Last year, GBAtemp reported on the "lost" Rayman prototype, found by Michel Ancel, the creator of the Rayman series. Though screenshots had been shown, there was no mention if the prototype would ever be released. Months later, however, video game archiver Omar Cornut has dumped the prototype Super Nintendo cart, and uploaded it to the Internet, with Ancel's blessing. The game itself, as most betas are, is quite short, but it gives a window into the early production phase of a series that would later find its grounds on the PlayStation 1 and Sega Saturn.

Cornut commented on his preservation efforts, saying the following,

Effectively I have preserved the entire Sega 8-bit library this way, and i think people understand that the intent is preservation and not malicious nor commercially harming. That prototype it is a very early build,” said Cornut. “So the stuff like two-player mode that have been shown in screenshots are not really in this build. Perhaps the ROM contains secrets in which case homebrew hackers will hopefully unearth them soon.

Source

 

[SonicfanCEMUTesting]

Oh snap, really?! Finally we can get our hands on the long-lost Rayman SNES prototype, that is not lost anymore.

 

[Deleted User]

Time to inject a ROM into my 3DS' SNES VC

 

[smileyhead]

Time to inject a ROM into my 3DS' SNES VC

I've been thinking about that too, but is it worth the trouble, really? you'll be spending more time injecting it than actually playing, and I don't think it's that interesting to even play for a second time.

 

[KevinLSX]

Finally.

 

[gamesquest1]

Very cool, glad it didn't end up in some pile of long lost betas, even though it's kinda pointless it's nice for the official Rayman origins to be seen

Glad to see this kinda of sharing being more common now days, there is no damage done to a brand by releasing a old non functional alpha, if anything it just serves as a kinda fan service for the biggest of fans of a franchise/brand, very much like the recent addition of Nintendo selling star fox 2, these actions in my eyes can only been seen as positive moves, keeping them buried serves no purpose

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

I enjoyed whichever one I had on the Gameboy Color. I still remember the low-friction stages in the region called Airy Tunes.

The music on gameboy sounds good for me. Most of the music is based on rayman 2.

 

[placebooooo]

Unlike this, Starfox 2 was a finished game.
Interesting though.

Interesting.
Why was startfox 2 never originally released then?

I don't quite understand why production of games just stops out of nowhere (Earthbound for N64, starfox 2, and megaman legends for 3ds are examples I can think of off the top of my head). Wouldn't companies lose less money if they released the final product even if it was not as good as they wanted it to be? What is the main reason behind games ceasing development or never being released after years of work?

Sorry for throwing this at you, but I'm just curious if you happen to have an answer.

 

[Saiyan Lusitano]

The first Rayman was released 8 times. Rayman 2 was released 9 times. And there is no reason to stop, as the serie is pretty great.

What I'd really looking forward to is Rayman 3 for the PS4, but no luck.

No need to stop? Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition is without a doubt getting in the way of an actual new Rayman game being developed. All those remasters/deluxe releases ultimately will take up space, time and money from a brand new game.

 

[Vipera]

This post has been removed due to the staff's corruption to money and other people.

 

[gamesquest1]

Interesting.
Why was startfox 2 never originally released then?

I don't quite understand why production of games just stops out of nowhere (Earthbound for N64, starfox 2, and megaman legends for 3ds are examples I can think of off the top of my head). Wouldn't companies lose less money if they released the final product even if it was not as good as they wanted it to be? What is the main reason behind games ceasing development or never being released after years of work?

Sorry for throwing this at you, but I'm just curious if you happen to have an answer.

Well sometimes it's down to budgets running out, companies closing down, liscences expiring before release, or studios not keeping up with demands of publishers and getting a project canned if it's taking too long, costing too much or if the publisher just decides a project isn't looking as good as they had hoped,

In regards to starfox 2 iirc Nintendo confirmed that they chose not to release starfox 2 primarily as they were just gearing up to launch the n64 and wanted all the attention on the n64 and making sure it had a strong launch, probably the same reason rayman got canned on the snes, as it was too close to the next gen release and efforts were best focused on taking advantage of next gen systems

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

I enjoyed whichever one I had on the Gameboy Color. I still remember the low-friction stages in the region called Airy Tunes.

