Varuna's Forces

Last updated

Varuna's Forces
Varuna's Forces splash screen.png
Splash screen from the unreleased 3DO version
Developer(s) Accent Media Productions
Publisher(s) Atari Corporation (Jaguar CD)
JVC
(3DO, Dreamcast, PC, Saturn)
Producer(s) Paul Fullwood
Designer(s) Mike Montague
Programmer(s) Eric Adem
Platform(s) 3DO, Atari Jaguar CD, Dreamcast, PC, PlayStation, Sega Saturn
ReleaseUnreleased
Genre(s) First-person shooter, rail shooter, real-time strategy
Mode(s) Single-player

Varuna's Forces is an unreleased sci-fi video game that was in development by Accent Media Productions and planned to be published by Atari Corporation for the Atari Jaguar CD and JVC for 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, Dreamcast, PC, PlayStation and Sega Saturn. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Assuming command of four soldiers from the eight-man Marine Attack Division team of the United Coalition of Planets, the player would have the choice of selecting a number of scenarios, each one featuring a different set of objectives to successfully complete by taking advantage of the unique attributes that each member of the team has to do so. [4] Varuna's Forces was being created by the same company who previously developed titles for the Philips CD-i based on both The Joker's Wild and Jeopardy! TV game shows. [5] It also stars Michael Clarke Duncan in one of his first video game roles along with Panic in the Park , among other actors that were involved in the production of the project prior to its cancellation. [2]

Though the Jaguar CD version was slated to be published in late 1995, it was never released along with the 3DO version due to discontinuation of both platforms. [2] The Saturn version was slated to be released around summer 1996, [6] but this version was later discontinued and development was transferred to the Dreamcast instead, although this version would later be cancelled due to the system being discontinued as well. [3] The PC version remained into development until JVC ran into financial difficulties that left AMP without funds to continue with the project, ultimately ceasing development of Varuna's Forces and leaving it unfinished as a result. [2] [3]

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot from the beta build of the 3DO version. 3DOIM Varuna's Forces.png
Gameplay screenshot from the beta build of the 3DO version.

Varuna's Forces is a hybrid rail shooter/third-person shooter game with strategy elements, where the player assume role of a Maverick Assault commander, taking control of either one or four soldiers from the eight-man Marine Attack Division team of the United Coalition of Planets, which are nicknamed as with the game's main title. [1] [6] Before starting, a mission briefing cutscene is played and showcases the location where the mission takes place, the main objectives to complete and enemies to eradicate, among other elements. [7] The game's missions would have varied from hostage rescue, to reconnaissance and capturing the enemy base, etc. [7] [8] Once the player is ready to begin, they are launched into the planet where the mission takes place on the Maverick craft, starting the rail shooter segment, which are pre-rendered fractal terrains and the player must shoot upcoming enemies before landing on a set location of the planet, [7] [9] similar to Psygnosis' 1994 Novastorm . [10] After the rail shooter section is over, the first-person shooter section starts, and the player must manage the team and plan their movements in order to successfully complete the objective within the set time limit, [6] [7] [8] which are reminiscent of Electronic Arts' 1993 real-time tactical game Space Hulk .

Soldiers

Each member of the team has their own set of skills and attributes that can be taken advantage of to complete the missions, however, the soldiers also have their own quirks that the player must be aware during the mission such as a sudden change in behavior: [7] [8] [11]

History

Atari-Jaguar-CD-wPro-Controller.jpg
3DO-FZ1-Console-Set.jpg
Sega-Saturn-Console-Set-Mk1.jpg
Initially announced for the Atari Jaguar CD, development of Varuna's Forces was later spawned across multiple systems such as the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and Sega Saturn, with neither platform receiving the title.

