Orphaned Video Games
From LoveToKnow VideoGames
In order to sit beneath the warm fluorescent glow of store shelves, a video game must undergo a long process of development. Artists, coders, play testers and more have a hand in the video game's design. And once everything is balanced and ready to go, then the game's publisher steps in to market and produce the video game so people can play it.
The following games have no publisher. They are being tirelessly worked on by groups of programmers who don't know the ultimate fate of their project. They are unique for one reason or another, and all seem more worthy of a release than many video games on the market today. Read on, get excited about the games, then hope for the best.
Video Game #1 – Shantae Advance
Throughout their various games such as Ping Pals and Sigma Star Saga, developer WayForward continually works on a few pet projects. One such project is Shantae, a red-clad half-genie lass who first made her appearance back on the Game Boy Color. The platformer is surprisingly entertaining and spawned a loyal fanbase after its release. Thrilled with her success, WayForward continued on their projects, keeping Shantae in the corner of their minds.
After a few years, the team announced they were nearly complete with Shantae Advance, a new adventure for the half-genie on the Game Boy Advance. The game uses a unique 2.5D engine that looks and plays like a dream. The game also seems to have the same fresh feeling of its predecessor, with Shantae's transformation abilities and hair-whipping intact.
Updated news from WayForward says the game is still without a publisher. The team is exploring new ideas with the title and are constantly expanding the original game. A Nintendo DS/PSP release is possible as well. Keep your eyes open for this game, as it will be a magical title.
Game #2 – Metronome
A dark, dirty city lit by cracked street lamps and bathed in steam from the massive engines that dot the land. Everyone's life is controlled by the Corporation, one industry that owns the land, the city, and the people within. Each day they wake and perform their chores for the Corporation, never thinking about anything else other than making it through the day.
Metronome, also called City of Metronome, is a unique 3D action/adventure game that made an appearance at E3 2005. Developed by Team Tarsier, Metronome stands out from the crowd by centering gameplay elements around sounds. Players can record any sound in the game, from voices to ringing bells to cats in the alleyway, and use them to solve puzzles, control the nefarious Metrognomes, or even combat situations. The possibilities are vast with this unique idea for a game.
As of early 2006, Metronome is still without a publisher. The developers have made the game on a PC and say it will easily be localized for any next-gen system for release.
Read more about Metronome with these links:
Orphaned Video Game #3 – Chronos Twin
Time travel is an old theme in movies and video games: characters jumping back and forth to right wrongs by a past self, evil twin, tax collector, etc. Seen it, played it, done, right? Not quite. Chronos Twin, a game in development by EnjoyUp studios for the Game Boy Advance, aims to refresh the 2D platforming genre and breathe life into time travel stories. How? With split-screen simultaneous gameplay, that's how.
The idea of Chronos Twin is that the main character exists in two time periods at once. The screen shows both the present and the past. Acting on objects in the past will naturally change the present. Sometimes you'll need to think timelessly in order to progress. It's an interesting concept.
Update: Chronos Twin is no longer orphaned! Lexicon Entertainment has announced it has acquired the rights to publish Chronos Twin as a Nintendo DS game and will release it in Europe in 2007.
Orphaned Video Game #4 - 2 Days to Vegas
Another homeless video game, 2 Days to Vegas is under development by Steel Monkeys studios. The game is described as a story driven 3rd person action-adventure game. It's packed with car chases and shootouts, as one might expect from a game with Vegas in the name. The game ultimately takes places in several major cities across the U.S. over a 48 hour time period. Think adrenaline on a disc. And the screenshots themselves are enough to make you cry. No publisher has picked up this beauty, but a next-gen console release is almost a sure-bet.
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