SimCity (found build of cancelled NES port of PC city-building simulation game; 1991): Difference between revisions
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Originally announced in the September/October 1990 issue of ''Nintendo Power'' magazine were both NES and SNES ports of Will Wright's highly acclaimed ''SimCity'', a city simulator and one of the first games of its kind. Both of the ports were slated for a Spring 1991 release and while the SNES game was released as planned (albeit being pushed back to an August 1991 release to coincide with the US release of the SNES), '''the NES port was cancelled shortly beforehand''' and never ended up seeing the light of day. In the November/December 1990 issue of ''Nintendo Power'', two screenshots from the NES port of the game were released, along with a short rundown of the said port. It received a few additional mentions in the months to follow (including, notably, a couple of additional magazine write-ups and a short preview video). | Originally announced in the September/October 1990 issue of ''Nintendo Power'' magazine were both NES and SNES ports of Will Wright's highly acclaimed ''SimCity'', a city simulator and one of the first games of its kind. Both of the ports were slated for a Spring 1991 release and while the SNES game was released as planned (albeit being pushed back to an August 1991 release to coincide with the US release of the SNES), '''the NES port was cancelled shortly beforehand''' and never ended up seeing the light of day. In the November/December 1990 issue of ''Nintendo Power'', two screenshots from the NES port of the game were released, along with a short rundown of the said port. It received a few additional mentions in the months to follow (including, notably, a couple of additional magazine write-ups and a short preview video). | ||
==Discovery== | ==Discovery== | ||
The game was eventually forgotten by most (assuming that the game had simply been cancelled), until 2005, when, in the "Collecting" section of an issue of ''Nintendo Power'', it was revealed that a prototype cartridge of the NES port had recently been rediscovered in the desk of ''Nintendo Power'' editor Scott Pelland. The article revealed that the prototype cartridge was housed in a hollowed out golden ''The Adventure of Link'' casing (including pictures of the actual cartridge) and revealed that the game was cancelled due to "bad timing" (unassumingly referring to the aforementioned 1991 US release of the graphically superior SNES and its corresponding ''SimCity'' port). | The game was eventually forgotten by most (assuming that the game had simply been cancelled), until 2005, when, in the "Collecting" section of an issue of ''Nintendo Power'', it was revealed that a prototype cartridge of the NES port had recently been rediscovered in the desk of ''Nintendo Power'' editor Scott Pelland. The article revealed that the prototype cartridge was housed in a hollowed out golden ''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link'' casing (including pictures of the actual cartridge) and revealed that the game was cancelled due to "bad timing" (unassumingly referring to the aforementioned 1991 US release of the graphically superior SNES and its corresponding ''SimCity'' port). | ||
Since the port's 2005 rediscovery, it has been kept tightly under wraps and a ROM has never been leaked online. It is currently unclear as to exactly who is now in possession of the prototype cartridge, though unless said owner decides to share with the rest of the world, this rare and highly sought-after port will likely never be played by the general public. | Since the port's 2005 rediscovery, it has been kept tightly under wraps and a ROM has never been leaked online. It is currently unclear as to exactly who is now in possession of the prototype cartridge, though unless said owner decides to share with the rest of the world, this rare and highly sought-after port will likely never be played by the general public. | ||
==The Second Cartridge== | ==The Second Cartridge== | ||
On August 29th, 2017, a NintnedoAge user named BIGDADDYRAMIREZ uploaded 2 minutes of footage on YouTube of the prototype on the NES. The user is the owner of a chain of stores called "Back in Time" where some of the people who worked on Johnny's Arcade. Both of the prototypes will be displayed at PREGE (Portland Retro Gaming Expo) 2017 while one of the prototypes is available to play.<ref>[http://nintendoage.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Blog.View&Blog_Id=1&Id=1754 The NintendoAge article about the NES port of SimCity] Last retrieved 29 Aug | On August 29th, 2017, a NintnedoAge user named BIGDADDYRAMIREZ uploaded 2 minutes of footage on YouTube of the prototype on the NES. The user is the owner of a chain of stores called "Back in Time" where some of the people who worked on Johnny's Arcade. Both of the prototypes will be displayed at PREGE (Portland Retro Gaming Expo) 2017 while one of the prototypes is available to play.<ref>[http://nintendoage.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Blog.View&Blog_Id=1&Id=1754 The NintendoAge article about the NES port of ''SimCity''.] Last retrieved 29 Aug. '17</ref> | ||
