Retro Studios once canned a Portal-esque game because Nintendo didn't get it
eurogamer.netRetro Studios was once working on a Portal-esque first-person puzzle game called Adept for the GameCube.
The studio began work on the game after Metroid Prime 3 and had a working prototype built in that game's engine, but Nintendo said no.
Until now, footage of the prototype hadn't been made public, but a new video from YouTube channel DidYouKnowGaming has revealed Adept — as well as fresh details on other cancelled games by Retro Studios.
Adept was a first-person puzzle game similar to Valve's Portal, except the player could utilise cylinders rather than portals. These cylinders had varying properties, like teleportation, force push, or different elements. Rather than just two portals, players could fire as many cylinders as they liked, which would add to the game's combat as well as puzzle solving.
The prototype was made single handedly by Metroid Prime 2 and 3 programmer Paul Tozour. However, when footage was shown to Kensuke Tanabe, Metroid Prime series producer at Nintendo, he wasn't keen, which Tozour put down to unfamiliarity with Portal.
«Nintendo Japan is very insular, and there is very much a 'not invented here' syndrome,» said Tozour. He even offered Tanabe a copy of Portal for research purposes in preparation for his pitch, but was told it was company policy to not accept gifts.
Tozour was told he could continue with development if he switched to the Nintendo DS handheld, but he felt the game wouldn't work on that system.
Elsewhere in the DidYouKnowGamingVideo, more cancelled games are detailed. One of those is action adventure game Raven Blade — I remember watching a trailer for this on repeat ahead of the GameCube's launch.
Raven Blade was eagerly anticipated, but according to this video its
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