87 replies to this topic

[Alextendo]

Did i'm the only one who have a big interest in beta/alpha/prototype games? If not, then come along and share your experience or thought with these title and what interest you the most in them.

 

In this topic, it will be mainly about prototype/alpha/tech demo/unreleased games, or fan-made re-creation of any of thoses.

 

I'm going to start with some fan-made re-creation of some game:

 

-Duke Nukem Forever 2013.

At this point, i think everyone already know this game and why we all know it. Some guy decide to re-created the game as it was intended to be with the Build Engine (the engine with which Duke Nukem 3D used)

 

 

http://www.moddb.com...e-nukem-forever

 

-Sonic 1 Beta Remake:

 

http://info.sonicret...c_1_Beta_Remake

 

-Super Mario World Beta Remake:

 

http://www.unseen64....emake-released/

 

-S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Oblivion Lost Remake

.....Well, i don't any link for this one. I got it through torrent files. I've never found any project pages or anything (if there is one to begin with). I can at least show you a official beta trailer:

 

 

-Project AXSX:

 

A re-creation of the sadly cancelled Sonic Xtreme, anyone is interest with this as much as i am?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU-k90htzqk&feature=player_detailpage

 

...And you, what Beta games interest you and why? What are the most intriguing change you notice from a early footage/picture and the final version?

[RedAuthar]

First Person Shooter Mega Man X.

[ILOVEVHS]

MEGA MAN FPS?!

WHY WAS THIS CANCELLED-oh, right, Capcom's become a prick.

[Alextendo]

It remind me of a cancelled new entry in the Vectorman franchise by Sega for the PS2, which was going to be a third person shooter:

 

[RedAuthar]

....now I'm depressed.  Thanks a lot. 

[Alextendo]

....now I'm depressed.  Thanks a lot. 

Uh? Why? You want that game so bad? Or the style of the game depressed you?

[RedAuthar]

Nostalgia.

I first moved to a new school in 4th Grade.  I had no friends.  The First friend I made also introduced me to Vectorman.  So even though the series isn't all that great it kinda has important meanings to me.  

 

Unfortunately...Vectorman only had like two games. 

[Alextendo]

Vectorman games are great...well, the 2 of them. I can't say alot about the PS2 game since it got cancelled. Maybe it's for the best, since it could have been a generic game that try to be dark and gritty.

 

In some way, it's better to only have two good game and let this franchise fade in the shadow instead of abusing his success and turning it into a shit fest for quick buck.

 

When i think about Ristar who only got 1 single game....

[ILOVEVHS]

I've never played Ristar. Don't kill me, I just haven't unlocked it in Sonic Mega Collection yet.

[Alextendo]

I've never played Ristar. Don't kill me, I just haven't unlocked it in Sonic Mega Collection yet.

Play Ristar...NOW! Find a way to play it! Killed someone if needed, but play it!

 

In the meantime, you can take a look at this:

 

[RedAuthar]

I played Ristar like...once when I was a kid.  Me and my friend popped in his Genesis and played it for about 30 minutes before the console crashed.  

 

In the console's defense we had been playing it for about....6 or so hours before putting in Ristar and being dumb kids weren't exactly careful with it.  The Console still works and the game still works I just never got around to playing it again. 

[Alextendo]

Unfortunatly, Ristar is kind of pricey these days. I got my cartridge for 40$ (and that's just the cartridge alone, without the box and manual).

 

Since this is a topic about Beta games, here's a link to get info of the beta of Ristar:

 

http://www.unseen64....istar-mdg-beta/

 

PS: It is possible that as i'm writting this, the site could not be accessible right now.

 

Edit: Yup, the site is down for now, i don't know how long it will take to come back. Until then, a page with info about Ristar (not about the beta, though): http://www.hardcoreg...star/ristar.htm

[furrykef]

I found out today that Dr. Mario has four different prototypes.

 

The oddest one was one that was discovered in a PlayChoice-10 cabinet (that's an arcade machine that lets you play various NES games for a limited period of time). Apparently it was used to playtest games at a Chuck E. Cheese's.

