Since December 1998, Rockstar Games has been a household name in the gaming industry for at least two decades. However, did you know that at one point, the company almost ventured into uncharted territory with a game featuring everyone’s favorite pink puffball, Kirby? In celebration of Rockstar’s 25th anniversary (despite me putting this a bit late), let’s take a look back at how this canceled game led to the birth of a gaming legend, GTA.
- Rockstar Games was founded in December 1998. Previously, it was known as DMA Design.
- The company partnered with Nintendo to develop a Kid Kirby game for the Super Nintendo.
- Due to delays, the partnership with Nintendo ended which eventually led to the birth of GTA.
Rockstar & Kirby: The Unexpected Duo
Before becoming Rockstar Games, the company went by the name of DMA Design and released titles like Menace and Lemmings. The quality of these titles impressed Nintendo and it offered the company a chance to develop two games for their Super Nintendo Console. The first game was Uniracers and its gameplay focused on racing riderless unicycles on a 2D track, with a focus on performing stunts.
The second game was Kid Kirby and the gameplay would involve using the Super NES Mouse to stretch him out and launch him, like in mobile games such as Angry Birds. However, Nintendo eventually canceled the game after years of unproductive development. The poor sales of the Super NES Mouse and Nintendo’s focus on the upcoming Nintendo 64 may have contributed to its cancellation.
Despite the cancellation, DMA Design still got to develop a game for Nintendo 64 with the title being Body Harvest. The game, however, was deemed violent by Nintendo’s standards so it dropped the project leaving the company to find a new publisher. The game was eventually released in 1998 thanks to publishing by Midway Games and Gremlin Interactive.
A New Beginning & The Birth Of GTA
The team at DMA Design didn’t let their disappointment get the best of them. They took the lessons they learned from their canceled Kirby game and channeled them into something new and exciting. Their big break came with the release of Race’n’Chase, a game that would later be renamed Grand Theft Auto. While it received mixed reviews, the game was a commercial success and paved the way for future sequels.
Little did anyone know at the time, that this was the beginning of a legacy that would go on to define the gaming industry. Today, we know the company behind GTA as Rockstar Games, a name synonymous with high-quality, engaging, and often controversial games.
While it’s impossible to say what would have happened if Kid Kirby had been released, it’s clear that the cancellation of the game had a major impact on the future of Rockstar Games. The company went on to create several successful games, including GTA, which is now one of the most popular video game franchises in the world.
In a big competitive market, one can say a game cancellation is normal. Besides speculation, no one truly knows what could happen in a day, a month, or even a year. I believe that’s what makes the world of gaming so fascinating. Can you even imagine Rockstar Games making a kid-friendly game like Kid Kirby today? These days, the company has bigger fish to fry, like the highly anticipated release of GTA 6.
Was The Failed Collaboration A Missed Opportunity For Nintendo?
Given how strict Nintendo is overall regarding the tone of its titles and franchises, I believe that it wouldn’t have impacted the company in any major way because even if the partnership had been successful, there’s no way that we would’ve seen Grand Theft Auto in a Nintendo Console.
Perhaps, there could’ve been more new franchises along the way that cater to Nintendo’s rulebook. However, there’s no denying how much of an impact GTA had on the gaming industry as a whole. Thanks to this franchise, the company is now 25 years old and still going strong. In fact, I can’t wait to see how many records GTA 6 will break once it’s out. Only time will tell.
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