Varuna's Forces was first announced for the Jaguar CD and displayed to the public at Atari Corporation's booth during the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in 1995 along with other titles in development for the add-on such as Battlemorph and Blue Lightning , with reports stating that around 30 actors from Hollywood were cast for the game and among them was Michael Clarke Duncan, who was then a relatively unknown actor at the time of the game's production. [1] [2] [12] [13] [14] [15] The developer of the project, Accent Media Productions, previously worked on video game adaptations of The Joker's Wild and Jeopardy! television game shows for the CD-i. [5] Mike Montague, one of the original developers, was hired by AMP during the same year the game was showcased on WCES 1995 and he worked on various aspects of the project such as creating environments, texture mapping and special effects by using Autodesk 3D Studio on MS-DOS, with his previous role being working on the unreleased CD-i version of Interplay Entertainment's 1988 Battle Chess . [2] Mike stated that the actors were shot in front of a green screen, with the videos being originally filmed on analog and later being transferred to digital using Macintosh computers. [2] Eric Adem, one of the programmers for the project joined AMP after working on Viridis Corporation's 1995 management simulation game Eco: East Africa for Windows, which was published by IVI Publishing. [2]

Varuna's Forces was later showcased during the first Electronic Entertainment Expo in 1995, where it was announced that the game would also come to the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and Sega Saturn as well besides the Jaguar CD, with previews showing a non-playable version of the rail shooter sections, small portions of the first-person shooter sequences and other differences compared to its earlier counterpart. [9] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] It was also showcased during the Fun 'n' Games Day event hosted by Atari Corp. on June 20, 1995. [23] The Jaguar CD version was going to be published by Atari and was slated for a November/Q4 1995 release, [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] while both the 3DO and Saturn versions were going to be published by JVC instead, [20] [22] [29] with the latter being originally slated for an October/November 1995 release. [30] [31] In their September 1995 issue, Computer and Video Games assessed that the Jaguar CD version was comparable to the PC version, which was also going to be published by JVC. [3] [32] An internal document from Atari showed that the Jaguar CD version was still listed under development as of December 1995. [33]

Despite Varuna's Forces kept being advertised in magazines and catalogs, [8] [34] [35] both the 3DO and Jaguar CD versions would be cancelled in 1996 due to the two systems being discontinued for poor commercial performance. [3] [36] [37] [38] [39] The Saturn version was later slated for a Summer 1996 release, [6] but according to AMP founder Paul Fullwood, [40] development on this version was stopped after they were informed by Sega about the then-upcoming Dreamcast, transferring their work to the new system instead. [3] However, Peter also stated that the Dreamcast version was cancelled as well, after the development team were informed by then-Sega of America president and COO Bernie Stolar that the system would be discontinued. [3] Production of the PC version continued until JVC came across with financial difficulties that left AMP without financial support to keep developing the game, resulting into the complete cancellation of the project and leaving it unfinished as a result. [2] [3] Prior to its eventual discontinuation, Eric stated that each platform the game was being worked on had its own sub-team dedicated to work within the system's technical specifications. [2] In the same year after it was cancelled for both the 3DO and Jaguar CD, its trademark was abandoned. [41]

When Hasbro Interactive released the patents and rights to the Jaguar into public domain in 1999 by declaring it as an open platform and opening the doors for homebrew development, it permitted independent publisher and developers to release unfinished titles from the system's past life cycle as a result. [42] Two non-playable builds of the Jaguar CD version were sold and published by B&C Computervisions in 2009. [43] On February 15, 2009, 3DO community member bitrate uploaded footage of an early playable build from the 3DO version of Varuna's Forces to YouTube. [7] In more recent years, footage from a playable build of the Jaguar CD version has also been uploaded online, showing several differences between it and the 3DO version.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atari Jaguar</span> Home video game console

The Atari Jaguar is a home video game console developed by Atari Corporation and released in North America in November 1993. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it competed with the 16-bit Sega Genesis, the Super NES and the 32-bit 3DO Interactive Multiplayer that launched the same year. Powered by two custom 32-bit processors – Tom and Jerry – in addition to a Motorola 68000, Atari marketed it as the world's first 64-bit game system, emphasizing its 64-bit bus used by the blitter, however, none of its three CPUs had a 64-bit instruction set in the same way as later 64-bit consoles such as the PlayStation 2 or Nintendo 64. The Jaguar launched with Cybermorph as the pack-in game, which received divisive reviews. The system's library ultimately comprised only 50 licensed games.

