with Coleco early on and later with Quake and Age of Empires. I wrote about one of her projects, Tarzan, a while ago (sadly not long after she passed away, so I couldn’t interview her too): gamehistory.org/atari-2600-t...
November 18, 2025 at 2:13 AM
To add onto this, Jaquays also was involved in video games, particularly with Coleco early on and later with Quake and Age of Empires. I wrote about one of her projects, Tarzan, a while ago (sadly not long after she passed away, so I couldn’t interview her too): gamehistory.org/atari-2600-t...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
I look at Commodore 64 "Cyberdyne Warrior" unreleased intro and some loading screens. These were not used in the final game but were mentioned on the excellent Games That Weren't site. @gamesthatwerent.com I then link all of these assets into a disk image and source code.
youtu.be/4DUa1QbBCcc
youtu.be/4DUa1QbBCcc
C64 Games memories - Cyberdyne Warrior Intro
YouTube video by Martin Piper's mostly Commodore related memories
youtu.be
November 16, 2025 at 10:19 AM
I look at Commodore 64 "Cyberdyne Warrior" unreleased intro and some loading screens. These were not used in the final game but were mentioned on the excellent Games That Weren't site. @gamesthatwerent.com I then link all of these assets into a disk image and source code.
youtu.be/4DUa1QbBCcc
youtu.be/4DUa1QbBCcc
Reposted by Games That Weren't
Volume #027 of the Newsletter is out❗️
📕 More #FFVII love around the corner
📘 @lostincult.co.uk gives us #Amnesia
📗 Everything Is Permitted thanks to @ckunzelman.bsky.social
📙 Some Polish @gamesthatwerent.com
📓 Having drinks with #Diablo
📒 #Guides and #GameStudies aplenty!
📕 More #FFVII love around the corner
📘 @lostincult.co.uk gives us #Amnesia
📗 Everything Is Permitted thanks to @ckunzelman.bsky.social
📙 Some Polish @gamesthatwerent.com
📓 Having drinks with #Diablo
📒 #Guides and #GameStudies aplenty!
The Video Game Library Newsletter - Vol. #027
New FF7 stories, an Elden Ring epic, Amnesia’s haunted history, canceled classics resurrected, and cocktails straight out of Diablo...game books have never gone this hard!
thevideogamelibrary.substack.com
November 16, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Volume #027 of the Newsletter is out❗️
📕 More #FFVII love around the corner
📘 @lostincult.co.uk gives us #Amnesia
📗 Everything Is Permitted thanks to @ckunzelman.bsky.social
📙 Some Polish @gamesthatwerent.com
📓 Having drinks with #Diablo
📒 #Guides and #GameStudies aplenty!
📕 More #FFVII love around the corner
📘 @lostincult.co.uk gives us #Amnesia
📗 Everything Is Permitted thanks to @ckunzelman.bsky.social
📙 Some Polish @gamesthatwerent.com
📓 Having drinks with #Diablo
📒 #Guides and #GameStudies aplenty!
Updates very slow due to personal circumstances, but I can finally announce that a Polish edition of the Games That Weren't book is available for pre-order: gknb.pl
Never in a million years did I imagine seeing a translated edition - genuinely blown me away!
Never in a million years did I imagine seeing a translated edition - genuinely blown me away!
November 14, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Updates very slow due to personal circumstances, but I can finally announce that a Polish edition of the Games That Weren't book is available for pre-order: gknb.pl
Never in a million years did I imagine seeing a translated edition - genuinely blown me away!
Never in a million years did I imagine seeing a translated edition - genuinely blown me away!
Popping up to Crash Live 2025 in Kenilworth tomorrow morning. Not looking forward to the train journey, but really looking forward to catching up with friends, meeting new people - and hopefully squeezing in a bit of gaming for a break! 🙂
November 14, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Popping up to Crash Live 2025 in Kenilworth tomorrow morning. Not looking forward to the train journey, but really looking forward to catching up with friends, meeting new people - and hopefully squeezing in a bit of gaming for a break! 🙂
FREEZE #80 arrived today thanks to @freeze64.bsky.social with a great feature on one of my fave games: Ghettoblaster, plus interview with Mark Harrison and a lot more. More details can be found at: freeze64.com/freeze64-iss...
