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 Earthbound 64
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 Devil May Cry (PS2), Fog build, Hook Man build, and Hallucination build
remake initially planned for Nintendo DS, work repurposed for PS4/PC/Switch
as Project M
for Dreamcast
as an unnamed, unrelated to Metroid FPS
as Metal Gear 3, for 3DO
original version commonly known as Resident Evil 1.5
remake initially planned for Nintendo DS, work repurposed for PS4/PC/Switch
initially planned as Super Mario FX for SNES
dropped by Sega and saved by Nintendo
as Metal Gear Solid Rising (Kojima Productions developed internally)
original version commonly known as Metroid Prime 1.5 and would've taken inspiration from System Shock 2
Original US release canceled
as Project Dream (SNES)

Ico

for PS1
as Aliens
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
pitched to Nintendo as Wario Pool
Microsoft exited
as Resident Evil Revelations 3, the game originally planned as RE8 has become RE9
as Pokemon 2 for Game Boy
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
was vaporware since the late 90s
for Gamecube

D2

for Panasonic 3DO M2
as an RTS for Mac
as Pokemon 2 for Game Boy
as Rayman 2 (2D sidescroller)
for Saturn
3D functionality originally planned for Gamecube with glasses-free 3D addon
originally for N64
Sweet Home (NES) remake
as True Crime: Hong Kong, Activision exited
US release cancelled
for PS1 and Dreamcast
as Conker's Twelve Tales and later Conker's Quest
for PS1 and Dreamcast
as Axiom, developed by Treasure for Mega Drive
for Dreamcast
as SimCity (NES)
as My Little Pony: Fighting is Magic
for PS1
for PS Move on PS3
as Monster Kingdom: Unknown Realms, was intended as a companion piece to Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner for PSP
as Project Giant Robot and Project Guard
as Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3)
PS3
for Dreamcast
as Donkey Kong Plus, a more faithful remake of Donkey Kong 94
cancelled by Nichibutsu back in the 90s, released a port for cellphones in the 2000s, picked back up for SNES by Super Fighter Team in the 2010s
as Doubutsu Banchou for 64DD and later N64
under Acclaim, for PS2 and Xbox, bought by XS Games and reworked for PS2 only
Original US release cancelled due to PCB being too expensive
Irem devastated by 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami
for PS1 (that's why it's in 60fps)
Existence unknown until being announced as a pack-in for the Sega Mega Drive Mini 2
as Titan (MMORPG)
original Capcom version, studio sold from Capcom to Rockstar, prototype exists of Capcom version
for Gamecube then Xbox
Vivendi exited
as Spider-Man 4
as Star Wars Battlefront III (PS3/360)
as The Terminator
as Dinosaur Planet (N64)
2013 version with completely different aesthetic
as Dangerous Dave in Copyright Infringement
for Dreamcast, PS2, GameCube and PC
as Ninja Jajamaru-Kun: Pen wa Ken Yorimo Kyoushidegozaru for Nintendo DS
as Devil's Third Online first, then RockShot, and then got canceled AGAIN after just a couple months of 2018 in early access
as Hardcore
under Acclaim, bought by THQ
for PSP, then 3DS, finally released on Switch

Wet

Vivendi exited
pitched to Konami as Silent Hill (DS)
Existence was unknown until being announced as a pack-in for Sega Mega Drive Mini 2
as Donkey Kong: Coconut Crackers

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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