History WhatCouldHaveBeen / VideoGamesNToS

* ''Propeller Arena: Aviation Battle Championship''/''Propeller Head Online'' by [=Sega AM2=], for the [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]]. It was a World War II airplane combat game with multiplayer deathmatch, and a SpiritualSuccessor to Wing Arms.

* Back in 2004, there was supposed to be a sequel to the popular PC game ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxHitTheRoad'', titled simply ''Sam & Max: Freelance Police!!''. However, LucasArts cancelled the game, stating that there wasn't a market for its kind of game. This would lead to the creation of Creator/TelltaleGames, who made the episodic ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'' games, and the would-be game would be referenced as probably one of the ultimate {{Noodle Incident}}s.

** The game was originally going to be called "Stonecold". The name changed due to not fitting with the theme of the game plus possible lawsuits for being too similar to the wrestler Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin. The developers also came up with "Crime Wave" as the game's title before scrapping it and then using it as the music's title for the Slaughterhouse heist.

** The Infamy system started out as a parallel meta-skill tree to the basic one and could grant various bonuses to reduce the cost of climbing a skill tree, which gave players a lot more customization as they can now afford much more high-end skills than before. It also originally had a playing cards theme with 14 levels. Originally only 5 levels were released, with the remaining 9 intended to have other bonuses as the developers got to them, with each tier of 4 levels having different effects. The Infamy 2.0 update changed all of this, doing away with a semi-linear progression in favour of a circuit board-type chart and, aside from the original 5 released, granting only exp bonuses and mask unlocks for the remaining 20 levels (making the levels only good for grinding for more levels). They also removed the playing cards theme, as that theme couldn't support 25 levels (there are only 13 cards to a suit, not including the Joker card).

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'': Factor 5 was working on a WideOpenSandbox game,''Superman: Blue Steel'', on [=PlayStation 3=]. Wii and Xbox 360, as a tie-in to the cancelled ''Film/SupermanReturns'' sequel, then as its own game, before being cancelled.

*** The first iteration of ''[=RE3.5=]'' is the game that would [[DivorcedInstallment later become]] ''Franchise/DevilMayCry'', with far more action-packed gameplay and mechanics that were a far cry from what was expected of the series. Its development included several trips to Spain to study architecture as inspiration for the game's environments. This version was deemed too much of a departure from the SurvivalHorror genre and not cut out to be a ''Resident Evil'' title, but those trips to Spain would be put to use for the final version of the game.
*** There was also the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOzr9hvaerE "Fog Version,"]] whose premise involved Leon infiltrating Umbrella's European headquarters, getting infected with the Progenitor Virus and fighting fog-like creatures. One of the levels was to take place on [[CoolAirship an airship]].
*** After that version was scrapped, Capcom made the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NLUzU8Z_NI&feature=related "Hooked Man Version,"]] which was set in a seemingly haunted mansion and had Leon fighting what appeared to be paranormal enemies, such as medieval suits of armor (which would make it into the final game), [[CreepyDoll living dolls]], and the eponymous, ghost-like "Hooked Man," a possessed-looking man who wielded a giant hook on a chain and would stalk Leon throughout the mansion. The game was reportedly so scary that, when the trailer debuted at E3, Shinji Mikami told the audience, "Don't pee your pants." However, the game would be scrapped for two reasons. First, there were [[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-01-18-inside-the-resident-evil-4-that-never-was technical issues]] concerning how Leon's hallucinations were to be shown, necessitating the creation of two 3D models for every level, which was both beyond the limitations of the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube and would've massively increased the work load for the team. Second, it was deemed too outright supernatural for an ''RE'' game.
*** The final version proposed returning to a more traditional ''RE'' survival horror style. Little is known about this version, beyond zombies serving as the main enemies once more and a plot involving Leon being infected with the Progenitor Virus. This game was discarded for being too formulaic, especially with the remake of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' and ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil0'' selling below Capcom's expectations, which led to the next iteration, which was ultimately released as ''[=RE4=]'', going in a more action-heavy direction with a new enemy design. ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilGunSurvivor Resident Evil: Dead Aim]]'' may have been based on this version of the game.