November 14, 2025 at 8:47 PM
FREEZE #80 arrived today thanks to @freeze64.bsky.social with a great feature on one of my fave games: Ghettoblaster, plus interview with Mark Harrison and a lot more. More details can be found at: freeze64.com/freeze64-iss...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
We're today adding an unknown and early #GameBoyColor prototype called "Some Metal Head" (working title), created during the very early days of DC Studios. Seems to be the start of a sort of Metal Slug/Turrican style game that sadly didn't get far:
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/08/some...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/08/some...
August 5, 2025 at 8:13 AM
We're today adding an unknown and early #GameBoyColor prototype called "Some Metal Head" (working title), created during the very early days of DC Studios. Seems to be the start of a sort of Metal Slug/Turrican style game that sadly didn't get far:
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/08/some...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/08/some...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
More #GameBoyColor prototypes for you, with two for Road Rash which was released in 2000 by Electronic Arts. These two builds are from the 7th and 10th August, around 2 months or so before the final release. Not much seems to be different:
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/08/road...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/08/road...
August 2, 2025 at 2:34 PM
More #GameBoyColor prototypes for you, with two for Road Rash which was released in 2000 by Electronic Arts. These two builds are from the 7th and 10th August, around 2 months or so before the final release. Not much seems to be different:
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/08/road...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/08/road...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
Lost for 40+ years, we're extremely happy to announce that Stairway to the Stars (#Commodore #VIC20) - 3rd game in Mike Taylor's Magic Mirror series has finally been saved. This is thanks to phenomenal work of Tommi Lempinen & Tom Roger Skauen for #GTW
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/08/40-y...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/08/40-y...
August 1, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Lost for 40+ years, we're extremely happy to announce that Stairway to the Stars (#Commodore #VIC20) - 3rd game in Mike Taylor's Magic Mirror series has finally been saved. This is thanks to phenomenal work of Tommi Lempinen & Tom Roger Skauen for #GTW
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/08/40-y...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/08/40-y...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
A very short entry for a set of extremely early #NES Lion King prototypes that we found lurking within the Enigma Variations archives. They aren't playable, but you can see the early structure for the game including test graphics throughout.
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/the-...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/the-...
August 1, 2025 at 9:02 AM
A very short entry for a set of extremely early #NES Lion King prototypes that we found lurking within the Enigma Variations archives. They aren't playable, but you can see the early structure for the game including test graphics throughout.
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/the-...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/the-...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
Hearing suggestions that this wasn't released in the US, so this could be a lost NTSC version of the game. Hoping to clarify if that is the case.
Today we're also adding a late prototype of Aladdin on the #NES, with a number of glitches present compared to the final game. We haven't noticed anything majorly different, but if you spot anything, please let us know!
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/alad...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/alad...
August 1, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Hearing suggestions that this wasn't released in the US, so this could be a lost NTSC version of the game. Hoping to clarify if that is the case.
Reposted by Games That Weren't
Today we're also adding a late prototype of Aladdin on the #NES, with a number of glitches present compared to the final game. We haven't noticed anything majorly different, but if you spot anything, please let us know!
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/alad...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/alad...
July 31, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Today we're also adding a late prototype of Aladdin on the #NES, with a number of glitches present compared to the final game. We haven't noticed anything majorly different, but if you spot anything, please let us know!
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/alad...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/alad...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
It's our seventh Games That Weren't #Commodore64 update of 2025 with 9 new entries: Mystic Zone and Nigel Mansell recoveries, Moonspire 2 + more. Plus 12 updates with confirmation Runestone was by Sensible Software. See you next month, with more to come!
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/gtw6...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/gtw6...
