Fleapit (lost build of cancelled arcade platformer; 1990-1991)
Fleapit’s title screen.
Status: Lost
Fleapit was an arcade platformer planned to be developed by John and Ste Pickford and published by Rare Coin-It around 1991. The game revolved around the character Plok (voiced by Chris Sievey) trying to recover his stolen flag for his island.
Development started on May 1st, 1990 with John Pickford on programming and Ste Pickford on design and graphics. Fleapit was nearly complete state when production came to a halt for unknown reasons around a year into development, likely due to the failure of Rare’s “Raze” arcade board that Fleapit used. The concept of the game was later reworked for the Super Nintendo into 1993’s Plok! by Software Creations.
Availability
No boards or ROM images of Fleapit have resurfaced since its cancellation in 1991. Several concept art pieces, as well as an early title screen, have resurfaced from John and Ste Pickford’s official webpage, featuring early Plok designs and unused characters such as a shopkeeper named Suki.
Gallery
Extremely rough concept sketch for the character Plok. Drawn by Ste Pickford.
Suki, an unused shopkeeper character not seen in 1993’s Plok. Drawn by Ste Pickford.
Fleapit’s Font.
Concept art for Fleapit’s intro. Drawn by Ste Pickford.