** Some [[http://www.ssbwiki.com/Beta_elements lost data]] found in ''Brawl'' suggests that it was originally going to have Roy, Toon Zelda, Tetra, Dr. Mario, Mewtwo, Dixie Kong, and "Pra_Mai" (presumably Plusle and Minun) as playable characters. They are often called the [[FanNickname/{{VideoGamesN-S}} Forbidden 7]]. Aside from Mewtwo, it's not a major loss since most of them probably would've ended up as (semi)-clones anyway. There are also 14-18 tracks that they didn't end up using there as well, known as the Lost Tracks. Interestingly, it was said that Sonic and Solid Snake weren't going to be the only characters from their franchises - Shadow and Grey Fox were supposed to join them. However, Sega and Konami vetoed this and they were [[DemotedToExtra Demoted to Assist Trophy]]
** The first [=SSB=] wasn't supposed to feature Nintendo characters at all, instead having original characters. After it was changed to the characters from Nintendo, [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Peach, Bowser]], [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Mewtwo, Meowth]], [[Franchise/{{Kirby}} King Dedede]]. Also, [[LimitBreak Final Smashes]] were meant to be in from the very first game.

** Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of the series, is a big fan of ''VideoGame/PanelDePon'' and would have ''liked'' to put its main character Lip in as early as the first game in the series, but ultimately decided against it as he though no one would recognize her.
** Masahiro Sakurai was ready to pull ''VideoGame/PacMan'' from the lineup had they rejected him using the classic character design over his modern variation.

** ''Rainbow Six: Patriots'' was going to be the next game in the series after ''Vegas 2'', getting far enough to get a trailer and promotional camo patterns in ''VideoGame/GhostRecon: Future Soldier''. It would have involved a group known as the "True Patriots", a group that had legitimate grievances against the government and the rich, but chose to voice them by [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized shockingly-brutal acts against innocents]], and the game would have also involved [[KarmaMeter morality]] as Team Rainbow [[GreyAndGrayMorality would have to make some difficult decisions]] to save lives. The game was announced in 2011, then disappeared rather quietly after that trailer, probably owing to the negative reaction it had garnered; the series finally saw a new release with ''Rainbow Six: Siege'' in 2015, which gained critical acclaim in part for going back to the series' roots as a tactical shooter.

** The game will likely never have a great many of features that were originally planned for it, such as player-owned apartments, and is only now, late its life, beginning to see some of the things were a little more easily brought back such as the 3rd jobs. This was not due to internal reasons, but rather due to an attack on Gravity by hackers after the Korean version entered pay-to-play. The attack destroyed basically everything, including a large portion of the development materials. The infant international ''Ragnarok Online'' was wholly cannibalized in a vain effort to keep the company afloat, and Gravity was only 'saved' on being bought out by Samsung. The game was then almost lost a ''second'' time when the director Samsung forced on the developer's tried to impose his wholly different vision on the recovery, leading to several members of the original development team quitting - mercifully, an act that lead Samsung to pull their director and leave Gravity alone to restore what they could of the project into what we have today. Further information [[http://www.adultimum.net/rw/soappserv.htm here]].

* For ''[[CompilationRerelease Rare Replay]]'', Creator/{{Rare}} wanted to include ''VideoGame/KinectSports'' and ''Kinect Sports: Season 2'', but technical differences between the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} and UsefulNotes/XboxOne versions of Kinect resulted in their exclusion. Also, every game Rare ever made was considered at some point - even ''Videogame/GoldenEye1997'', a game infamous for licensing issues preventing a rerelease for 18 years as of ''Rare Replay''[='=]s release - but cut it down to the final 30 based on various factors such as whether the characters and environments were their own creation, ruling out licensed games like the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' series.

** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'' was going to have every item box be its own storage instead of being linked with each other, which meant players that placed specific items in one box would have to go back to that particular box to get the item back. The game had no auto aim and it was going to be in the final version, but it was reverted to manual aim, most likely due to lack of time to implement it (it was restored in the Director's Cut version). The [=GameCube=] remake of ''Resident Evil'' brings back the manual only aim and unlinked item boxes as a part of Real Survival mode.

*** The first iteration of ''[=RE3.5=]'' is the game that would [[DivorcedInstallment later become]] ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'', with far more action-packed gameplay and mechanics that were a far cry from what was expected of the series. Its development included several trips to Spain to study architecture as inspiration for the game's environments. This version was deemed too much of a departure from the SurvivalHorror genre and not cut out to be a ''Resident Evil'' title, but those trips to Spain would be put to use for the final version of the game.