<i>Zoop</i> 1995 video game

Zoop is a puzzle video game originally developed by Hookstone and published by Viacom New Media in 1995 for the Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, MS-DOS, Macintosh, PlayStation, Game Gear, and Game Boy, then in 1996 for the Saturn and Jaguar. Zoop has similarities to Taito's 1989 arcade video game Plotting, but Zoop runs in real-time instead. Players are tasked with eliminating pieces that spawn from one of the sides of the screen before they reach the center of the playfield. By pointing at a piece and shooting it, the player can either swap it with the current player color and thus arrange the same color pieces in a row or column, or match the color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3DO</span> Video gaming format

3DO is a video gaming hardware format developed by The 3DO Company and conceived by entrepreneur and Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins. The specifications were originally designed by Dave Needle and RJ Mical of New Technology Group, and were licensed by third parties; most hardware were packaged as home video game consoles under the name Interactive Multiplayer, and Panasonic produced the first models in 1993 with further renditions released afterwards by manufacturers GoldStar, Sanyo, Creative Labs, and Samsung Electronics.

The fifth generation era refers to computer and video games, video game consoles, and handheld gaming consoles dating from approximately October 4, 1993, to March 23, 2006. The best-selling home console was the Sony PlayStation, followed by the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn. The PlayStation also had a redesigned version, the PSone, which was launched on July 7, 2000.

<i>Primal Rage</i> 1994 arcade video game

Primal Rage is a fighting game developed and released by Atari Games for arcades in 1994. The game takes place on a post-apocalyptic version of Earth called "Urth". Players control one of seven prehistoric beasts, that battle each other to determine the planet's fate. Matches feature many of the conventions of fighting games from the era, including special moves and gory finishing maneuvers. Ports were released for home video game consoles and personal computers. Efforts to perfectly emulate the arcade original have been unsuccessful due to the use of an unusual copy protection method. Toys, comics, a novel and other merchandise tie-ins were produced. More than 1.5 million copies of the game were sold.

<i>Brain Dead 13</i> 1995 video game

Brain Dead 13 is an interactive movie video game developed and originally published in North America by ReadySoft on 15 December 1995 and in Europe by Empire Interactive on the same year for MS-DOS. Unlike Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, which began as laserdisc arcade games, it was only released for personal computers and video game consoles. In the game, players assume the role of young computer expert Lance Galahad to defeat Dr. Nero Neurosis at his castle and its residents. Its gameplay is primarily presented through the use of full-motion video (FMV).

<i>Magic Carpet</i> (video game) 1994 video game

Magic Carpet is a 3D flying video game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1994 for MS-DOS, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn platforms. Its graphics and gameplay were considered innovative and technically impressive at the time of its release.

<i>Striker</i> (video game) 1992 video game

Striker is a soccer video game series first released by Rage Software in 1992.

<i>Batman Forever: The Arcade Game</i> 1996 video game

Batman Forever: The Arcade Game is a beat 'em up video game based on the movie Batman Forever. The subtitle is used to differentiate it from Batman Forever, another beat 'em up published by Acclaim at around the same time. One or two players, playing as Batman and Robin, fight Two-Face, the Riddler, and numerous henchmen.

<i>Return Fire</i> 1995 video game

Return Fire is a 1995 video game developed by Silent Software, Inc. for 3DO and ported to the Microsoft Windows and PlayStation in 1996. It is a sequel to Fire Power (1987) and was followed by Return Fire 2 (1998). An expansion pack, Return Fire: Maps O' Death, was released for the 3DO in 1995. Return Fire is a vehicular shooter from a 3D bird's eye view, in which the player's goal is to capture the enemy flag and return with it to their base. It was met with critical acclaim for its unusual gameplay concept, enjoyable multiplayer mode, and classical soundtrack, and is remembered as one of the 3DO's "best games" in its Home of the Underdogs entry.

<i>Crime Patrol</i> (video game) 1993 live-action video game

Crime Patrol is a live-action LaserDisc video game released by American Laser Games in 1993. American Laser Games released a sequel, Crime Patrol 2: Drug Wars later that year.

<i>Iron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal</i> 1996 video game

Iron Man / X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal is a video game published by Acclaim Entertainment and developed by Realtime Associates for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Game Boy, Game Gear, and MS-DOS in 1996. It is a one or two-player side-scrolling action game in which the player battles villains from Marvel Comics' Iron Man and Valiant Comics' X-O Manowar comic book series. It was met with negative reviews which criticized it for dull gameplay and outdated graphics.

