Up up and away

[K-J N.]

Apart from the early 90s Grandslam compilation Up up and away was also included on a earlier compilation called 30 games, released 1986 by Argus press software. This compilation also included Savage pond.

(BTW those two along with Quintic warrior, Orion quest, Super gridder and Schizofrenia where the only games in the compilation to get printed instructions (on the backside of the cover).)

[Frank]

Hi KJN...

Yeah, i'm wondering if to actually remove the game.... but the game qualifies for GTW, mainly because it was due for release by Starcade themselves, but they went bust. The game never had its official release

I dunno what other people think about this?

[merman]

Perhaps you could justify it by saying "limited release"?

After all, many of the 1980's compilations and budget releases did not sell in big numbers. And people perceive those titles to be "lost"...

[Frank Gasking]

That is probably a good idea Merman... it opens the possibility of Alien 3 being added soon... the TAP file is being supplied I think.

Then should Double Dragon by Ocean be added as well... what do people think?

[dumbflag]

personally, I feel if a game was released, no matter whether it only was manufactured in a run of 10 or on a compilation, its no longer unreleased and not a Game That Wasn't. for me, to be concidered a 'Games That Weren't' game, it should not have gotten a commercial release be in singularly or in a compilation.

anyhow, thats how I view releases and how things get done in my database I have. of course other may, and probably will, disagree. it depends on what you term a proper commercial release or not.

Flag

[Mayhem]

True. How do you define "commercial release"? Can't just be shops, otherwise that would exclude titles such as "Mayhem in Monsterland".

As for "Double Dragon" by Ocean, it was only available limited supply at a few computer shows during 1992. Only 2 copies have turned up since, my one and the one that recently sold on eBay for £60. Seeing as "Great Giana Sisters" is in GTW and that definitely came out in the UK and is owned by people (including myself), I can't see why this version of DD shouldn't be in there either.

[merman]

I agree with Mayhem here, I own a copy of Giana Sisters on tape, but I consider it a "lost" game. The same with Katakis, even though that was released with major changes.

I understand what you are saying Dumbflag, that games which were released don't count as lost.

But take another example - Nobby the Aardvark. Although this was reviewed and advertised, very few people will have seen it on the shelves in their local computer game shop. I ordered my copy direct from Thalamus, and it was heavily delayed. So is this game "lost"?

[dumbflag]

well, now theres a difference between lost and 'Games That Weren't'. while I do see both your points to this one, both games in question were available and technically don't count as a game that wasn't.

if, for example, you count Great Giana Sisters as a lost game even though it was readily available when it came out, theres a lot more games to come under the hard to find banner. you could add just about every Aardvark Software game as well as games that are very hard to find as opposed to not released.

in the case of the Ocean Double Dragon, you can swing either way on that one, but to me that still classifies as a very rare but still released title as it was available for sale albeit at one place and for a very limited amount of time.

of course, its Frank's site, and so it depends on what he feels is a released or unreleased game. perhaps there should be a section of the site just for the 'rare but released' games such as Mayhem In Monsterland, Double Dragon and Katakis.

Flag

[Frank Gasking]

I'm gonna try and suggest that Katakis and Giana are suitable... mainly because they were actually banned here in the UK from release (Or at least taken from the shelves)... so although limited, they were lost from the commercial eye because of Nintendo and Activision... would this sound more reasonable?

Chiller v1 is another candidate.... This was pulled from the shelves because of the music... Even though the game was properly released, the version 1 was very limited in numbers, and mainly gets into GTW because it was pulled off the shelves.

Nobby was maybe limited in sales, but kept on release as long as possible and wasn't pulled off for any illegal reason, so it wouldn't really qualify.

As for Mayhem... even though not commercially sold on the shelves, this was sold and properly released.. but just mail order... which makes it a fairly non-rarity... There are about 6000 originals out there, which I think is how many Apex sold in total.

Double Dragon never seems to have had an official proper release, and its release at the computer show could have just been Ocean selling off some prototypes or something... this is why possibly its a consideration.. I mean, Gauntlet 3 is rumoured to have had a prototype release at a computer club, but still technically was never released.

Similiar fate happened to Who Dares Wins... game was canned, but prototype copies sneaked out at a fair...

There are also other games which were mean't for release to a certain company in the UK, like Radax... Even though it was released under a different name overseas, the game was infact mean't for Firebird software.

Another one.... CJ's 4th..... This was mean't for Codemasters ... but was finished off and changed to "Jumbo" and released through a German disk magazine if I remember rightly? (more on this game soon.. thanks to a guy behind it..)

Some games are actually being taken out of GTW though.. .Enforcer seems to be one, as it cannot be confirmed that this was due for UK release anywhere... only for Germany... so this was officially released at somepoint.

Alien 3.... I just don't know how much was released.... Mayhem is the only person with a original.... And what a shock it was to know that it even existed. So maybe some shops did sell the title briefly. I don't think TMR's old work place sold it... whom sold C64 stuff late into its life.

I think maybe the problem i've caused sadly is the "Lost Games" tag... What I will do, once this topic has gone the full way... I will have to modify the About pages to explain more about what can qualify... but for now, keep up and views you have....

[quapil]

Damn, didn't know Double Dragon was that rare, otherwise I would've bid higher

[Mayhem]

Oh aye, up till that point the only copy known about was the one in my possession. Which I bought at the Commodore show in London back in 1992. The guy who sold the one on eBay also bought his from a show, but in a different part of the country. So my theory about it being at just ONE place was thrown out the window. Seems it was sold at a variety of places, but NEVER in the shops.

Frankly I was expecting it to go for more than what it did considering its rarity, but maybe the summer and holidays and lack of money accounted for this...

I know a couple of other people with Alien 3 originals, but it seems it was only released on tape. All disc cracks are taken from the tape source.

[quapil]

Well, you should've told me that earlier

[Mayhem]

I do recall putting a post in the Lemon64 board about it appearing and how rare it was, and telling people to go get it cos you never know when the next one would appear

[quapil]

hmm, i guess i missed that.
I'm checking lemon constantly for a week now or so, ma fault then.

Well, I'm sure there will be a third one sometime

[Frank Gasking]

Right... . if Double Dragon has been sold at more than one venue, i'll put that one on hold... i'll add it to the Unknowns list to see if anyone can confirm it being sold officially in the shops.