** The UK's official Nintendo magazine actually ran a review for the Game Boy Color port of the original ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'', as it was canned so close to release that it was by all accounts actually finished. ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilGaiden'' was launched as a replacement, and the ''[=RE1=]'' port languished in oblivion until [[http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/GameBoy/Resident+Evil+GBC/news.asp?c=37656 a prototype was finally discovered and ROM-dumped in 2012.]] ''Gaiden''[='=]s ending showed that Leon was the parasite B.O.W., which implied that the real Leon was either missing or dead. Naturally, the game is considered non-canon for various reasons, one of them being Leon appearing to be alive and well in future games.

* In a podcast, Insomniac Games revealed that ''VideoGame/{{Resistance}}: Fall of Man'' was originally envisioned a futuristic, time-travelling UsefulNotes/WorldWarI game with loads of inspiration taken from the film version of ''Film/StarshipTroopers''. Also, the actual game was supposed to start with Hale touring an American aircraft carrier before leaving for Britain, but the level was cut due to time constraints. There were also plans to include a grappling gun, but that weapon was cut since the team felt it was too much of a GameBreaker.

* ''Robotech: Crystal Dreams'' for the ''UsefulNotes/Nintendo64'', a space fighter simulator with a tie-in comic by [[Creator/AntarcticPress Antarctic Press]], which would have been localized in Japan as ''The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Another Dimension''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Nintendogs}}'' originally began as a pet simulator named ''Cabbage'' for the 64DD which was slated for a 1998 release. After the add-on was discontinued they deiced to move the game to the Gamecube, and ultimately to the Nintendo DS to make use of its touch screen, microphone and wi-fi. Miyamoto added dogs to the game after his family adopted a dog. They also wanted to incorporate realistic fur animations in the game but they could not due to technical limitations. Iwata also presented the idea of 15 different versions of the game, one for each available dog breed. The game's original US title was going to be ''Puppy Life''.

* ''VideoGame/NoOneLivesForever'' and its sequel could have been re-released on online services like ''UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}'' and ''Website/GOGDotCom'', but Night Dive Studios was denied the license to re-release the games.

** A reward for [[OneHundredPercentCompletion saving all 99 Mudokans]] in ''[[VideoGame/{{Oddworld}} Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee]]'' is a bizarre cutscene called "Guardian Angel," where a robotic monstrosity with a chilling voice, a luminescent halo, and an overabundance of cutting implements taunts and corners Abe, claiming he has to "look inside if he wants to be free." Apparently, this "Guardian Angel" was supposed to be a boss until the game's producers realized [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids children were interested in buying the game]]. Although the rest of the blood and nightmare fuel remains, they cut this boss for being exceptionally creepy. It still appears as a cameo; the television screen that serves as its face can faintly be seen in the background of Zulag 3.

** The Infamy system started out as a parallel meta-skill tree to the basic one and could grant various bonuses to reduce the cost of climbing a skill tree, which gave players a lot more customization as they can now afford much more high-end skills than before. It also originally had a playing cards theme with 14 levels. Originally only 5 levels were released, with the remaining 9 intended to have other bonuses as the developers got to them, with each tier of 4 levels having different effects. The Infamy 2.0 update changed all of this, doing away with a semi-linear progression in favour of a circuit board-type chart and, aside from the original 5 released, granting only exp bonuses and mask unlocks for the remaining 20 levels (making the levels only good for grinding for more levels). They also removed the playing cards theme, as the theme could no longer support 25 levels (there are only 13 cards to a suit and they still had to use the Joker).

** A major miss is something that not many know about: A ''Pokémon'' RPG for the [[VaporWare N64DD]]. [[http://web.archive.org/web/19970605212537/http://www.n64.com/previews/90.html From IGN64]]. [[http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/showpost.php?p=2693362&postcount=124 This mod on Bulbagarden]] believes there is evidence it eventually became ''Pokémon Colosseum''.