<i>Soulstar</i> 1994 video game

Soulstar is a hybrid rail shooter/third-person shooter video game developed and published by Core Design for the Sega CD in North America in September 1994, Europe in October by Core Design, and in Japan by Victor Entertainment on December 22.

<i>The Need for Speed</i> 1994 video game

The Need for Speed is a 1994 racing game developed by EA Canada, originally known as Pioneer Productions, and published by Electronic Arts for 3DO. It was later ported to other platforms with additional tracks and cars, including to MS-DOS, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Microsoft Windows in 1996, on which it was subtitled SE.

<i>Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball</i> 1995 baseball video game

Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball is a multiplatform baseball simulation game that was licensed by the Major League Baseball Players Association, featuring the likeness, motion captured movements, and "Big Hurt" branding of player Frank Thomas.

<i>Creature Shock</i> 1994 video game

Creature Shock is a 1994 sci-fi game released for MS-DOS and 3DO. It was developed by Argonaut Software and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment. The game was later ported to the CD-i, Sega Saturn and PlayStation video game systems.

<i>Baldies</i> 1995 video game

Baldies is a 1995 real-time strategy video game developed by Creative Edge Software and originally published by Atari Corporation for the Atari Jaguar CD. It was later ported to the PC, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Macintosh. In the game, the player manages a community of Baldies in order to build structures, increase their population, and create weapons to fight against enemies known as Hairies. There are four classes of Baldies and each structure has specific properties to assist the player. Its gameplay combines strategy with simulation and god game elements. Up to four players can participate in a multiplayer mode via local area network (LAN) on PC.

<i>Shockwave Assault</i> 1994 video game

Shockwave Assault is a science fiction combat flight simulation video game developed by Advanced Technology Group and published by Electronic Arts for various home video game consoles and PCs. The player takes control of a futuristic fighter plane to defeat extraterrestrial ships and tripods.