July 31, 2025 at 7:48 AM
It's our seventh Games That Weren't #Commodore64 update of 2025 with 9 new entries: Mystic Zone and Nigel Mansell recoveries, Moonspire 2 + more. Plus 12 updates with confirmation Runestone was by Sensible Software. See you next month, with more to come!
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/gtw6...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/gtw6...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
Our next entry into the archives is something very interesting, which is start of a set of converted #Atari2600 games for a physical Activision 10-1 game pack that was released. Oddly - the builds are #SNES based and an interesting curiosity to check out:
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/acti...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/acti...
July 30, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Our next entry into the archives is something very interesting, which is start of a set of converted #Atari2600 games for a physical Activision 10-1 game pack that was released. Oddly - the builds are #SNES based and an interesting curiosity to check out:
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/acti...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/acti...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
Thanks to the amazing recovery work of team member Csaba Virag, yet another full game has been recovered for the #Commodore64 – this time a complete Hungarian graphic adventure game called The Mystic Zone.
More details and download can be found here:
www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/the-my...
More details and download can be found here:
www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/the-my...
July 29, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Thanks to the amazing recovery work of team member Csaba Virag, yet another full game has been recovered for the #Commodore64 – this time a complete Hungarian graphic adventure game called The Mystic Zone.
More details and download can be found here:
www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/the-my...
More details and download can be found here:
www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/the-my...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
Today we're releasing two early prototypes of Kick Off 3 for the #SNES with major differences with titles, menus and score panels. There are likely sprite differences too and a lot of glitches not yet fixed compared to the final release. Enjoy!
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/kick...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/kick...
July 29, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Today we're releasing two early prototypes of Kick Off 3 for the #SNES with major differences with titles, menus and score panels. There are likely sprite differences too and a lot of glitches not yet fixed compared to the final release. Enjoy!
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/kick...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/kick...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
Also, we have added another build of Sarge's Heroes for the #GameboyAdvance has been added from 01/09/2000, as well as another 7 prototype builds of Micro Machines 1 & 2 for the #GameboyColor. Links in first reply.
July 28, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Also, we have added another build of Sarge's Heroes for the #GameboyAdvance has been added from 01/09/2000, as well as another 7 prototype builds of Micro Machines 1 & 2 for the #GameboyColor. Links in first reply.
Reposted by Games That Weren't
It seems that the game was advertised as Bible 1999 (also unreleased).
xcancel.com/tanin1971/st...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF4t...
xcancel.com/tanin1971/st...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF4t...
sm21540423 - 禁断の黙示録 聖書1999 CM
YouTube video by gree443alt
www.youtube.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:48 AM
It seems that the game was advertised as Bible 1999 (also unreleased).
xcancel.com/tanin1971/st...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF4t...
xcancel.com/tanin1971/st...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF4t...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
Sprite sheets for the unreleased Famicom game Crystal Triangle / クリスタルトライアングル, drawn by Gen Sato / 佐藤元 (Suishō no Dragon).. He think the reason it was discontinued was because there was a dispute over whether the backup system should be password-based or battery-powered.
x.com/GENP37/statu...
x.com/GENP37/statu...
November 13, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Sprite sheets for the unreleased Famicom game Crystal Triangle / クリスタルトライアングル, drawn by Gen Sato / 佐藤元 (Suishō no Dragon).. He think the reason it was discontinued was because there was a dispute over whether the backup system should be password-based or battery-powered.
x.com/GENP37/statu...
x.com/GENP37/statu...
Reposted by Games That Weren't
Today, Games That Weren't is releasing a staggering 33 builds of the #GameBoyColor version of Re-Volt, including the very final version. A game DC Studios and Acclaim were due to release in 2000, but was canned. Design docs, maps and assets also added!
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/re-v...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/re-v...
July 28, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Today, Games That Weren't is releasing a staggering 33 builds of the #GameBoyColor version of Re-Volt, including the very final version. A game DC Studios and Acclaim were due to release in 2000, but was canned. Design docs, maps and assets also added!
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/re-v...
www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/07/re-v...