New Cancelled Games & Their Lost Media Added to the Archive

Microsoft, Others, PC / MAC, Xbox

Doom 3 [PC/XBOX – Beta]

U64 Staff & Contributors
26-09-2009
1 Comment

Doom 3 is a science fiction horror videogame developed by id Software and published by Activision. The game was first shown in Febuary 2001, as a tech demo showing of id’s newest graphics engine. The game has had many cuts and changes during its long development cycle. One of the most noticeable differences is the changes the demons went through, throughout the games development. In this screenshot you can see the  original model for the Hell Knight, because of it bird shaped head it is often reffered to in the doom community as the Birdman.

Here you can see the 2001 Doom 3 macworld video showing off the Birdman  in 2001:  skip to 4:50 for Doom 3. Read more

Nintendo, Nintendo DS

Henry Hatsworth [DS – Beta & Concept]

monokoma
25-09-2009
No Comments

Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure is a Nintendo DS action-adventure and puzzle game created by Kyle Gray, who founded the “Experimental Gameplay Project” with Kyle Gabler, the creator of World of Goo. Gray led a seven-man team at EA Tiburon to develop the game.  While the game is an action-platformer on the top screen, once enemies are defeated by Hatsworth, they are sent to the bottom screen as puzzle blocks. [Info From Wikipedia]

In the beta version of the game there were some differences in the HUD, levels and gameplay:

  • The Puzzle Meter was in the top screen.
  • Different icon for the Rifle weapon.
  • “Young” Henry had a full series of “silver hearts” to consume before return to the “old” Henry. In the final game, only half of the hearts are silver ones.  It was like to have 2 energy bars at once (making the game easier).
  • Some of the puzzle blocks had a different design / face.
  • Henry’s animations were still incomplete.
  • A couple of parts in the beta videos seem to be from a removed level or an early design of a final one.
  • The bouncing baloons were pink, instead of yellow.

Also, in the concept arts we can notice many Bosses that were cut from the final game, as the ones that look like Benjamin Franklin or the 3 muscle men from the circus. In the artworks we can even see early and unused designs for  the normal enemies, Henry’s ship (from one of the secret levels) and puzzle blocks.

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Microsoft, Playstation 2 (PS2), Sony, Xbox

Driv3r [PS2/XBOX – Beta]

monokoma
24-09-2009
2 Comments

Driv3r (also known as Driver 3) is an action /sandbox game developed by Reflections Interactive and published by Atari, released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2004. Slayermaggot81 has linked us to the Driver Madness Forum, where they found many screenshots and a video (from Spetrikbob YT channel) with some beta differences.

Before the game came out, it was meant to be called Driver 3 and not Driv3r. If you have the videogame ‘Stuntman’, go in the Bonus section. There’s a preview of Driv3r, an the title at the end is ‘DRIVER 3’.

Stuntman came out in 2002, Driv3r came out in 2004 and they needed 3 years from the first idea to the release of the game. That mean they started making the game in 2001. So this video from Driver 3 in Stuntman can only be from 2001 or 2002.

In the beta videos and screens we can notice:

  • A yellow car that isn’t in the game (Miami)
  • The graphics are much better
  • The Ocean Drive looks different (Miami)
  • How can you have a so hight view of Istanbul ? Even with the film director it isn’t possible to go as high. Or is it a Cutscene … ?
  • The Sun looks different
  • The night looks better
  • Tanner looks different
  • Different and removed cars
  • Calita wearing red clothes and has a different hair cut
  • Miami looks different
  • & more…

Original Driv3r trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fgim9EkL10

Note that it was known then as “Driver 3″ and features Tanner in alternate clothing to the final game. It seems to be the same suit worn in Driver 2.

Thanks to Slayermaggot81, Martin Bigg and Vicente for the contributions!

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Playstation 2 (PS2), Sony

Kingdom Hearts 2 [PS2 – Beta]

monokoma
24-09-2009
4 Comments

Kingdom Hearts 2 is an action RPG developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the PlayStation 2. Superfun64 has noticed a beta screenshot from an old magazine article, in which we can see Donald and Goofy in the scene with the huge Heartless war battle, but they are not in there in the final game.

Also, in a beta video from Tokyo Game Show 2003 we can see a different Twilight Town, the removed Hollow Bastion Tower and various removed scenes, like one in which Donald freeze himself.

Yaz0r found out that there is a Woddy & Buzz (from Toy Story) model in the KH2 data. They are unfinished/untextured but it looks like they were planned as summons. They are in the middle of the other summons models, that’s why we can assume that they were planned as summons. During KH2 production, there were an issues between Disney & Pixar (especialy around Toy Story 3 and the deal they had signed together). It’s possible that Square scraped the Pixar stuff to prevent from beeing involved.

There are even more early screens at KH2 website, if you can find other beta images, let us know!

Thanks to Superfun64 and Yaz0r for the contributions!

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