Ymgve at 20:12, 8 June 2010

2010-06-08T20:12:30Z

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* Game Scene - Special *
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Dear Reader;
Welcome back to a special installment in Domination.
Branching off from the regular 'Game Scene' contents
i bring you all to the pages of 'Game Scene Special'.
In this once only chapter i will put some light onto
software that never got released, at least to the
public.
Most of this information may sound bogus in this late
stage of the C64, but from telephone conversations,
letters and word of mouth, i have gathered quite a
juicy bit of nostalgic information that may interest
some of you out there.

To begin with BATMAN RETURNS, this game was past the
'preview version' stage and was being programmed by
Ray Bannon for Denton Designs in the United Kingdom.
The programmer apparently got into serious
disagreements with an inhouse team involved with
Ocean software, and vanished from the C64 and the
project, which was going to be marketed by Acclaim Ent

BARBARIAN 3, had been in development by Psygnosis
since 1989, apparently containing some exceptional
music and being a pinnacle achievement in both code
and visual, it never got to the shelves. It was to be
marketed by Empire, along with a car racing clone
called HOT RUBBER.

Storm/Sales Curve, responsible for the likes of SWIV
(Silkworm 2) and Troddlers (Ed: Come on Enno finish it!)
have the rights for conversion of the movie hit from
Stephen King, LAWNMOWER MAN.
It is uncertain whether development began, or who was
the team behind the mammoth production.

After the hit Bubble Bobble then it's sequel Rainbow
Islands, Ocean were set to stun it's audience again with
PARASOL STARS (aka Rainbow Islands 2).
In the public's eye it was believed a certain lazyness on
behalf of the programming team 'Talisman Software'
was the cause of no C64 version.
What the TRUTH is infact was that the harddrive where
the almost complete C64 version was stored by the
coder was thrown out of a window by the coder's wife.
This may sound like some fairy tale, but the coder was
apparently so eager with the production he spent most
of his time on the computer, to his wife's distress.
Massive advertising and public relation stunts were
performed by Ocean for the C64, costing them money
after the incident.

System 3, legendary Uk team which once had it's
software marketed by Activision, had quite a few
releases ready for the public.
Firstly, FUZZBALL, some of you may remember the
three level preview on the cover tape of 'Commodore
Format', unfortunately only the Amiga version was
fully completed.
Next on the list is SILLY PUTTY, apparently highly
original in game play and well in production. Similar was
HAUNTED, a 'Last Ninja' style perspective game, but
in the mould of ghosts,ghouls,skeletons and other
nasties.
Most of you know ofcourse International Karate 1+2
(ed: Rob Hubbard interview in this edition formore).
Well INTERNATIONAL KARATE DELUXE was well on the way
from multiplex master Archer Maclean. This version
had a sliding background (apparently) and with even
more computer controlled fighters in the 2 player
mode. (Ed: What happened with '10th Dan' Visualize?)
Next is an unknown game, which may have only be on the
storyfolder called DEADLOCK, this was to be a shoot'em
up.
Myth was a classic release from System 3, and is even
currently under consideration by movie producers
to be converted to the cinema!!
The sequel to be released DAWN OF STEEL: Myth 2,
never made it out.
Lastly from System 3, but never released, was
FLIMBO'S QUEST 2. Again programmed by Dutch Laurens
Van De Donk and pixeled by Arthuur Van Jole. The game
itself was 90 percent complete with almost all graphics
done, the sound effects and music had yet to be
started. The game is 5 levels long, each level containing
over 100 screens (!!!) of paralax scrolling, jump'n'run
mania.
After a conversation i had with the programmer, the
only reason for it being not released was that System
3 never paid 2 of 3 money payouts of the original
Flimbo's Quest. He is quite happy to sell the game and
its storyline.

Golden Axe was a hit on C64, glorious background
graphics and music by Jeroen Tel, but Probe didn't
quite make it with MAGIC SWORD aka 'Golden Axe 2'.
The game was being developed in secret for quite an
amount of time and was to be marketed by UsGold.

Still with sequels, DEATHBRINGER aka 'Wrath of the
Demon 2' was also in production stage by the Canadian
based Readysoft Inc and to be marketed by Empire.

SECOND SAMURAI aka 'First Samurai 2' was to be
originally done by Vivid Image's sister division known as
MirrorSoft.
The latter died, and shortly after System 3 also left
the C64, with most of the team moving over to Vivid
Image. To get to the point, the game was going to
follow it's prequel with additional programming and
help by the legendary John Twiddy (Last Ninja 2 etc).
Still with Vivid Image, does anyone remember another
legend, Bob Stevenson?, ofcourse most of you should.
He was doing all the graphics for a much anticipated
game called DEVIOUS DESIGNS, nothing eventuated.

Punk Productions (ed: i think they're Dutch??) came
with a nice little martial arts game called Black Panther
which contained some cool digi sound effects.
The sequel was also in the making, BLACK PANTHER 2,
unfortunately never made it out.

The Rowland brothers had ideas for a CREATURES 3
after the success of Mayhem in Monsterland's mail
order distribution scheme, but it never made it due to
lack of time.
Around 14 months ago in a phone call conversation
with John Rowlands/Apex productions, he told me of
the desire to also do a MAYHEM IN MONSTERLAND DELUXE
this also was scrapped due to their work on a 3D
orientated PC game.
I had then rang Phil Thorton at System 3 (designer of
Turbo Charge) and talked about how Apex needed
a commercial distributer for Mayhem, he asked for
a demo tape (vhs).
I rang John back up and he organised the tape and
mailed it off. The Cale brothers, Marc and Adrian,
we're quite impressed, but thinking of money,
discussed with Apex the 3d PC game which Steve and
John got a large contract for.

Lastly, Thalamus we're doing a C64 version of the
failed Amiga 'Armalyte 2' (Delta 3) called WINGS OF
PHOEBE i am not sure who the production team were to
be, but from rumours, it sounded promising.
The list could go on, as i'm sure it would.
It makes you grimace reading about all those titles
that were not to be but could have been.
Instead they just gather dust in the pages of C64
history.

Long live the C64!
Jazzcat/Onslaught

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Domination 08 Game Scene 3 - Revision history

Ymgve at 20:12, 8 June 2010