Key Takeaways
1. A cancelled Game Boy Colour version of Resident Evil was nearly complete, at about 98% finished, before its cancellation in 2000.
2. The game was developed by HotGen Studios in collaboration with Fluid Studios, aiming to adapt the original PlayStation game’s elements for Nintendo’s handheld console.
3. The cancellation was largely attributed to the original creator, Mikami, believing the Game Boy Colour could not support the franchise adequately.
4. The game featured familiar enemies and storyline elements but replaced voice acting with on-screen text due to hardware limitations.
5. Early testers managed to complete the game but encountered various glitches, such as unlimited ammo and corrupted save files.
Just in time for the holiday season, fans of Resident Evil might have received an unexpected early present from the realm of forgotten video games. For those who are unaware, there was intended to be a Game Boy Colour version of Resident Evil, which was seemingly scrapped at the last minute.
Sneak Peeks of the Cancelled Game
The video game preservation site, Games That Weren’t, has revealed glimpses of the final version of the cancelled Game Boy Colour port of Resident Evil. It was said that HotGen Studios was working on this project towards the end of the 1990s.
Reportedly, the final build of the Resident Evil Game Boy Colour edition is about 98% finished. It includes foes like the Tyrant and conclusion sequences that were not accessible in earlier versions.
Ambitious Project for Nintendo
The Game Boy port of Resident Evil was certainly an ambitious project aimed at adapting the PlayStation classic’s fixed camera views, pre-rendered backgrounds, tank controls, and survival horror elements for Nintendo’s handheld console.
HotGen collaborated with Fluid Studios during that time to carefully recreate the Spencer Mansion using scaled 2D sprites to create a forced perspective effect. The game retained much of the original dialogue, puzzles, and storyline, but voice acting was not feasible for the Game Boy, so it was substituted with on-screen text.
The Mystery of Cancellation
The reasons behind the game’s cancellation had remained unclear. Producer Jon Oldham mentioned years ago, “Fergus McGovern, who was a good friend, came to me about the idea of doing Resident Evil on the Game Boy. Fluid Studios, along with Nigel Speight, developed the entire game in 3D. Apparently, Mikami said it was impossible and wouldn’t allow it to be completed. We all got paid, but it never came out.”
Nigel Speight also recounted his experience, saying, “From what I recall, the game was about 75-85% done. Initially, it was planned to be around 35% of the original PlayStation version, and we intended to extend the storyline to keep reusing rooms.”
Recent Discoveries
Frith, who provided the 98% complete build, conveyed a similar narrative, stating that the “original creator of Resident Evil” believed that the Game Boy Colour wasn’t sufficient for the franchise.
The earliest known version was discovered in 2011, but its unfinished condition made it unplayable. This latest build, however, is much closer to the game’s state when Capcom decided to cancel the project in 2000.
So far, early testers have reported finishing Jill Valentine’s campaign from beginning to end. Others have encountered issues like infinite ammo and glitches that stop players from combining herbs, with save files becoming corrupted after multiple uses.
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