** ''Battle Revolution'' was once very different from its released version. For example, Red and Leaf were originally supposed to be in the game but were later changed to Lucas and Dawn. The game was originally more realistic and action-packed in terms of effects, as shown by [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djMyzIiYENo the original trailer]].
** Early promotional art for ''Pokémon Red and Blue'' suggests that a female player character was supposed to be available in the games. Her character design was similar to Green's (Blue in Japan) from the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga. In addition to this, coding from the beta of the game indicates that badges were at one point supposed to be items in your bag that could be used outside of battle similarly to the Hidden Machine moves, perhaps as a replacement for them. Also present in the beta was an unnamed item, referred to as the [[FanNickname Surfboard]] by fans because it acted similarly to the Surf HM (whether it was meant as a usable item or simply a debugging tool is up for debate).

* ''VideoGame/PopfulMail'' nearly avoided being [[DolledUpInstallment dolled-up]] for international release as ''Sister Franchise/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}''.

** The game was initially supposed to have six individual personality spheres instead of Wheatley following you around and helping the player in the early game. Valve declared that this would be too confusing, and they scrapped these characters and replaced them with Wheatley. [[spoiler:Some of the scrapped spheres still appear in the final battle, however, like the Space Sphere, Adventure Sphere and Fact Sphere, and are a vital part of defeating Wheatley]].

** Multiplayer was originally envisioned to have human characters (Chell + another female) but Valve felt that it was a bit too gruesome to constantly watch a human falling into acid, crushed, etc. over and over again, so they changed the characters to robots, which would make deaths more hilarious since robots don't feel pain and are reassembled to justify respawning.

* ''VideoGame/PrincessMaker 2'' was set to be released in the United States, but a series of mishaps including the bankruptcy of the localized version's publisher caused the translated game to be shelved indefinetly. A mostly-translated prototype of the game has emerged on the internet years later.

** The player character was originally a completely different character named D'artagan (or Dart) who sported a signature floppy hat that proved "[[NoFlowInCGI too awesome for Doublefine to animate]]". He gets referenced a few times in-game (such as Coach Oleander declaring that Raz's name "starts with a D") and manages a short cameo in the game's final cutscene. Also, the main character was created as a mentally instable ostrich. That admittedly makes sense - considering the mind of Tim Schafer - but the master himself admitted that games usually act as kind of a wish-fulfillment fantasy, and that there are likely very few people who wished to be an insane ratite.

* ''VideoGame/RainbowSix'': ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 Patriots'' was an FPS by Ubisoft Montreal that was cancelled in 2014.

* Developer n-Space was developing ''Austin Powers: Oh, Behave!'', ''Dexter's Laboratory'', ''Duke Nukem D-Day'' and ''Mary-Kate and Ashley in ACTION!'' for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, and ''Winter'' for UsefulNotes/NintendoWii.

* ''Videogame/QuantumBreak'' was, [[WordOfGod according to]] Sam Lake, originally going [[http://segmentnext.com/2016/08/15/quantum-break-song-poets-fall-complications-occured/ to include]] a new Music/PoetsOfTheFall song, (as per {{Creator/Remedy| Entertainment}} tradition) but shared contractual red tape held up the deal until time ran out.

* ''Super Sprint'' initially supported up to four players, but the fourth car was made into a permanent AI drone so races could be guaranteed to end without an explicit time limit.

** [[http://www.sourcegaming.info/2015/06/26/800/ Heihachi Mishima from Tekken]] and [[http://www.sourcegaming.info/2016/02/21/nintendodream3/ Geno from Super Mario RPG]] were both planned, or at least considered, for ''Smash Bros.'' at some point. However, they were included as Mii costumes instead.

