Game cancellations are a tragic event. Whether the final product would have been good or bad, the prospect of being hyped for a title only to be denied playing it is nothing short of devastating. Fortunately, however, canceled games can resurface in some shape or form in recent years.
With the internet, scrapped games that would have rotted in a vault can find their way online and be preserved, while assets, concept art, or gameplay footage can be leaked, providing some insight into forgotten projects. Even if a playable version of the title no longer exists, sometimes having some footage or art to look at is enough to give fans some closure.
10 Bio Force Ape Was Subjected To Hoaxes And Speculation
Bio Force Ape was a game that just had to be seen to be believed. Players were put in control of a weird ape-man hybrid who wore a diaper as he ventured forth to rescue his owners from an evil malefactor.
Despite its bizarre premise, the game was very technologically impressive, boasting an impressive amount of animation frames and speed thought not to be possible on the 8-bit console. No surprise considering its developer Seta would later go on to make the technically impressive SNES title Nosferatu. After the game's cancellation, Bio Force Ape became subject to numerous hoaxes before a ROM was finally released online for all to enjoy.
9 A Purchase From Midway Made Primal Rage 2 Extinct
With the success of the giant monster arcade muncher, Atari Games was all set to work on the sequel. This follow-up was to feature both human and monster combatants, more elaborate stop-motion animation, and brand-new gameplay features.
Unfortunately, once Atari's arcade division was purchased by Midway, the sequel was regarded as redundant since the company already had a flagship fighting franchise in Mortal Kombat. After decades of failed attempts to emulate the game, a fully playable beta build of Primal Rage II was finally leaked online courtesy of the hard work of the diligent YouTuber GruntZilla94.
8 Sonic X-Treme Sped Into A Brick Wall
Sonic X-Treme was slated to be one of the Sega Saturn's marquee titles to stand toe-to-toe with Super Mario 64. The game would be played in a 2.5D perspective, not unlike Bug! on the same system. Sega's Western branch was developing the game as Sonic Team was preoccupied with Nights into Dreams.
Development was tumultuous due to the difficulties of optimizing the game to run on Saturn's hardware and Yuji Naka threatening to leave Sega if the staff utilized his Nights engine to run the game. Finally, after decades, an early ROM was unveiled online to a mixed response.
7 The Disney Empire Put The Kibosh On Free Radical's Star Wars Battlefront III
Developer Free Radical had built a name for itself with the TimeSplitters games and the action-adventure Second Sight, making a possible third Battlefront game from them an intriguing proposition. New features involved fully interactive battlefields and a base-building mechanic. Unfortunately, funds were drying up, and Free Radicfaceding financial problems from Haze's dismal reviews and sales.
LucasArts was later acquired by the Walt Disney Company, which decided to cancel the game. EA would later reboot the series with a mixed to negative reception. Footage from a pre-alpha build of Free Radical's Battlefront III was eventually leaked online.
6 Warcraft Adventures Lord Of The Clans Seemed Dated Compared To Other Adventures
Warcraft Adventures was to be a graphic adventure heavily inspired by titles from LucasArts, such as Monkey Island and Full Throttle. It incorporated visuals from the Russian studio Animation Magic – which had previously worked on the CDI Zelda titles. In addition, former Infocom developer Steve Meretzky was brought onboard to ensure that the game lived up to Blizzard's standards.
Unfortunately, Curse of Monkey Island's lavishly hand-drawn art and Grim Fandango's polygonal characters made their title look dated in comparison. Due to this and the game's linear nature, producer Bill Roper decided to give this game the ax. Nevertheless, a late build was leaked online to a moderately positive reception.
5 Legacy Of Kain Dead Sun Had A Stake Driven Through Its Heart
After lying dormant for many years, The Legacy of Kain franchise was set to rise from its grave with a brand new title called Dead Sun. The game was to be developed by the UK-based studio Climax to reboot the series. Unfortunately, for reasons beyond comprehension, Square Enix decided that it "just wasn't the right game, at the right time."
Instead, renowned for its narrative-heavy single-player entries, this franchise was given an uninspired online multiplayer shooter called Nosgoth. Additionally, 35 minutes of the Dead Sun's cinematics and gameplay were leaked on YouTube.
4 Sam & Max Freelance Police's Cancellation Led To The Formation Of Telltale
Sam & Max Freelance Police was set to become the 3D sequel to the classic 1993 adventure Hit the Road. The writers, directors, and voice actors all reprised their roles from the first game. However, LucasArts canceled the title despite positive previews out of fears that the genre had become financially unviable.
Cutscenes, artwork, and elements of the plot were eventually leaked online. While Freelance Police's cancellation and the dismissal of its staff was certainly lamentable, it led to the formation of Telltale Games. The studio would later make their own Sam & Max titles which were careful not to incorporate any content from Freelance Police.
3 Cast Members Returned For Tiny Toon Adventures: Defenders of the Looniverse
Treasure is a Japanese studio that's well-renowned for its oddball titles. Many were based on pre-existing properties such as McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure, Astro Boy Omega Factor, and the canceled Tiny Toon Adventures: Defenders of the Looniverse. The game was to feature brand-new voice-overs from much of the show's original cast, such as Charlie Adler as Buster Bunny, Tress MacNeille as Babs Bunny (no relation), and the late Joe Alasky as Plucky Duck.
While the game never came out, a ROM of a late build was eventually leaked, allowing players to get tiny, toony, and a little loony once again.
2 MegaMan Legends 3 Suffered From A Key Figurehead's Departure
After years of waiting, Mega Man Legends 2's cliffhanger ending was set to receive the resolution it deserved with a brand new 3DS title. Demos of the game were leaked to the press and the Japanese 3DS eshop. But, unfortunately, Keji Inafune's departure from Capcom pretty much sealed the fate of any future game starring the Blue Bomber, as the series no longer had a key figure to guide and protect it.
Mega Man Legends 3's cancellation hit fans hard with Capcom Europe's amazingly thoughtless response on social media, pouring salt on an open wound.
1 Silent Hills Is Forever Shrouded In The Fog Of Time
In 2014, a mysterious game known as "PT" (short for Playable Teaser) found its way to digital stores. No indication was made that the short, horrifying game was tied to another franchise. Players who managed to brave the terrors that awaited in this title discovered that it was a prelude to the Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro led Silent Hill reboot starring Norman Reedus.
Unfortunately, Konami canceled the game, fired Kojima, and eventually delisted PT from digital stores. However, concept art for the game from famous Manga artist Junji Ito was uncovered on social media years later.