Posted by Dant R. on August 29, 2010
Sonic X-treme
Sonic X-treme is one of the more well-known shelved titles. There are plenty of screenshots and game play videos to be found on the internet, which makes its lack of release even more of a tease. The 32X/CD/Saturn era of Sega is ripe with stories of in-companyconflicts, unreleased titles, and barely-advertised products, but the Sonic X-treme debacle is one of the most widely discussed. The staff working on the game kept losing members, and Sega began losing faith in the title as time went on. Because of this, some stuff working on the project were moved to other projects. Chris Senn, co-lead developer, began to grow extremely ill as he took on the responsibilities of the growing list of cut staff members. It got to the point where a nurse informed him that he thought he only had six months to live.
The title went through a couple of different forms, but the most interesting one had a fish eye camera view that created a spherical look somewhat akin to the Mario Galaxy games. It may not have been enough to save the ill-fated Sega Saturn system, but it had the potential to become a great entry in the Sonic franchise.
Super Mario 64 2
Any canceled Mario title is a sad affair, but it’s even worse to know that there could have been even more Super Mario 64 goodness. Originally planned for the ill-fated 64DD, the sequel to Mario 64 was ultimately panned due to a lack of interest in the hardware. Miyamoto has stated that certain elements of the game carried over to future Mario titles, but it would have been interesting to see just what this title could have been.
Very little is known about the title, and Miyamoto has even stated that he cannot remember a lot of details about it, but one we do know is that multiplayer was originally planned to be included. It’s hard to say if this would have been competitive or friendly multiplayer, but regardless it would have been interesting to see. Shame on everyone for not buying or important the 64DD.
Star Fox 2
There are quite a few Nintendo fans out there who feel that Star Fox is not supported nearly as much as it should be. Whether or not this is true, the unreleased status of Star Fox 2 is not as shady or depressing as one may think. In fact, Miyamoto has said on a few occasions that about 1/3 of the content from the title went on to to be used in Star Fox 64.
The Japanese version of Star Fox 2 was fully completed, so there is the potential for Nintendo to one day release the title to the public. It would make for an interesting piece of history for the fans to enjoy, and it would help bridge the gap between Star Fox and Star Fox 64.
StarCraft: Ghost
I will refrain from making the obvious joke about the ghost-like properties of this disappearing title, but damn if it isn’t accurate. Announced in 2002, StarCraft: Ghost is a title that has titillated Blizzard fans for eight years now. It was meant to be a third person shooter for consoles, which could not be more different than the RTS style of the StarCraft series. Details on the game are sparse, but one thing we know is that the title was never officially canceled. One could argue it would be easier to give fans out there peace by officially canceling the title. Instead, we are all left with the fleeting hope that the title may be finished up once Blizzard finishes up, you know, the other two StarCraft 2 installments and Diablo 3.
Shenmue 3/Shenmue Online
The mere mention of “Shenmue 3” can ignite the fan base into an angered collective of petition-creating, message board-flooding people, and it’s easy to see why. Imagine never knowing the ending to a story you loved and followed dearly, and you will start to know how Shenmue fans feel about the unfinished saga. Yu Suzuki, director and producer of the titles, has stated that the story is fully fleshed out and ready to be told, but a lack of sales, budgeting issues, and a few other problems have stalled Shenmue 3 from being created. It’s hard to think Sega would leave fans hanging indefinitely, and hopefully the excellent story is concluded one day.
Shenmue Online, though in less demand than Shenmue 3, is a title that has been teasing and tantalizing fans for quite a few years now. There is not a ton of information known about Shenmue Online, but there are a few easy conclusions to make due to it being a MMORPG. The overall story of the game was meant to draw from scenarios in Shenmue 2, and players were meant to be able to join the rivaling clan of their choice. The title was meant to boast a much larger world than that of Shenmue or Shenmue 2, with things like mini games, capsule collecting, and quick time events being utilized as well. The title has never been officially announced as canceled, but there has been very little information about it since 2006. Maybe, just maybe, there is a team out there somewhere still working away on the title.
Earthbound 64
If there is any set of fans who have been shafted more than the Shenmue crowd, it has to be Earthbound fans. There have been titles like Earthbound 64 that were announced and ultimately never released, and there have been titles like Mother 1 and 3 that were never released in America. Earthbound for the SNES commands a hefty price on Ebay auctions, so there is still an undeniable interest in the series. The good folks at Starmen.net have created an excellent hub and resource for fans of the series, but Nintendo continually shows no interest in bringing the game to the states.
When Earthbound 64 was first announced and shown, it drew quite a few comparisons to the renowned Final Fantasy 7. The title was originally planned for the Nintendo 64DD, but it was eventually moved to the Nintendo 64 after the DD64 proved to be unsuccessful. It was going to be the third game in the series, but it was ultimately canceled. Six years later, Mother 3 was released on the GBA. The style and game altered drastically, and fans were left wondering about the Earthbound title that could have been.
Inevitably, there are titles left out that people still mourn the cancellation of. If there are any games not mentioned here that broke your heart by being canceled, post it in the comments! Or just agree/disagree with the above titles.
Source site kokugamer.com