[Alextendo]

I've found some interesting Beta picture about Sim City 64. Since i own this game, i can see some change in the HUD, the colors look brigther and more stuff seem to happen on screen at the same time. Also, the black cursor isn't like that in the final game.

 

http://www.x-cult.or...pe_Screenshots/

 

As a comparaison, here's the footage from the final game (footage recorded by myself from my own N64DD):

 

[Alextendo]

I download some unreleased Atari 2600 prototype game: Sinistar and Tempest (both of them are arcade port). These two game were in development in 1984, the year of the video game crash (no wonder why they never came out).

 

Since i know Sinistar more between those two game (i have it in the William Arcade Collection on the SNES, which is a awesome and very good port), and i was surprise to see how good the port was. Of course, it's a prototype, but the game is complete and entirely playable (just like Tempest). The Atari 2600 look crap in comparaison to the arcade version (OF COURSE!), but for the era, when people didn't really have any other alternative beside the actual arcade, to play any arcade game at home, this was the main option (beside the Colecovision, but you know what i mean).

 

Nowaday, with the homebrew scene and the 32k cartridge, it's possible to push the limit of what the Atari 2600 can do and make very fainthfull port of arcade game (Just look at the amazing Donkey Kong homebrew port or the Pac-Man homebrew version to get an idea of how good it could get).

 

Here's a random footage of Sinistar for the Atari 2600 (carefull for the amount of sprite flicking):

 

 

Home-made box for Sinistar for the Atari 2600 version:

[RedAuthar]

I don't got footage but...

 

The Character of Shadow the Hedgehog was originally named "Terios" which means reflection of.  This is likely due to the fact that his appearance was more a less an dark reflection of Sonic.  It's possible that Shadow at one point in time might have had a greater connection to that of Sonic, being a evil twin/clone whatever.  All I know for sure is his original name was to be "Terios."

 

Similarly Rouge the Bat's name was originally going to be Nails, playing off her rivalry to Knuckles in SA2.  

Another thing is Rouge supposedly ( I say supposedly because I don't have a Dreamcast or Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast and everyone apparently uses the same picture whenever talking about it) one of Rouge's alternate costumes was her with Black fur instead of white.  

While this might not be a beta element for the Dreamcast version, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle does not feature this costume.  Also (warning, Theory alert), since Bats are usually depicted as Black furred/haired creatures and Rouge is the only character who features such an alternate costume (others only have one alternate costume except those who also got a holiday costume) that this might be an original design for Rouge that was later changed and thrown in the game as a bonus.

 

It's also possible the costume doesn't exist because I can't find any pictures other than that one and I can't find the method to obtaining other than that it was supposedly through Online Services on the Dreamcast.  

[ILOVEVHS]

In 2001 I believe, Valve was planning an enhanced port of Half Life for the Dreamcast. It was planned to have better graphics and was going to be the only way to play Half Life: Blue Shift. It was cancelled at the last minute due to the PS2 raping the Dreamcast.

I've heard that some people have actually found working copies, (unknown if they are prototypes, unreal eased actual copies or reproduction discs), and there is a mod in the works to add the Dreamcast graphics to the PC version.

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[Alextendo]

Hey Red, i got something for ya. It's a footage from the ''preview Demo'' from SA2 (from 2000). It was called ''Sonic Adventure 2: the Trial''. This version is different from the final released (look at Sonic's boot for exemple). I record this from my Dreamcast:

 

 

VHS

 

I try the DC version before (i burned it on a CD). But WHY??? Why it has to cancelled the DC version? Just imagine: A awesome game like Half-Life on a awesome console like the Dreamcast. Combine both of these awesome thing togheter and you got a enormous amount of pure awesomeness! I own Half-Life on PS2.......but i would have like to have the real DC version, and not a burned CD version based of a semi-finished game

 

Edit: I taken a picture of my actual copie of SA2 Trial.

Attached Files

•  Sonic Adventure 2 Trial CD.JPG   255.9KB   0 downloads

[ILOVEVHS]

It was cancelled because the Dreamcast was about to get canned.

[Alextendo]

It was cancelled because the Dreamcast was about to get canned.

I know. But still: WHY???

 

About to be dead or not, i don't care. A awesome game is a awesome game. A great game lost is still a great game lost.