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In the early 1990s, there was a popular board game called Atmosfear, or in certain regions, NightMare. It was unique in the way that it required a VHS tape that would guide players while also doubling as a countdown, as one of the rules was that you had to complete the game within 60 minutes. A few years after the release of the original video board game, Beam Software, the company behind Shadowrun, Radical Rex, and multiple other Mega Drive titles, pitched an idea for a video game adaptation of Atmosfear. The concept was approved, and development began in 1993, with a handful of old gaming magazine articles announcing its existence. It never received a full release, since the game was cancelled sometime during the development cycle, and was quickly lost to time. At least, until the notable prototype collector Drx found a beta copy of Atmosfear for the Super Nintendo. Gameplay footage was shown by Drx's website, Hidden Palace, which gives us a twenty minute glimpse into a game that once could have been.

 

[titan_tim]

When I watched the video, the music instantly reminded me of Shadowrun for the SNES. Then I read the article, and saw that it was the same company. Impressive that a company can be recognized by a sound.

 

[JimmyCall]

A recent toy industry fair in Australia there was a Nightmare stand promoting the new era release of Atmosphere. The game may still be coming! MAGGOTS.

 

[Pleng]

Wasn't the boardgame based on the UK TV programme Knightmare that ran from 1987 to 2004. I know that that show had a spinoff board game that came with a video.

Nah. Atmosphere wasn't based on the Knightmare TV show. I never heard of a Knightmare board game. I'll have to look that up as it sounds interesting. I'm guessing the fact that this was called Atmosphere in some locations and Knightmare in others was due to the IP clash in countries that aired the Nightmare tv show.

I vaguely remember the adverts for this game. It had some dude that looked something like the shrivelled up hooded guy from Star Wars who mumbled and shouted various things. "ROLL THE DICE!" is the only phrase that I remember.

 

[raynor_ni]

Wasn't the boardgame based on the UK TV programme Knightmare that ran from 1987 to 2004. I know that that show had a spinoff board game that came with a video.

No but there was a game based on Knightmare for the ZX Spectrum (and probably other micros)

 

[Bladexdsl]

answer me you maggot! love this game still have the last one they made atmosfear with the dvd too in mint condition.

 

[medoli900]

I guess they made a custom OS for the Switch instead :^)

 

[PawsofHorror]

the evil talking face is hilaries rofl

 

[Taleweaver]

I've played that board game, but... I wasn't a fan. Maybe it was the Dutch translation that was meh... Maybe I just found the mechanics boring, maybe I just didn't believe the gatekeeper (this was before ringu, mind you... Whenever you had to talk to the TV, I felt like a clown).

No idea who decided to make a video game about it and even less why to make it into a platformer.

 

[notimp]

Are all Cyber Punk related content considered "Ahead of its time?"

Yes.

But Shadowrun SNES was ahead of its time, even by those standards.

I recently played through it (with the SNES classic release) and it is basically a curent gen open world RPG in 700 kB.
And I'm not even kidding. All the gameplay systems are there. The open world is there. The decision trees are there. The party system is there. The story is there - well, almost.. The ingame economy is there. Questing is there. Magic system is there. Current gen conversation system (think bioware.. ) is there.

Its really astonishing.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Yes.

But Shadowrun SNES was ahead of its time, even by those standards.

I recently played through it (with the SNES classic release) and it is basically a current gen open world RPG in 700 kB.
And I'm not even kidding. All the gameplay systems are there. The open world is there. The decision trees are there. The party system is there. The story is there - well, almost.. The ingame economy is there. Questing is there. Magic system is there. Current gen conversation system (think biowar.. ) is there.

Its really astonishing.

Fascinating, now how bout the mega drive version?

 

[notimp]

I played through that afterwards. Also good, much more intrigue in the story - much more grind heavy, has the matrix, has matrix lore. Still good, not as good though.

The astonishing thing about the SNES Shadowrun is, that it "feels" like a modern day open world RPG - like in everything thats there, from progression, to gateing, to structure, to the open world, to the party, to the dialogue system...

Like it had gotten the formula before a Baldurs Gate was even a thought in their developers minds. Like it condensed down Ultima ViI to what we now have as open world RPGs. Less than one year after.

The genesis (mega drive) version does not. But its still interesting and worth a playthrough.

Both are not as tough as it first might seem. On the genesis version, you have to grind a bit (in abandoned houses, and doing courier missions) - and matrix runs are a large part of the fun in the late game (theres even an easter egg hidden in the matrix), but the basic structure is rather baren... The Genesis version does have Harlequin though. So thats a plus.

 

[focusonme]

made a quick box art for snes mini users