Games where the lead platform version was canned, but another was released

[j_factor]

Dark Angel: Vampire Apocalypse was originally developed with the Dreamcast as the lead platform. It got canceled, but the PS2 version did get released.

Any other games like this (any system)?

[fahlim003]

Grand Theft Auto was developed initially on Saturn, alongside the PC/DOS version but due to lack of resources and the Saturns waining popularity development was halted and solely carried on for DOS.

[Gapporin]

Grand Theft Auto was developed initially on Saturn, alongside the PC/DOS version but due to lack of resources and the Saturns waining popularity development was halted and solely carried on for DOS.

Shenmue started out as a Saturn game, too, IIRC (Hence the Saturn in the Hazuki home, despite being anachronistic).

[Gameguy]

Shining Wisdom was designed for the Mega Drive and changed for the Saturn last minute, they wanted to bulk up the Saturn library.

[j_factor]

I'm talking more about games that were originally intended for more than one system. Dark Angel was going to be a DC & PS2 game, but only the PS2 version came out, despite the DC being the lead platform when it was in development. Shenmue was just moved.

[bangtango]

Half-Life for Dreamcast?

[goatdan]

There are a ton of games like this. It happens when a game is started for one platform and then for whatever reason that platform goes out of style, or the company switches hands.

Offhand:

Grand Theft Auto 3 was supposed to be Dreamcast
Tomb Raider was originally going to be Atari Jaguar
Kameo: Elements of Power and Perfect Dark I think were both supposed to be GameCube (as was Grabbed by the Ghoulies if I'm remembering right)

There are dozens of other games like that. Using the criteria of it needing to change both platforms and manufacturers, look at anything around the end of the life of the Jaguar or Dreamcast, as both of them were lead platforms for a number of things that ended up going elsewhere.

[jcalder8]

So you mean multiplatform games that only ended up coming out for one?

[Mayhem]

I was gonna mention Tomb Raider but Goatdan got there first...

[Smashed Brother]

Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 2 was supposed to come out for both the Dreamcast and PS2, but only the PS2 version was released.

[Edmond Dantes]

I dunno if this is in this thread's purview, but the Happy VG Nerd's review of Enemy Zero told an amusing story about how it was premiered at a Sony booth... and then the presentation surprise reveals that its gonna be a Saturn game.

That was so amusing.

[cynicalhat]

Soul reaver 2 came out for the DC. I have it someplace. Also, gta1 came out on the PS1

[Smashed Brother]

Soul reaver 2 came out for the DC. I have it someplace. Also, gta1 came out on the PS1

Soul Reaver was released for the DC. Soul Reaver 2, which started development on the DC, only came out for the PS2 and the PC (though I've heard there was a demo for the DC version).

[Doonzmore]

Grand Theft Auto 3 was supposed to be Dreamcast
Tomb Raider was originally going to be Atari Jaguar


Really makes you wonder if the Dreamcast would have lasted a little longer, had GTA 3 come out for it...

Can't begin to imagine Tomb Raider on the Jaguar.

[cynicalhat]

Soul Reaver was released for the DC. Soul Reaver 2, which started development on the DC, only came out for the PS2 and the PC (though I've heard there was a demo for the DC version).


oops got confused with blood omen 2 soul reaver and soul reaver 2. my bad.

[crazyjackcsa]

There are a ton of games like this. It happens when a game is started for one platform and then for whatever reason that platform goes out of style, or the company switches hands.

Offhand:

Grand Theft Auto 3 was supposed to be Dreamcast
Tomb Raider was originally going to be Atari Jaguar
Kameo: Elements of Power and Perfect Dark I think were both supposed to be GameCube (as was Grabbed by the Ghoulies if I'm remembering right)

There are dozens of other games like that. Using the criteria of it needing to change both platforms and manufacturers, look at anything around the end of the life of the Jaguar or Dreamcast, as both of them were lead platforms for a number of things that ended up going elsewhere.

As I understood it the Saturn was actually the Lead Console for Tomb Raider, the Jag version was the port.

There were a tonne of games around the Saturn/PS1 time period that switched like that.

Early development took place on the Saturn and by the time the game came out, the Saturn version was canned.

A Core game with ninjas was like that too.

[Leo_A]

Half-Life for Dreamcast?

Half-Life's lead development platform was the PC. And I don't think anyone knows if any of the Dreamcast code was used for the PS2 build (I'm not even sure the same developer was responsible for both porting jobs).

[goatdan]

As I understood it the Saturn was actually the Lead Console for Tomb Raider, the Jag version was the port.

No. Tomb Raider was quietly announced for the Jaguar (starring *Laura* Croft), and then it was switched shortly after that to the PS1 / Saturn.

Phear also switched from the Jaguar to become Tetrisphere on the N64. There are maybe a dozen games like that which were announced but ended up never coming out there. Tomb Raider might need an asterisk though, as I don't think anything for it was actually seen for the Jaguar before it was canned. Phear actually had demos and promotional materials before it switched.

[PacmanPlush]

Half-Life for Dreamcast?


Half-Life's lead development platform was the PC. And I don't think anyone knows if any of the Dreamcast code was used for the PS2 build (I'm not even sure the same developer was responsible for both porting jobs).

