Playable beta of Castlevania Recurrection (cancelled Dreamcast game) surfaces [Auction on eBay now gone]

[Zonic]

French Sega gaming site "Sega Dreamcast Info Preservation Games" has gotten their hands on a pre-E3 beta build of the cancelled title Castlevania Resurrection. Props to Hardcore Gaming 101 for highlighting this news via Twitter. The build is dated Nov. 5th, 1999, just 4 months before the game's cancellation.

Castlevania Resurrection release on Dreamcast, complete file

Castlevania Resurrection release for the Dreamcast !!! You will find a complete file about its history, from its origin to its cancellation. You can read a test of this demo version. The analysis part goes in detail on the particularities of the "Build". You will be able to download its home...

www.sega-dreamcast-info-games-preservation.com

(Footage starts at 1:22)



Some (google translate) quotes from the page:

"A few days ago, I was sent a message with the photo of the prototype. I couldn't believe it, he was there in front of my eyes. I thought I had fallen from my chair, I was witnessing his resurrection !!!"

"There are 5 environments and a boss fight that correspond to a stage of the game. Most areas do not connect with each other. They are accessible from the Start menu. One of them does not charge. This beta is an early build."

"Be careful, I don't know what my acquaintance intends to do with it. I do not wish to harbor false hopes. It may be necessary to be satisfied only with the photo and the video proving its existence.

The discovery of the prototype being major, with the agreement of its owner, I can disclose it and show it to you. We can also thank him!"

Click to shrink...

 

[Dancrane212]

Ah, this is awesome to see after being so invested in media for the game back when it was being previewed. Here's hoping we get some direct feed footage!

 

[ciddative]

Man I remember the screenshots for this coming out, featured Sonia iirc .

Awesome, hope there's more to follow

 

[FormatCompatible]

OH FUCK! Damn this is one I was hoping it would surface somehow, nice!

 

[giancarlo123x]

Put it on the internet so I can burn it to a disc.

 

[Bigkrev]

I'll be very curious if we ever get to play this. It's possible that this collector has had it forever and only chose now to reveal that it exists, and has no intent to ever let it be dumped

 

[ignata]

I'm usually fine just watching videos of this stuff but I absolutely need to play this.

 

[Valcrist]

I've listened to the OST for this game a few times at least...

 

[Sumio Mondo]

Woah. Very curious about this one.

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

This is one of the holy grails of unfinished/scrapped games. As a huge CV fan I would love to check it out somehow. We need to get this dumped/preserved ASAP.

 

[OneThirtyEight]

Wow that is really cool. Also i'm in a Castlwvania mood since i have played Lament of Innocence during the weekend. Good timing. Hope to see lots from it.

 

[m0therzer0]

I hope whoever has that makes it accessible for the rest of us.

 

[super moustique]

My younger self really wanted to play that game back then!

Too bad the demo seems very small. Was the game cancelled very early in dev?

 

[FinalArcadia]

Wow, I've always looked back at that game wondering what could have been. The aesthetics are right up my alley. Would love to see this dumped so that people can look through the files and see if there's anything juicy that we haven't seen from old screenshots or what's playable in the demo.

 

[AMAGON]

By the Gods, this is real!

😍

 

[Why would you do that?]

I'm a big fan of Castlevania for the N64, and I've heard that this Dreamcast game was basically the true sequel to it, gameplay-wise.

So even though this demo looks very early, it's still very exciting for me to see. It's too bad it was cancelled...

 

[Foffy]

Incredibly interesting. Unless I'm mistake, no actual gameplay footage running has ever surfaced about this game until this video? All we had were screenshots and a CG trailer.

Still hoping for THE ARCADE to get dumped one day. A true shame that was never released on Wii or for the PS Move.

 

[Aurica]

Incredibly interesting. Unless I'm mistake, no actual gameplay footage running has ever surfaced about this game until this video? All we had were screenshots and a CG trailer.

Still hoping for THE ARCADE to get dumped one day. A true shame that was never released on Wii or for the PS Move.

Click to shrink...

That game never worked well when I played it in arcades. :/ It seemed like it'd be really awesome if it were calibrated correctly.

