http://mundorare.com/news/2010/03/jet-force-gemini-portable-was-in-the-works-in-2000/
Jet Force Gemini Portable was in the works in 2000
Assembler Forum shares a lost treasure
Now here’s something you don’t see every day. Thanks to Dano2k0 of the Assembler Forum, we now know that Rare was developing Jet Force Gemini for the Game Boy Color nearly a decade ago. According to the screenshots uploaded by Dano2k0 (which was a “Cheat Version 2.3,” whatever that means), the game looked to be from a top-down perspective, much like PD GBC. Juno seems to be initially playable, yet if the N64 version is anything to go by, it’s reasonable to assume that Vela and Lupus would be playable down the line. In regards to the cart, Dano2k0 mentioned that the game “actually seems somewhat complete in terms of sound and menus.”
With this information in mind, the question that is begging to be asked is why this game never came to light. There are a couple of possibilities. As Unseen64 mentioned, Perfect Dark and Conker’s Pocket Tales, Rare’s previous GBC titles of N64 games (or former N64 titles, in the latter’s case), were met with low interest and low review scores, which could’ve very well resulted in its cancellation. Another possibility is that JFG on the N64 was unfortunately not the blockbuster that Rare wanted it to be, and was canceled due to low sales of the original. Yet another possibility lies in the copyright of the year 2000. It was during this time that Nintendo revealed both the Game Boy Advance and the GameCube. With this in mind, it’s possible that it could’ve been canceled in order to continue development on a more powerful portable. Yet, unless we see a GBA version, the latter possibility is probably the most unlikely.
Either way, while it’s sad to know that hardcore JFG fans, as well as the rest of us, could’ve had an extra game in the series to play, it’s nice to know that it existed to begin with. Special thanks goes out once again to Dano2k0, who was kind enough to let the internet know what could’ve been ten years ago.
