Sound Fantasy (found build of unreleased Super Nintendo music game; 1993): Difference between revisions
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'''''Sound Fantasy''''' (known as '''''Sound Factory''''' during production) is a cancelled music video game intended to be released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and its Japanese counterpart, the Super Famicom. The game was designed by interactive media artist Toshio Iwai in the early 1990s and borrowed concepts from the installation art piece ''Music Insects''; a piece he created during his time as an Artist in Residence at the San Francisco Exploratorium. However, this project was never picked up by Nintendo for reasons unknown. | '''''Sound Fantasy''''' (known as '''''Sound Factory''''' during production) is a cancelled music video game intended to be released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and its Japanese counterpart, the Super Famicom. The game was designed by interactive media artist Toshio Iwai in the early 1990s and borrowed concepts from the installation art piece ''Music Insects''; a piece he created during his time as an Artist in Residence at the San Francisco Exploratorium. However, this project was never picked up by Nintendo for reasons unknown. | ||
== | ==Gameplay== | ||
''Sound Fantasy'' was to have featured four games. These included Pix Quartet, Beat Hopper, Star Fly, and Ice Sweeper. Pix Quartet is a ''Qix''-style game where the objective is to paint a picture of a note and race across it to create music. Beat Hopper is said to be a ''Q-Bert'' type of game. Star Fly involved aligning stars in the sky to create music. Lastly, Ice Sweeper is a game resembling ''Arkanoid'' and had the player controlling paddles to knock a bug around and pop musical spheres on the stage. | ''Sound Fantasy'' was to have featured four games. These included ''Pix Quartet'', ''Beat Hopper'', ''Star Fly'', and ''Ice Sweeper''. ''Pix Quartet'' is a ''Qix''-style game where the objective is to paint a picture of a note and race across it to create music. ''Beat Hopper'' is said to be a ''Q-Bert'' type of game. ''Star Fly'' involved aligning stars in the sky to create music. Lastly, ''Ice Sweeper'' is a game resembling ''Arkanoid'' and had the player controlling paddles to knock a bug around and pop musical spheres on the stage. | ||
The game was going to be packaged with the SNES mouse and be available in a larger box, similar to ''Mario Paint'' and ''Earthbound''. Ultimately, the game was cancelled due to lack of popularity among music games at the time. ''Mario Paint'' was released in 1992 and was chosen to be the game that introduced the SNES mouse to the public. ''Sound Fantasy'' made an appearance at Nintendo Space World 1993 and was then quietly cancelled. The concept was later picked up by Maxis and converted into ''SimTunes'' in 1996, with many of ''Sound Fantasy’s'' gameplay elements implemented. | The game was going to be packaged with the SNES mouse and be available in a larger box, similar to ''Mario Paint'' and ''Earthbound''. Ultimately, the game was cancelled due to lack of popularity among music games at the time. ''Mario Paint'' was released in 1992 and was chosen to be the game that introduced the SNES mouse to the public. ''Sound Fantasy'' made an appearance at Nintendo Space World 1993 and was then quietly cancelled. The concept was later picked up by Maxis and converted into ''SimTunes'' in 1996, with many of ''Sound Fantasy’s'' gameplay elements implemented. | ||
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{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtCYNn8z0EY|320x240|center|''Sound Factory'' at Nintendo Space World 1993 promo, featuring early prototype versions of Beat Hopper, Pix Quartet, and Star Fly (footage begins at 0:43).|frame}} | {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtCYNn8z0EY|320x240|center|''Sound Factory'' at Nintendo Space World 1993 promo, featuring early prototype versions of ''Beat Hopper'', ''Pix Quartet'', and ''Star Fly'' (footage begins at 0:43).|frame}} | ||
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{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypU5m-AeGvU|320x240|center|''Sound Fantasy'' offscreen gameplay at unknown event, featuring Beat Hopper and Ice Sweeper in near-final/final form, just prior to intended release.|frame}}</div> | {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypU5m-AeGvU|320x240|center|''Sound Fantasy'' offscreen gameplay at unknown event, featuring ''Beat Hopper'' and ''Ice Sweeper'' in near-final/final form, just prior to intended release.|frame}}</div> | ||
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Revision as of 16:34, 4 November 2017
This article has been tagged as Needing work due to its poor formatting.
Unreleased North American box art of the game.
Status: Found
Date found: Apr. 9th, 2015
Found by: KiiroBomber
Sound Fantasy (known as Sound Factory during production) is a cancelled music video game intended to be released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and its Japanese counterpart, the Super Famicom. The game was designed by interactive media artist Toshio Iwai in the early 1990s and borrowed concepts from the installation art piece Music Insects; a piece he created during his time as an Artist in Residence at the San Francisco Exploratorium. However, this project was never picked up by Nintendo for reasons unknown.
Gameplay
Sound Fantasy was to have featured four games. These included Pix Quartet, Beat Hopper, Star Fly, and Ice Sweeper. Pix Quartet is a Qix-style game where the objective is to paint a picture of a note and race across it to create music. Beat Hopper is said to be a Q-Bert type of game. Star Fly involved aligning stars in the sky to create music. Lastly, Ice Sweeper is a game resembling Arkanoid and had the player controlling paddles to knock a bug around and pop musical spheres on the stage.
The game was going to be packaged with the SNES mouse and be available in a larger box, similar to Mario Paint and Earthbound. Ultimately, the game was cancelled due to lack of popularity among music games at the time. Mario Paint was released in 1992 and was chosen to be the game that introduced the SNES mouse to the public. Sound Fantasy made an appearance at Nintendo Space World 1993 and was then quietly cancelled. The concept was later picked up by Maxis and converted into SimTunes in 1996, with many of Sound Fantasy’s gameplay elements implemented.
Availability
There exist two prototypes of Sound Fantasy: an earlier build from when it was called Sound Factory and a later build with the final title. It is not clear how much of the game was finished at the time of its cancellation, but magazine articles suggest that the game was completed and ready to release.
The box art and instruction manual were allegedly made available in an exhibit at the Harajuku Station in Tokyo, Japan in April 2005 to celebrate the release of Iwai’s latest creation Electroplankton. It's said that the game itself was not playable. However, this information is unsourced.
On April 9th, 2015, the Sound Factory/Sound Fantasy prototype SNES ROM has been dumped and released to the public by YouTube user KiiroBomber. A download link of the dumped prototype can be found here.
Gallery
Sound Fantasy SNES box art (front). Includes the game and SNES mouse.
Sound Fantasy SNES box art (back). Includes the game and SNES mouse.
Sound Fantasy Super Famicom box art (front). Includes the game without a SNES mouse.
Sound Fantasy Super Famicom box art (front) and mouse manual (front). Larger box includes the game and SNES mouse.
Sound Factory early, mini-preview featured in the "Last Minute Update" spotlight on the Nintendo Shoshinkai 1993 video game expo (1993-10).
Sound Factory early, mini-preview featured in the "Pak Watch Update" spotlight on the Nintendo Shoshinkai 1993 video game expo (1993-11).
Sound Factory early, full preview featured in the "International Outlook" section (1993-11).
Sound Fantasy early, mini-preview featured in the "Pak Watch Update" section (1994-02).
Sound Fantasy early, full preview featured in the "Pak Watch" section (1994-03).
Sound Fantasy listed in the "Future Games for the Super NES" column three months in a row (left to right: 1994 February-April).
Sound Fantasy pre-release, full preview featured in the "International Outlook" section (1994-09).