The music on gameboy sounds good for me.

I don't quite understand why production of games just stops out of nowhere (Earthbound for N64, starfox 2, and megaman legends for 3ds are examples I can think of off the top of my head).

Mega man legends was cancelled due to low interest. Capcom made a prototype demo that required a paid version to played, people didn't purchase it and declared the low interest was the reason if i remember the story. People don't usually expect to pay for a demo or unfinished product, and no it wasn't kick starter or indigogo, it was a eshop purchase. If people wish to show support for something you buy it. Though this was a very uncommon thing to purchase a demo of a game even if it was like less than $3, the money could have went to support full game if they did make it. There is people who wanted it but it wasn't enough for the people who didn't buy it.

Earthbound was supposed to be N64DD game but the system ultimately failed and was cancelled, Starfox 2 was made in co-operation with the Argonaught games people (designer of the Super fx chip) and after partnership was done, they deemed it inappropriate to release. There is some sketchy stories behind the reason for non release games, ranging from believable to asinine. Starfox 2 will be on SNES classic as a bonus unlockable game after playing the first stage of starfox 1, personally I find it hard to top star fox 64. Super fx games on snes was impressive but that is all, impressive, Yoshi's island wasn't the game that was whole based on the Super FX chip so it wasn't as bad, like Doom, and Super fx racer and other such games.

 

[YuseiFD]

Whoa, it'd be awesome if Ubisoft released this on Nintendo's eShop or a physical SNES cartridge of the game.

Two new SNES games this year.

Think of all the DLCs to complete this demo !

 

[Deleted User]

Capcom made a prototype demo that required a paid version to played

Has anyone dumped this? I remember when it came out but I can't find it anywhere

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Has anyone dumped this? I remember when it came out but I can't find it anywhere

Dunno, it was eshop exclusive back in early 2012, at the time, mods or exploits wasn't a thing like it is now. Probably somewhere in capcom HQ.

 

[grossaffe]

Interesting.
Why was startfox 2 never originally released then?

I don't quite understand why production of games just stops out of nowhere (Earthbound for N64, starfox 2, and megaman legends for 3ds are examples I can think of off the top of my head). Wouldn't companies lose less money if they released the final product even if it was not as good as they wanted it to be? What is the main reason behind games ceasing development or never being released after years of work?

Sorry for throwing this at you, but I'm just curious if you happen to have an answer.

Starfox 2 was set to release not too long before the N64, and with it, Starfox 64. Nintendo didn't want Starfox 2 to eat into Starfox 64's momentum, so they shelved it. Starfox 64 wound up getting delayed to the point that I think they regretted their decision. In the end, though, they took many of its concepts and recycled them in other Starfox games, so the development was not wasted. Off the top of my, head the charge-up homing attack, Star Wolf team and, "All Range Mode" were pulled into Starfox 64. The strategic elements were pulled into Star Fox Command. The walker-transformation was pulled into Starfox Zero.

 

[homefryguy]

that's "zsnes". If you're gonna go all master-race, at least spell it right! Also if any snes emulator wins master-race awards, it would be higan.

It was a joke. Nobody is proud of using zsnes.

 

[luk_pop]

Prototype).sfc
Name: b__i_lx"___m_____ __4
Speed: 00/SlowROM
ROM Map: LoROM
Type: a8
Kart contents: ROM+RAM+BAT
Header ROM Size: Corrupt
Calculated ROM Size: 8 Mbits
SRAM size: 512Kbits (512Kbit)
Actual Checksum: 82C8
Header Checksum: 82C8
Header Checksum Compliment: 7D37
Output: NTSC 60Hz
CRC32: 366D9177
Licensee: Unknown Company
ROM Version: 1.0
Region: Unknown region 15

I'll try this at home on real hardware

 

[Margo]

Really love Raymen games, if they released this somewhere it's will be nice!!!!

 

[smileyhead]

Really love Raymen games, if they released this somewhere it's will be nice!!!!

they just did. this primitive prototype as is will never make it into an official Rayman game, so this is all you'll play of it.

 

[ninjafrog658]

ewww snes9x peasant
znes master race xd

Ew
BSNES is better