History Main / ChristmasRushed

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'' on the Platform/GameBoyAdvance. Released in November 2005 -- but the all new soundtrack was unfinished (the final boss used the standard boss theme; the secret area used the main map theme; unlike on the SNES, the various Kong and Bear buildings shared one theme instead of having one each, etc.) and the character roll call was removed from the ending.

* When ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' gained a lot of buzz through (bootleg) fansubs, U.S. licensee [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Bandai]] made the controversial decision to push out a sub-only DVD release as a stopgap rather than wait for an English dub to be complete and lose business to piracy. They did eventually release a version with a (very well-regarded) English dub sometime later.

** CompilationRerelease ''Sonic Origins'' was rushed to come out in time for the series' 30th anniversary in 2022. This is notable because while most compilations of this nature wouldn't require much development time at all, all four games included in ''Origins'' were recoded from the ground up on Headcannon Games' Retro Engine (used for the previous [=iOS=] releases of ''Sonic 1'', ''2'', and ''CD''), and the remake of ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' was commissioned specifically for it. The final product is very playable but suffers from a few notable physics bugs and other oversights and is viewed as quite lacking compared to previous ''Sonic'' collections.

* The ''Manga/WarriorCats'' OEL manga ''Graystripe's Adventure'' -- the first of the manga spin-offs of the series -- was originally meant to be a single volume manga called ''The Lost Warrior''. Then somebody at [=HarperCollins=] had the idea to release it on the same day as ''The Sight'', the first book in the upcoming new arc. The artist was only a third of the way done, so since he was unable to finish it in that amount of time, it ended up being split into three shorter volumes with the first one being released on that day. Later manga in the series followed suit by splitting the story into three parts as well.

* The original Platform/{{Amiga}} version of ''VideoGame/PinballFantasies'' was rushed to avoid missing the Christmas 1992 shopping season, and ended up with numerous bugs as a result.

[[folder:Pinball]]
* The original UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} version of ''VideoGame/PinballFantasies'' was rushed to avoid missing the Christmas 1992 shopping season, and ended up with numerous bugs as a result.
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* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'' on the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance. Released in November 2005 -- but the all new soundtrack was unfinished (the final boss used the standard boss theme; the secret area used the main map theme; unlike on the SNES, the various Kong and Bear buildings shared one theme instead of having one each, etc.) and the character roll call was removed from the ending.
* The infamous and self-admitted [[UsefulNotes/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer 3DO]] PortingDisaster of the original ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'', released in December 1995, was written from the ground up ''in ten weeks by one person'', [[TroubledProduction who had to live in her office to get it done in time for mastering]], as a result of her [[https://github.com/Olde-Skuul/doom3do being lied to about the state of its development when she took the job.]] It was so rushed that she had no time to properly port the music, and instead had the development company's CEO record covers with his garage band so she could just call audio streams to play them, resulting in the port's only acclaimed feature.

* ''VideoGame/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'' for the UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} is an infamous example; the game was made in only six weeks so it could be released on time for the holidays and tie in with the then-popular movie. The result was a game so bad it is often cited as the worst to ever be released, and it became one factor behind UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983.

* The infamous UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis platformer based on ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'' was rushed for a Christmas 1991 release, [[https://www.sega-16.com/2006/11/interview-ken-balthaser/ and Sega's head of product development at the time]] [[CreatorBacklash regrets the decision]], admitting the result was unfinished bordering on unplayable.

* The UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem version of ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' came out in Japan exactly one month after the console's 1990 launch and just four days before Christmas. The CoOpMultiplayer mode, one of the stages and one of the three playable characters were lamentably removed, but such compromises probably helped Creator/{{Capcom}} achieve their release date.
* Two FPS sequels released in November 2004, ''VideoGame/Halo2'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes''. The former even had the added bonus that Microsoft knew it would be the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}'s last blockbuster given the 360 was coming the following year. Both had the developer getting ambitious (Creator/RetroStudios refused to just recycle the features from ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', and Creator/{{Bungie}} had to discard the engine used for a ''Halo'' trailer because they discovered the Xbox couldn't handle it!) and choking on time constraints (Retro had only 30% of the game ready by June, Bungie cut so many features the DummiedOut list on a whiteboard ''ran out of space'' and the single player campaign [[NoEnding ends in an abrupt]] CliffHanger).