 

[Deleted member 6263]

Man I love watching cancelled games being played

 

[ThereAre4Lights]

Weird, I owned a Dreamcast and never even knew a Castlevania was being developed for it. I'd love to drag out the old thing and try this.

 

[KamenSenshi]

I so wanted this game. Would always read about it and imagine what it would be like. I think there was a little footage somewhere though, maybe an episode of fuse.

 

[RoadDogg]

I remember looking at pictures of Tim Curry in this game wondering why the hell they picked him and being excited for it anyway. I actually really liked the first N64 game at the time so I was excited to see what they could do with the Dreamcast.

I always assumed they failed at making anything even remotely enjoyable, but I still would have bought it at the time.

 

[whiteninja]

Would of been nice to at least place their phone closer to the tv...

Anyway I always wondered about this one even though I never really enjoyed any of the 3d Castlevanias.

 

[theAllseeingEYE]

This is awesome. It was also a little painful not getting to even see if the attacks and collision detection worked, and seeing him walk straight into that fire pit... Come on bro, do a proper gameplay video.

 

[FormatCompatible]

Incredibly interesting. Unless I'm mistake, no actual gameplay footage running has ever surfaced about this game until this video? All we had were screenshots and a CG trailer.

Still hoping for THE ARCADE to get dumped one day. A true shame that was never released on Wii or for the PS Move.

Click to shrink...

I always wondered if this was supposed to be real time, it certainly looked like it. Now seeing this new footage maybe it's a older build looking at Sonia's model and her walk cycle?

 

[Deleted member 16876]

Oh wow that is awesome

Was always curious about this game

 

[Ardend]

This is awesome. It was also a little painful not getting to even see if the attacks and collision detection worked, and seeing him walk straight into that fire pit... Come on bro, do a proper gameplay video.

Click to shrink...

Would of been nice to at least place their phone closer to the tv...

Anyway I always wondered about this one even though I never really enjoyed any of the 3d Castlevanias.

Click to shrink...

It was definitely meant to show it exits, not necessarily to show the game off.

 

[BriGuy]

It looks more visually interesting than the PS2 Castlevania games actually. It would have been great to see a Castlevania 64-style game on hardware that could do it justice.

 

[Deleted member 79058]

I hope it leaks so we can play it and do some research on the files.
This belongs in a (digital) museum!

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Wow. This is the game I always mention in "what cancelled game hurt the most?" type threads. I was so fucking excited for this as a Legends fan. Fucking sucks that it just got cancelled.

 

[Deleted member 721]

i would play, but after watching the video this beta is not playable, there's no damage etc. I wonder if there's hope to fix that, but that seems hard

 

[NinjaScooter]

I was just thinking about this game the other day while skimming through an old ass issue of EGM. This was being made by an American wing of Konami internal, right?

 

[Ardend]

Its hard to tell, but there is damage for sure. Just not instant death in the lava.

 

[Ardend]

I was just thinking about this game the other day while skimming through an old ass issue of EGM. This was being made by an American wing of Konami internal, right?

Click to shrink...

Yah, KCEA, and I believe the same team as the N64 titles, or largely the same team, but I could be wrong.

 

[skeezx]

I was just thinking about this game the other day while skimming through an old ass issue of EGM. This was being made by an American wing of Konami internal, right?

Click to shrink...

yeah, i remember GameFan snarking at this fact. back when any good game just had to come from wonderland japan (to a certain contingent, at least)

 

[Nessus]

I absolutely love shit like this.

 

[Hayeya]

I remember Seeing it in Gaming Magazines, and witnessing the incredible graphics and great IQ.
Good times.

 

[Syriel]

I'll be very curious if we ever get to play this. It's possible that this collector has had it forever and only chose now to reveal that it exists, and has no intent to ever let it be dumped

Click to shrink...

This disc has been known in collecting circles for more than a decade. If it is getting publicity now, the owner might be feeling the waters for a sale.

My younger self really wanted to play that game back then!

Too bad the demo seems very small. Was the game cancelled very early in dev?

Click to shrink...

Yes.

 

[Virtua Sanus]

Shame it never got too far. It would have fit wonderfully in with the Dreamcast library.