<i>Road Rash</i> (1994 video game) 1994 racing video game

Road Rash is a 1994 racing and vehicular combat video game originally published by Electronic Arts (EA) for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. A version for the Sega CD was developed simultaneously and released in 1995 to act as a "bridge" between the 3DO version and the Sega Genesis title Road Rash 3, and the game was subsequently ported to the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Microsoft Windows in 1996. The game is the third installment in the Road Rash series, and is centered around a series of motorcycle races throughout California that the player must win to advance to higher-difficulty races, while engaging in unarmed and armed combat to hinder the other racers.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Reutter, Hans. "Unreleased Or Unfinished Jaguar Games – Varuna's Forces CD". cyberroach.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Varuna's Forces". fmvstory.com. June 17, 2016. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Unreleased Saturn Games – Varuna´s Forces". sega-saturn.net. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Atari Explorer Online – Volume 4, Issue 5". atarihq.com. July 20, 1995. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  5. 1 2 "3DO Brasil: Jogos Cancelados – Varuna's Forces". 3dobrasil.com (in Portuguese). April 2015. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Varuna's Force". Saturn+. Paragon Publishing. 1996. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 bitrate54 (February 15, 2009). 3DO Varuna's Forces UNRELEASED. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2018– via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. 1 2 3 4 "The Jaguar: A Hungry Cat Looking for Food – Varuna's Forces". GamePro . No. Premiere Supplement. IDG. Spring 1996. pp. 116–124. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Atari Explorer Online – Jaguar Edition #3". atarihq.com. May 20, 1995. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Atari Explorer Online – Volume 4, Issue 1". atarihq.com. January 16, 1995. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  11. ↑ Roberts, Nick (January 1995). "Games Watch: Varuna's Forces". Games World . No. 13. Paragon Publishing. pp. 80–81.
  12. ↑ "64 Bits – Une Sentation Nouvelle – Ils Arrivent Sur 64 Bits – Varuna's Forces / CD Jaguar". CD Consoles (in French). No. 4. Pressimage. February 1995. p. 98. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Dossier – Ils Arrivent Sur Jaguar – Varuna's Forces / Jaguar CD". CD Consoles (in French). No. 5. Pressimage. March 1995. p. 72. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  14. ↑ "WCES Special – Winter CES '95 – Atari". GameFan . Vol. 3, no. 3. DieHard Gamers Club. March 1995. p. 109. Archived from the original on January 13, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  15. ↑ "News – Jaguar Plugs into the CD revolution – Jaguar CD games in development". Edge . No. 20. May 1995. pp. 14–15. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  16. ↑ Hans Reutter (July 11, 2020). Atari Jaguar @ E3 1995 - Atari Explorer Online (42min 50sec). YouTube . Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  17. ↑ "CVG News – Atari's Cat Gets The CD Cream". Computer and Video Games . No. 163. June 1995. p. 13. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Breaking – Jaguar Plugs into the CD revolution – Jaguar CD games in development". Next Generation . No. 6. June 1995. pp. 18–19. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Atari CD-Rom – Multimedia games system". Edge (supplement). No. 22. July 1995. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  20. 1 2 "E-3 The Biggest And Best Electronic Entertainment Show Ever! – '95 Next Generation Software Listing". GameFan . Vol. 3, no. 7. July 1995. p. 41. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  21. ↑ Nepožitek, Marek (July 1995). "Konzole – Jaguar+CD – CD a virtuální realita již tento rok?". LeveL (in Czech). No. 6. Naked Dog, s.r.o. p. 44. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  22. 1 2 "News – E3: The Future Is Here! – JVC: Varuna´s Forces". Mean Machines Sega . No. 34. EMAP. August 1995. p. 14. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Atari Explodes With Fun N' Games". VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine . No. 80. L.F.P., Inc. September 1995. pp. 56–57. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Feature – XT Generation Report – Atari Jaguar". MAN!AC (in German). No. 20. Cybermedia. June 1995. p. 40. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  25. ↑ Vendel, Curt (August 26, 1995). "Payment Schedule for Jaguar games to Developers" (PDF). atarimuseum.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 11, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Release Liste". Video Games (in German). No. 46. Future-Verlag. August 1995. p. 43. Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  27. ↑ Gore, Chris (August 1995). "The Gorescore – Industry News You Can - Upcoming Jaguar Software Titles". VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine . No. 79. L.F.P., Inc. p. 14. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  28. ↑ "Feature – Next Generation Report – Atari Jaguar Das Offizielle Software-Ancebot´95". MAN!AC (in German). No. 23. Cybermedia. September 1995. p. 36. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  29. ↑ "CVG News – JVC In 'Loads of Games' Shocker". Computer and Video Games . No. 165. August 1995. p. 12. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  30. ↑ "Incoming". Sega Visions . No. 25. Infotainment World. September 1995. p. 96. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  31. ↑ "NG Special – Sega Saturn Official US Release Schedule". Next Generation . No. 8. August 1995. p. 31. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  32. ↑ "CVG Previews – One Groovy Cat – Varuna's Forces". Computer and Video Games . No. 166. September 1995. p. 33. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  33. ↑ Dragon, Lost (July 5, 2017). "The Ultimate Jaguar Unreleased/Beta/Source/Dev Master List! – Page 5". atari.io. Archived from the original on November 4, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  34. ↑ "3rd Party Time! – CD Rom – Varuna's Forces". Ultimate Future Games . No. 11 Supplement. October 1995. p. 12.
  35. ↑ Charnock, Tom (March 2016). "Atari Jaguar UK Preview Booklet". atarijaguar.co.uk. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Atari and JT Storage Reorganisation Plan". onecle.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2006. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  37. ↑ "ATARI CORP Annual Report (Regulation S-K, item 405) (10-K405) ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS". Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  38. ↑ "3DO – 1993–96 – Classic Gaming". Classicgaming.gamespy.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  39. ↑ "Tidbits". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 88. Ziff Davis. November 1996. p. 21. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Paul Fullwood". LinkedIn. Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  41. ↑ "VARUNA'S FORCES – Trademark Details". justia.com. April 18, 1996. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  42. ↑ Henry, Dana (May 14, 1999). "Hasbro Interactive Releases Rights to the Atari Jaguar Hardware Platform". Atari Explorer. Archived from the original on August 18, 2004. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  43. ↑ Smith, Jason. "Jaguar Sector II Atari Jaguar Software Price and Rarity Guide". jaysmith2000.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.