===Availability=== | ===Availability=== | ||
In October 2017, the Video Game History Foundation has claimed a copy of SimCity and has dumped it pirvately. Frank Cifaldi, the organization's founder has stated that he will make | In October 2017, the Video Game History Foundation has claimed a copy of ''SimCity'' and has dumped it pirvately. Frank Cifaldi, the organization's founder has stated that he will make ''SimCity'' for the NES publicly available soon. In the mean time, the prototype was displayed again at MAGFest 2017. Frank even shown off two never before seen screenshots of the title. | ||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
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|service1 =youtube | |service1 =youtube | ||
|id1 =AfJgZI9C2nk | |id1 =AfJgZI9C2nk | ||
|description1 =''Video Power's | |description1 =''Video Power'''s Johnny Arcade at WCES '91, during which a playable prototype of the NES port of ''SimCity'' was showcased (0:48-1:29). | ||
|service2 =youtube | |service2 =youtube | ||
|id2 =V7-M_LcqJsc | |id2 =V7-M_LcqJsc | ||
|description2 =Footage of one of the | |description2 =Footage of one of the ''SimCity'' prototypes on the NES. | ||
}} | }} | ||
<gallery mode=packed heights=250px> | <gallery mode=packed heights=250px> | ||
File:Simcity-4.thumbnail.jpg|November/December 1990 ''Nintendo Power'' article in which two screenshots of the port were released. | File:Simcity-4.thumbnail.jpg|November/December 1990 ''Nintendo Power'' article in which two screenshots of the port were released. | ||
File:Simcity-5.thumbnail.jpg|2005 ''Nintendo Power'' article in which the rediscovered prototype cartridge was revealed. | File:Simcity-5.thumbnail.jpg|2005 ''Nintendo Power'' article in which the rediscovered prototype cartridge was revealed. | ||
File:DSypMUJWkAIlTzZ.jpg|Screenshot of | File:DSypMUJWkAIlTzZ.jpg|Screenshot of ''SimCity'' provided by Frank Cifaldi. | ||
File:DSypN31W0AAgJy2.jpg|Screenshot of | File:DSypN31W0AAgJy2.jpg|Screenshot of ''SimCity'' provided by Frank Cifaldi. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
Revision as of 15:40, 23 April 2018
Originally announced in the September/October 1990 issue of Nintendo Power magazine were both NES and SNES ports of Will Wright's highly acclaimed SimCity, a city simulator and one of the first games of its kind. Both of the ports were slated for a Spring 1991 release and while the SNES game was released as planned (albeit being pushed back to an August 1991 release to coincide with the US release of the SNES), the NES port was cancelled shortly beforehand and never ended up seeing the light of day. In the November/December 1990 issue of Nintendo Power, two screenshots from the NES port of the game were released, along with a short rundown of the said port. It received a few additional mentions in the months to follow (including, notably, a couple of additional magazine write-ups and a short preview video).
Discovery
The game was eventually forgotten by most (assuming that the game had simply been cancelled), until 2005, when, in the "Collecting" section of an issue of Nintendo Power, it was revealed that a prototype cartridge of the NES port had recently been rediscovered in the desk of Nintendo Power editor Scott Pelland. The article revealed that the prototype cartridge was housed in a hollowed out golden Zelda II: The Adventure of Link casing (including pictures of the actual cartridge) and revealed that the game was cancelled due to "bad timing" (unassumingly referring to the aforementioned 1991 US release of the graphically superior SNES and its corresponding SimCity port).
Since the port's 2005 rediscovery, it has been kept tightly under wraps and a ROM has never been leaked online. It is currently unclear as to exactly who is now in possession of the prototype cartridge, though unless said owner decides to share with the rest of the world, this rare and highly sought-after port will likely never be played by the general public.
The Second Cartridge
On August 29th, 2017, a NintnedoAge user named BIGDADDYRAMIREZ uploaded 2 minutes of footage on YouTube of the prototype on the NES. The user is the owner of a chain of stores called "Back in Time" where some of the people who worked on Johnny's Arcade. Both of the prototypes will be displayed at PREGE (Portland Retro Gaming Expo) 2017 while one of the prototypes is available to play.[1]
Availability
In October 2017, the Video Game History Foundation has claimed a copy of SimCity and has dumped it pirvately. Frank Cifaldi, the organization's founder has stated that he will make SimCity for the NES publicly available soon. In the mean time, the prototype was displayed again at MAGFest 2017. Frank even shown off two never before seen screenshots of the title.
Gallery
References
- ↑ The NintendoAge article about the NES port of SimCity. Last retrieved 29 Aug. '17