** [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 The second]] and [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 fourth games]] went through a number of iterations (respectively known as ''Resident Evil 1.5'' and ''3.5'' to fans and Capcom) before the developers finally settled on the final versions of each game.
** ''[=RE1.5=]'' was similar to the game that would eventually be released, with the main differences being with the characters. The female main character was Elza Walker, a college student and motorcycle enthusiast who is returning home to Raccoon City on vacation. She would be {{Retool}}ed into Claire Redfield in order to have a greater connection with the first game. Robert Kendo (known here as John) and Marvin Branagh were to play much larger roles in the game, acting as supporting characters for Elza and Leon respectively. Annette Birkin was to get infected with the G-virus and turn into a monster like her husband William, [[LadyInRed Ada]] was to be known as Linda, [[DirtyCop Chief Irons]] was to be a hero rather than a villain, the zombies were to be more varied and gruesome, and the Chimera and Eliminator [=B.O.W.s=] (which would appear in future games) were to serve as enemies. The police station itself was also going to more closely resemble a real-life office building as opposed to the repurposed art museum in the finished product, complete with a firing range. A fanmade project to restore this incomplete version into a full-fledged game is currently under way, and a playable ISO of their work so far can be found online with a little snooping around.
** ''[=RE3.5=]'', meanwhile, is the name collectively given to several prototypes, all of which were scrapped for various reasons:
*** The first iteration of ''[=RE3.5=]'' is the game that would later become ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'', and its development included several trips to Spain to study architecture as inspiration for the game's environments. This version was deemed too much of a departure from the SurvivalHorror genre, but those trips to Spain would be put to use for the final version of the game.
*** There was also the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOzr9hvaerE "Fog Version,"]] whose premise involved Leon infiltrating Umbrella's European headquarters, getting infected with the Progenitor Virus and fighting fog-like creatures. One of the levels was to take place on [[CoolAirship an airship]].
*** After that version was scrapped, Capcom made the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NLUzU8Z_NI&feature=related "Hooked Man Version,"]] which was set in a seemingly haunted mansion and had Leon fighting what appeared to be paranormal enemies, such as medieval suits of armor (which would make it into the final version), [[CreepyDoll living dolls]], and the eponymous, ghost-like "Hooked Man," a possessed-looking man who wielded a giant hook on a chain and would stalk Leon throughout the mansion. The game was reportedly so scary that, when the trailer debuted at E3, Shinji Mikami told the audience, "Don't pee your pants." However, the game would be scrapped for being too outright supernatural for an ''RE'' game.
*** The final version proposed reportedly featured regular old zombies again, and was discarded for being too formulaic. ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilGunSurvivor Resident Evil: Dead Aim]]'' may have been based on this version of the game.
** The UK's official Nintendo magazine actually ran a review for the Game Boy Color port of the original ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'', as it was canned so close to release that it was by all accounts actually finished. ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilGaiden'' was launched as a replacement, and the [=RE1=] port languished in oblivion until [[http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/GameBoy/Resident+Evil+GBC/news.asp?c=37656 a prototype was finally discovered and ROM-dumped in 2012.]] ''Gaiden'''s ending showed that Leon was the parasite B.O.W., which implied that the real Leon was either missing or dead. Naturally, the game is considered non canon for various reasons and one of them being Leon appearing to be alive and well in future games.
** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' had several omissions evidenced by the concept art, which include Wesker [[spoiler:becoming human for the final boss battle and getting a better send off]], an Uroboros battle on top of a train, Jill [[spoiler: being your partner for half of the game]] a boss battle with a horde of Ndesus and a Tyrant. ''A Tyrant''. Which kills Excella.

** During the development of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', the gameplay was going to be much more action packed and have mechanics be a far cry from what ''Resident Evil'' was used to being. The developers decided eventually that the game wasn't cut out to be a ''Resident Evil'' title, but the concept was reimagined for a new franchise, ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry''.

** ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryV'': Multiplayer was planned for the game, then planned as a downloadable add-on. A PlayableEpilogue expansion would have focused on the Hero's choice of marriage as King of Silmaria and the character Punny Bones, with additional quests and a new storyline.

* A ''Franchise/StarTrek'' point & click adventure game entitled ''Secret Of Vulcan Fury'' was in development by Interplay during the late 1990's, and would have featured the [[LiveActionTV/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Original Series]] crew portrayed by the original cast in an episodic story. Each episode would focus on a different character, with the overall story revolving around an ancient Vulcan superweapon known as "Fury". While slated for a 1998 release and several [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fno_rZAt-KQ trailers]] were released, the game would sadly end up being quietly cancelled. Several [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ey31YCsJ5E animation tests]] and environmental renders were later released, showing, among other things, plans to include a ''[[http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/File:Secrets_vulcan_fury_-_bowling_alley.jpg bowling alley]]'' on the USS Enterprise as an EasterEgg. Even later, lead designer Ken Allen released a never before seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds_XKnhjRfA WIP gameplay demo]] that showed part of Scotty's chapter of the game. [[note]]Scotty's lines in this segment were recycled from [[VideoGame/JudgmentRites a previous game]], and no new dialogue ended up being recorded by the cast before the game's cancellation.[[/note]]

** ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog3&Knuckles Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'' had three stages planned for it, that can be seen in the game's level select menu: Mushroom Hill Zone, Flying Battery Zone, and Sandopolis Zone. Time constraints caused these levels to be nixed, but they would be featured in the follow-up ''Sonic & Knuckles'', which is compatible with ''Sonic 3'' and allowed players to play the game as it was originally intended.

** ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog3AndKnuckles Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'' had three stages planned for it, that can be seen in the game's level select menu: Mushroom Hill Zone, Flying Battery Zone, and Sandopolis Zone. Time constraints caused these levels to be nixed, but they would be featured in the follow-up ''Sonic & Knuckles'', which is compatible with ''Sonic 3'' and allowed players to play the game as it was originally intended.

* The makers of ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha 3'' originally intended to avert one of the greatest {{What Could Have Been}}s in Anime history: ''Manga/GiantRobo''. The proposed storyline would have had Big Fire attempting to usurp the godhead of Irui, claiming the power of Nashim Ganeden for himself. Unfortunately, Mitsuteru Yokoyama died while the game was in development, and his estate raised the licensing cost for all his works, meaning ''Giant Robo'' had to sit out of the GrandFinale of the Alpha timeline. Furthermore, sprites for ''Manga/GundamSentinel'' were found within the game data when hacked; fans suspect that the story was originally planned to be the conclusion of Universal Century Gundam in ''Alpha'', but was cut when ExecutiveMeddling forced Banpresto to include the up-and-coming fan favorite ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' in ''Alpha 3'' instead. But digging inside ''Alpha 2'' revealed that sprites of the Strike Gundam and Aegis Gundam were hidden inside the game. It's unknown, though, if this meant that ''SEED'' would have just made cameos of some sort, like how Star Anime/GaoGaiGar was a cameo of sorts, or if they were going to outright use ''Gundam SEED'' to a degree, ''a la'' ''Gao Gai Gar''. On a lesser note, that digging also revealed that there was a second ''Manga/GetterRobo'' theme placed in, "Gattai! Getter Robo", which wasn't used in favor of ''again'' "Getter Robo!". A later-revealed [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Acb7nRGEA a video from]] Nico Nico was discovered that reveals the extent of ''Gundam Sentinel'''s influence in the game, as sprites for both Task Force Alpha heroes and the New Decides units were shown. One notable addition was Amuro's Zeta Plus A1. Also found on there was leftover data from Alpha 2 with the Nightingale, the Wing Gundam Ver. Ka., and units from ''Crossbone Gundam'' and ''Brain Powerd''.
* Continuing with ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', a lack of money forced Banpresto to leave out a video game recreation of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'''s final fight between Gundam Exia and 0 Gundam in ''VideoGame/{{Super Robot Wars Z}}2.2'', though it's also hinted that it was removed because they didn't want to dump a MidSeasonUpgrade 00 Gundam in favor for a majorly weaker unit.
* ''Super Robot Wars Z'' almost had two other Gundam series -- ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam''. There were audio files with Amuro supporting Judau and Usso, but were DummiedOut. While it's possible for Victory Gundam to show up, the fact that the game uses the movie trilogy for Zeta Gundam pretty much leaves Judau out in the cold.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars2'', when attempting to get all the characters they wanted for the game, Banpresto attempted to obtain characters from ''Anime/AuraBattlerDunbine''. However, for whatever reason, they were declined. To fill in the gap, they created a new hero and a new villain - [[OriginalGeneration Masaki Ando and Shu Shirakawa.]]
* Though ''VideoGame/ShinSuperRobotWars'' left a wide opening for a sequel, none was ever made. The game writing makes it easy to see why: vast amounts of tedious {{filler}} in the early stages and [[DemotedtoExtra numerous examples of insufficient motivation for many of the member series]].

* ''VideoGame/ShadowRealms'' was originally going to be a 4 versus 1 multiplayer action RPG by BioWare Austin.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Prey}} Prey 2]]'' by Human Head/Bethesda, announced in 2011, was cancelled in 2014.