* The [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] port of ''VideoGame/MetalGear1'' was released in time for Christmas 1987 in Japan. It had some noticeable bugs due to them rushing to get it done before the holiday season. It's no surprise this port is commonly called a PortingDisaster in hindsight compared to the [=MSX2=] original.
* The UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} version of ''VideoGame/PacMan'', like the aforementioned ''E.T.'', had the programmer being only given ''six weeks'' to write the game. At the end of those six weeks, all he had to offer was [[ObviousBeta an unfinished alpha — and they released it as it was]]. And like ''E.T.'', the [[PortingDisaster shoddy result]] eroded Atari's reputation and helped bring down the whole industry with it.

* The UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn's North American release was pushed forward in an attempt to get a lead on Sony's then-new console; the Platform/PlayStation. This however backfired as most developers weren't told, leaving little that wasn't also rushed to actually play on it until four months later, when it was ''supposed'' to launch. In addition, the early launch was limited to select retailers, which led the ones who weren't included refusing to carry any Creator/{{Sega}} products for the next few years.

** Originally, ''VideoGame/Sonic3DFlickiesIsland'' was going to be a title exclusive to the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, but due in part to the delay and eventual cancellation of ''VideoGame/SonicXtreme'' (which was meant to be Sonic's mainstream game on the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn), Creator/{{Sega}} and Traveller's Tales slapped together an enhanced port of ''3D'' for the Saturn in four months. Although the port still shows a few signs of being rushed[[note]]such as [[LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading the long loading screens]], the lack of a save feature (in spite of the Saturn having both internal and external memories) and Invincibility using the wrong music track (the Continue screen music)[[/note]], it still ended up being a [[PolishedPort surprisingly good port]]. This also [[RemadeForTheExport gave Japanese players a chance to experience the game]], as the Mega Drive had been discontinued in the region by then.

** The UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS version of ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' was rushed out in about 6 months, compared to the home console versions which were in concept since at least 2008. While the final product certainly isn't a disaster by any stretch, it lacks content compared to the home console versions, and it's obvious that some corners were cut (including the rival races, which take place on improbable stages, and the lack of the [[UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance GBA]] stages mentioned in pre-release interviews).

** Played with for the ''VideoGame/SpyroReignitedTrilogy''. The game was originally intended to be released in September 2018 to coincide with [[MilestoneCelebration the franchise's 20th anniversary]]. However, the news that only the first game would be on the disk, with the other two games having to be downloaded from online stores made the developers convince Creator/{{Activision}} to delay the game's release to November to polish the game a bit more. To clarify, up until nearly a year after the PC and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch Switch]] release where new prints of the discs were released, ''you still required downloading two out of the three games'' on UsefulNotes/PS4 and UsefulNotes/XboxOne. Even the Switch port requires a patch to download the games's cinematics. So what was the delay in service of? Well, it was never found out, and the only port to escape this criticism was the PC port, which was digital only. Creator/SanzaruGames was eventually brought on to work on ''[[VideoGame/SpyroYearOfTheDragon Year of the Dragon]]'' while Toys for Bob worked on ''[[VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage Ripto's Rage]]'' -- and as revealed in 2020, while they were working on ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot4ItsAboutTime'' '''as well'''.

** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' suffered this fate, with a horrible ending that tied up very few loose ends capping off a game that could have been Legendary Good. Creator/LucasArts just ''needed'' it to be out by Christmas, and damn the players' satisfaction with the game. Creator/{{Obsidian|Entertainment}} has stated that they were under the impression that they were to be given more time by [=LucasArts=] but unfortunately they didn't get it in writing and still had to release the game by the end of 2004 which led to even more rushing, and even with the rush, it didn't reach Europe until February. And the worst part about this example is that [=LucasArts=] then specifically told Obsidian they couldn't restore the cut content in a patch. After years of effort in pulling the unused audio and video files and rendering their own gameplay and animation to fill in the gaps, the Restored Content GameMod was created so that a "complete" game can be played. In 2022, Aspyr Media created a UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch port incorporating the DummiedOut content... [[YankTheDogsChain only for them to cancel the DLC that would have added the cut content.]]

** ''VideoGame/MarioKart7'' [[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-11-25-nintendo-mario-kart-3ds-completed-as-act-of-emergency was released as an emergency]] to improve the catalogue of the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS for Christmas 2011. (So much that they had to request [[Creator/RetroStudios a company]] which Creator/{{Nintendo}} frequently gave tight deadlines on [[VideoGame/MetroidPrime their own games]] to complete it.) Surprisingly, [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools the game received very positive reception and only had one flagrant bug]], and five months later Nintendo introduced a new patching system for 3DS hardware just to fix it.
** ''VideoGame/MarioTennisUltraSmash'': After Nintendo delayed two of their most anticipated 2015 UsefulNotes/WiiU releases, ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' and ''VideoGame/StarFoxZero'', they were left with only a small amount of Wii U games for the holiday 2015 season (like ''VideoGame/YoshisWoollyWorld'' and ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX''). As such they pushed to get ''Ultra Smash'' out before Black Friday 2015, which resulted in a game many consider SoOkayItsAverage on the basis that, while a functional game and fun in short bursts, it is severely lacking in content (the fact the eShop download isn't even one whole gigabyte, which is smaller than a UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube game, raised some flags about this early on).

* The UsefulNotes/VirtualBoy was rushed for a few different reasons, but namely because Nintendo didn't want to waste any more resources with further development. While Creator/GunpeiYokoi had planned the system as a parting gift of sorts before he left the company, with the hopes that it would create a third pillar of hardware for Nintendo alongside home consoles and handhelds, upper management saw it more as a stop-gap until the UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo 64}} was completed by the other R&D department. As such, the Virtual Boy was released far before it was ready and quickly became the biggest hardware flop the company has ever had. Yokoi delayed his retirement so it wouldn't seem like he was leaving out of embarrassment, spending those additional months creating the Game Boy Light.

* Inverted when Creator/{{Nintendo}} delayed two major UsefulNotes/WiiU releases (''VideoGame/WiiFit U'' and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze''), originally planned for the 2013 holiday season, to instead be released in the first few months of 2014. The official reason was for the games to have more time to be polished up, but gaming journalists and commentators have speculated that it was more so they wouldn't be overshadowed by ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' and so there wouldn't be a first-half-of-the-year game drought like in 2013 that would once again kill momentum for hardware sales (indeed, sales analysts noted that February 2014 hardware sales for Wii U were significantly up over February 2014 thanks to ''Tropical Freeze''). It also helped that 2014 was coincidentially the 20th anniversary of the original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1''.