I wonder if Castelvania 32X will ever surface?

 

[Rygar 8Bit]

Pre DC launch this was the game I was most hyped for. The screen shot of the hydra was hype as hell.

 

[Polyh3dron]

Beta??? Looks like pre-pre-alpha. Like a tech demo tbh.

 

[Link_enfant]

Funny how the game's title has never been more appropriate

 

[pikablu]

Wow didn't think this would ever see light of day.

 

[super moustique]

Yes.

Click to shrink...

Too bad it wasn't cancelled later in dev then! :D

 

[Foffy]

My younger self really wanted to play that game back then!

Too bad the demo seems very small. Was the game cancelled very early in dev?

Click to shrink...

I know someone said it was cancelled early, but according to the art director Greg Orduyan, this was actually a good ways in production. It's an ancient interview by internet standards - I forget if this interview was done before or after the OST was put online 10+ years ago - but this remark makes me think this didn't die as early as some might assume.

Q. How far along was the game before Konami finally pull the plug? Approximately how complete was it?

A. Pretty far, we had the game was actually on a very good track, we were making great progress. It was really a matter of balancing and tweaking and putting it all together. We had a working version of the game, that still needed to be optimized, physics to be finalized, and additional art designs. When the game was cancelled, it was eventually sent back to Japan so they could look at it for reference for future 3D Castlevanias.

Yah, KCEA, and I believe the same team as the N64 titles, or largely the same team, but I could be wrong.

Click to shrink...

Konami Kobe made the N64 titles. Because this was a non-Japanese go at the series, and the first of two attempts at doing so. It appears that people within the Japanese branch wanted this project to fail, slightly alluded to by the interview I linked. The lesson here is Konami is always trash, and they fucked over everybody during this time. Konami America got boned because of internal politics, and Konami Kobe got fucked because of mandated fiscal deadlines. Igarashi likely only got ahead between these three groups because his project was the "small" one and already proved he can get a game made under suggested budgets.

Never forget that any good game from Konami should be considered a miracle, as they have over three decades of fucking with their employees.

 

[super moustique]

I know someone said it was cancelled early, but according to the art director Greg Orduyan, this was actually a good ways in production. It's an ancient interview by internet standards - I forget if this interview was done before or after the OST was put online 10+ years ago - but this remark makes me think this didn't die as early as some might assume.

Q. How far along was the game before Konami finally pull the plug? Approximately how complete was it?

A. Pretty far, we had the game was actually on a very good track, we were making great progress. It was really a matter of balancing and tweaking and putting it all together. We had a working version of the game, that still needed to be optimized, physics to be finalized, and additional art designs. When the game was cancelled, it was eventually sent back to Japan so they could look at it for reference for future 3D Castlevanias.

Click to shrink...

The dream lives on! :)

Hopefully, that version of the game is out there on a disc as well!

 

[∀∃:ETURNA]

The soundtrack for it has been available for a while. It's very good! My favorite track is "Have Mercy", which plays in the footage presented in the video.

 

[Ardend]

I know someone said it was cancelled early, but according to the art director Greg Orduyan, this was actually a good ways in production. It's an ancient interview by internet standards - I forget if this interview was done before or after the OST was put online 10+ years ago - but this remark makes me think this didn't die as early as some might assume.

Q. How far along was the game before Konami finally pull the plug? Approximately how complete was it?

A. Pretty far, we had the game was actually on a very good track, we were making great progress. It was really a matter of balancing and tweaking and putting it all together. We had a working version of the game, that still needed to be optimized, physics to be finalized, and additional art designs. When the game was cancelled, it was eventually sent back to Japan so they could look at it for reference for future 3D Castlevanias.

Click to shrink...

My hope is that this encourages some one with a more complete version to come forward with it. It might only be on some buried dev kit though.

 

[jmsebastian]

I am extremely excited about this. Ever since I got into the 64 CV games and learned about this, I hoped a playable version of it would surface. Truly awesome to see.

 

[HustleBun]

If this becomes public, we need Derrick from GVG to stream it.

Hell, I'll probably buy a CD burner and play it myself.