40 Winks (found Nintendo 64 port of PlayStation 3D platformer; 1999-2000)
The box art for the Nintendo 64 port.
Status: Found
Date found: 29 Jan '08 (prototype) / Nov '19 (official release)
Found by: gorgyrip (prototype) & Piko Interactive (official release)
40 Winks was a platformer game developed by EuroCom for the PlayStation in 1999. While the game received mixed reviews, development on a Nintendo 64 port began and was set for a 2000 release date.
The Nintendo 64 port of 40 Winks was very far into development having even received a review from the Official. Nintendo Magazine. In late 1999, the publishers began debating whether or not they should release the game for the Nintendo 64, with IGN calling its future "uncertain."[1] Ultimately, they decided against it, and the port went unreleased.
The English, Spanish and Italian prototypes were released on a popular ROM-hosting website, and it can be discovered through a simple Google search. It is currently unknown why the game was cancelled.
A Troubled Development
As mixed reviews came in for 40 Winks, the parent company GT Interactive was starting to be affected by the commercial failure of 40 Winks on the PlayStation. In order to stay afloat, GT Interactive started to sell off assets and downsize the development team working on the Nintendo 64 port. Despite all of these efforts, the port was cancelled in 2000.
Offical release by Piko Interactive
On February 12th, 2018, Piko Interactive (a game development and publishing company that concentrates on licensing and finishing new and unreleased/unfinished video games for retro video game consoles) launched a Kickstarter to officially release 40 Winks on the Nintendo 64.[2] The Kickstarter raised $131,252 with 1,709 backers by the deadline and got 40 Winks released on Nintendo 64 as well as Microsoft Windows and Steam in November of 2018 with the Nintendo 64 version getting not only a physical release with complete with box and manual but also a "Special Edition" release with a black coloured cartridge, artwork, poster, POG, and the full Soundtrack on CD, Piko also released a limited amount of "Special edition N64 40 Winks controllers" along with the game.[3]
Reference
- ↑ An IGN article describing the uncertain future of the Nintendo 64 port. Retrieved 27 May '15
- ↑ The Kickstarter page for 40 Winks Retrieved 18 Mar '19
- ↑ The listing for 40 Winks on Piko Interactive's website. Retrieved 24 Sep '19