Uncancelled games

Games that got cancelled/disappeared for their original platform of release or otherwise/dropped by their original publisher and then uncancelled or reworked, for better and for worse
Listing versions that came out is preferred, still-upcoming game revivals are given benefit of the doubt
Notes explain what happened to their original versions
Feel free to comment if you have any more and I'll add them

as Metal Gear Solid Rising (Kojima Productions developed internally)
initially planned as Super Mario FX for SNES
2013 version with completely different aesthetic
as Metal Gear 3, for 3DO
as Resident Evil Revelations 3, the game originally planned as RE8 has become RE9
as Devil May Cry (PS2), Fog build, Hook Man build, and Hallucination build
as Metal Gear Solid III, the Roman numerals in the title were used to represent the three tallest skyscrapers in Manhattan, then-setting of the game
as Titan (MMORPG)
was vaporware since the late 90s
as Earthbound 64
Microsoft exited
as Aliens
as Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3)
as an RTS for Mac
for 3DS, meant to push the New 2DS XL and was going to be bundled with that system, existence leaked around 2017 alongside a remake of Virtual Boy Wario Land that never materialized
dropped by Sega and saved by Nintendo
as an unnamed, unrelated to Metroid FPS
as Project Dream (SNES)
for PS Move on PS3
original version commonly known as Resident Evil 1.5

Ico

for PS1
for Gamecube
as True Crime: Hong Kong, Activision exited
remake initially planned for Nintendo DS, work repurposed for PS4/PC/Switch
PS3
remake initially planned for Nintendo DS, work repurposed for PS4/PC/Switch
Sweet Home (NES) remake
Original US release canceled
original version commonly known as Metroid Prime 1.5 and would've taken inspiration from System Shock 2
for Dreamcast
for Saturn
as Conker's Twelve Tales and later Conker's Quest
as Pokemon 2 for Game Boy
Vivendi exited
as Pokemon 2 for Game Boy
originally for N64
Original US release cancelled due to PCB being too expensive
as Spider-Man 4
as Rayman 2 (2D sidescroller)
original Capcom version, studio sold from Capcom to Rockstar, prototype exists of Capcom version
3D functionality originally planned for Gamecube with glasses-free 3D addon
as Donkey Kong Plus, a more faithful remake of Donkey Kong 94
as Dinosaur Planet (N64)
for Gamecube then Xbox
for Dreamcast
for PS1 (that's why it's in 60fps)
for Dreamcast
as Monster Kingdom: Unknown Realms, was intended as a companion piece to Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner for PSP
for PS1 and Dreamcast
THQ exited
cancelled in 2003, the Windows version was unfinished and leaked with a crack to disable the character limit (no-limit Winmugen) and then was subsequently revived in 2009 when Elecbyte returned to release 1.0

Wet

Vivendi exited
originally for PS2
as Lily Bergamo (PS4)

D2

for Panasonic 3DO M2
for Gamecube then Xbox
for PS1 and Dreamcast
pitched to Konami as Silent Hill (DS)
Minigame cut from Virtual Boy Mario Land and reworked into standalone title
as Doubutsu Banchou for 64DD and later N64
US release cancelled
as My Little Pony: Fighting is Magic
for 7th gen consoles
as Outcast II: The Lost Paradise
for PSP, then 3DS, finally released on Switch
for PS1/Saturn, then Gamecube
Irem devastated by 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami
THQ exited
as Axiom, developed by Treasure for Mega Drive
as Star Wars Battlefront III (PS3/360)
for PS1
as Project M
as The Terminator
Existence unknown until being announced as a pack-in for the Sega Mega Drive Mini 2
Game sized down from original 8 meg cartridge, full restored version released as a pack-in for Analogue Super NT
as Dune: Ornithopter Assault for GBA
as Aeon Flux (PS1)
dropped for English release by Hot-B in 1991, picked up by Super Fighter Team in 2011
for Kinect on Xbox 360

7 Comments


1 year ago

Dinosaur Planet -> Starfox Adventures?

1 year ago

RE1 was a scrapped "Sweet Home" remake that eventually became it's own thing

1 year ago

Star Wars Battlefront III was canceled during development, assests and plot were recycled in Battlefront Elite Squadron for the PSP/DS

1 year ago

There's a few examples of games that were cancelled for their original platforms and reworked for something more advanced (Shenmue for Saturn, ICO for PS1, The Last Guardian for PS3, Metal Gear Solid for 3DO). Not sure if they'd count.

1 year ago

great list idea, I love imagining what games like this would be like today if they were always only the version that was cancelled

1 year ago

added everybody's suggestions and some new ones too

1 year ago

as a child i would lay in bed and imagine how happy i would be if i had access to earthbound 64 demo


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