He's sort of right... not about Half-Life, but its expansion. @_@

It's true that Half-Life was developed for PC, and was actually released a year before the Dreamcast's US launch. When Gearbox ported Half-Life to the Dreamcast, they developed HL: Blue Shift as a DC-exclusive campaign. Of course, the Dreamcast version went unreleased, so Blue Shift was later released for the PC.

Gearbox also created higher quality versions of many of the game's character and weapon models, which were advertised as another Dreamcast exclusive. These models were slightly enhanced and released for the PC as the "Half-Life High Definition Pack."

It is known that the PC version of Blue Shift is a port of the DC version. For their port, Gearbox used the same maps, which aren't 100% compatible with the PC version of Half-Life. Not a problem initially, as Blue Shift was packed with a modified version of the HL engine, which meant all Blue Shift's special features were left intact. When Valve released Blue Shift on Steam, they packaged it with the vanilla Half-Life engine, leading to missing effects (Blue Shift's special HUD) and numerous glitches (one notable error made progression impossible for many players.)

Gearbox was behind both the DC and PS2 ports. You're correct that it isn't known whether the PS2 version uses any code from the DC version. However, some of the graphics in the PS2 version began their development on the DC. Essentially, the PS2 version uses enhanced versions of the PC's Half-Life High Definition Pack models, which began development on the DC. This is most noticeable with the weapons. For the DC version, Gearbox replaced the Glock and MP5 with the Beretta and M4 Carbine, respectively. This change was maintained for the PC's Half-Life High Definition Pack and the PS2 version.

In short, it's fair to say that Half-Life's high definition graphics began their development on DC (where they went unreleased), but made it to the PC and PS2. The same can be said of Blue Shift, which went unreleased on DC, but made it to the PC.

[demonseed]

Wow I did not realize some of those games were on different platforms.. GTA would have saved the Saturn possibly.

[Famidrive-16]

Newer title, but Super Meat Boy was originally announced for WiiWare, but got cancelled after appearing on XBLA and Steam.

Rayman was also first developed for the SNES CD add-on.

[Tupin]

Newer title, but Super Meat Boy was originally announced for WiiWare, but got cancelled after appearing on XBLA and Steam.

Rayman was also first developed for the SNES CD add-on.
I was just about to say Super Meat Boy. It was supposed to be a WiiWare exclusive, I think...

The development of the original MOTHER 3 on N64, the one they showed at Spaceworld, was weird as well. It was originally planned for the N64, but then moved to the 64DD when it was announced. It was then moved back to the N64 after the 64DD failed, but then it was canceled.

[smoreyjinza]

I've heard that a new Pikmin was originally meant for the Wii but is now being switched over to the WiiU

[cracked8ball]

Super Paper Mario was originally going to be on the Gamecube but was changed to the Wii instead.

[Einzelherz]

Halo was supposed to be for the PC, then they halted it to put it on the XBOX. They later made it for the PC.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Halo was supposed to be for the PC, then they halted it to put it on the XBOX. They later made it for the PC.

Wrong.

Halo was originally developed for Macintosh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnRJgOayYpk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_%28series%29#Development

[Leo_A]

Wrong.

Halo was originally developed for Macintosh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnRJgOayYpk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_%28series%29#Development

According to this, it was under development for both Windows and the Macintosh.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/068/068975p1.html

And your Wikipedia link also says the same, with no word on which version was the lead development platform.

"The first Halo game was announced on July 21, 1999, during the Macworld Conference & Expo. It was originally planned to be a real-time strategy game for the Mac and Windows operating systems, but later changed into a third-person action game."

[NayusDante]

Champions Online was supposed to be for 360 and PC, but networking policies were too restrictive. The game still feels very gamepad-friendly.

Ico was originally going to be for PSX (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq9oCaYlBlE).

[Kitsune Sniper]

According to this, it was under development for both Windows and the Macintosh.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/068/068975p1.html

And your Wikipedia link also says the same, with no word on which version was the lead development platform.

"The first Halo game was announced on July 21, 1999, during the Macworld Conference & Expo. It was originally planned to be a real-time strategy game for the Mac and Windows operating systems, but later changed into a third-person action game."

The mag where I got that video only mentioned the Mac, so.

[Vlcice]

The mag where I got that video only mentioned the Mac, so.

And it was announced at Macworld. I think a PC version was planned, but Mac was very much the lead platform, and Bungie's focus at that time.

[dystopian]

If I'm not mistaken, Baroque was initially developed for Saturn and then released on PS2, Wii, and maybe elsewhere?

[j_factor]

If I'm not mistaken, Baroque was initially developed for Saturn and then released on PS2, Wii, and maybe elsewhere?

Not the same game, and there is no canceled version.

[Swamperon]

Monster Hunter Tri was in development for the PS3 and was then canned in favour of a Wii version.

NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams was in development for the 360 but was cancelled in favour of a Wii version.


I didn't know that about Shining Wisdom. Explains it look and story connections with the Megadrive games.

[Famidrive-16]

Speaking of the 64DD, Cubivore and Dragon Quest VII both started on that platform before ending up on the Gamecube and PSX respectively.