* The UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} was rushed to market to give it a year's head start on the [[Platform/PlayStation3 PS3]] and UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}. Reports are conflicting, but it seems clear that its hardware problems were known (although their full scope might not have been) and it was pushed out the door anyway on the theory that a year unopposed would balance out the cost of manufacturer-warranty repairs. There was also the issue of nVidia's contract to produce the original Xbox's graphics chip expiring, so Creator/{{Microsoft}} had to rush its next-gen console or else go an entire year without any console on the market. This backfired incredibly hard, as it cost Microsoft so much money for all the repairs and replacements and affected word of mouth so greatly that it gave the [=PS3=] a significant edge that it wouldn't have had if they simply delayed it and fought the console without the head start.
* ''VideoGame/YokaiWatchBlasters 2'': Despite scoring slightly higher than the first ''Blasters'' in ''Famitsu'' reviews, it is considered by fans as the worst in [[VideoGame/YoKaiWatch the series]] because of several glitches (there are missing dialogue and models, you can get stuck on some dungeons, or you cannot recruit some Yo-Kai due to the heart ring suddenly dissapearing). Even after several patches, some glitches weren't fixed and others were created in the process. Fans think it was rushed because it had a minor delay (one week)[[note]]It was unveiled in September 2017, shortly after the last ''Yo-Kai Watch 3'' update, and it was originally set for December 7th[[/note]]. Likely due to this and poor sales (it only made a third of what the first ''Blasters'' did in its first week, and less than most of the main games -- except the first one -- in the same time frame), it never received a third version update unlike ''VideoGame/YokaiWatch2'', ''Blasters 1'', and ''[[VideoGame/YokaiWatch3 3]]''. It also [[NoExportForYou would not be localized for Western markets]], with ''VideoGame/YokaiWatch4'' instead taking the spotlight. (Though the [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS 3DS]] basically being retired by that point -- 2019 -- was also a large factor in the decision.)

* ''Film/LeatherfaceTheTexasChainsawMassacreIII'' began production in August 1989 to make a November 3rd release date (trailers shot before the film was shipped out with that date before prints of ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet5TheDreamChild''). Despite finishing production just days before the original date, issues with the UsefulNotes/{{MPA}}A forced a delay to January 1990 and the film flopped due to said delays and the cuts to get an R rating being obvious.

* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicootTheWrathOfCortex'' was originally a project headed by Mark Cerny. After Cerny left however, Creator/{{Universal}} instead handed the game over to Creator/TravellersTales, giving them less than a year to make a Crash platformer for the Christmas 2001. This was Creator/NaughtyDog's pace for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation1 games, but the higher complexity of UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 made this unfeasable, not to mention it was Travellers Tales' first [=PS2=] game. While it's reasonably complete and playable, several extra levels and features were planned that didn't make the cut, and it is often considered to lack the polish of previous entries in the series that were on ''the previous gen console'' (exposing that just being on a next-gen system doesn't automatically make a game superior).

* The UsefulNotes/PlayStation Classic was announced in September 2018 and was pushed out in December of the same year, and was all around bombarded for its design choices that many felt could have only resulted from Sony wanting to due a quick FollowTheLeader in relation to Nintendo's NES and SNES Classics. Most notably, nine of the games in the European release solely used the 50Hz PAL versions, with no option to switch to 60Hz, and the emulator in general suffered from shaky performance for a number of titles (especially the PAL versions).

* The UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn's North American release was pushed forward in an attempt to get a lead on Sony's then-new console; the UsefulNotes/PlayStation. This however backfired as most developers weren't told, leaving little that wasn't also rushed to actually play on it until four months later, when it was ''supposed'' to launch. In addition, the early launch was limited to select retailers, which led the ones who weren't included refusing to carry any Creator/{{Sega}} products for the next few years.

* The UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} was rushed to market to give it a year's head start on the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 PS3]] and UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}. Reports are conflicting, but it seems clear that its hardware problems were known (although their full scope might not have been) and it was pushed out the door anyway on the theory that a year unopposed would balance out the cost of manufacturer-warranty repairs. There was also the issue of nVidia's contract to produce the original Xbox's graphics chip expiring, so Creator/{{Microsoft}} had to rush its next-gen console or else go an entire year without any console on the market. This backfired incredibly hard, as it cost Microsoft so much money for all the repairs and replacements and affected word of mouth so greatly that it gave the [=PS3=] a significant edge that it wouldn't have had if they simply delayed it and fought the console without the head start.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':

** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' was rushed, causing the loss of half its planned Zones (one, Genocide City, was turned into a third act for Metropolis Zone), and a time-travel feature that was implemented into ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'' instead. Despite that, it wound up at the opposite end of the spectrum and is considered one of the best ''Sonic'' games produced.