In the years since Nintendo walked away from its deal with Sony to create a disc-based add-on for the Super Nintendo, there have been lingering questions about whether or not Sony ever got to develop anything for the platform. While we initially didn’t even think the console had been made, a discovery in 2015 revealed that Sony was actually fairly close to unleashing the device onto the public. Since then, the uncovered prototype has been made functional and can even play SNES cartridges, but was there ever a game created specifically for it?
It turns out the answer is yes, and we even know what genre the game would have been.
In a new interview with MinnMax, former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida sat down with presenter Ben Hanson to discuss the history of the PlayStation brand and the conversation inevitably came to the cancelled collaboration between Sony and Nintendo. This device, which was officially going to be dubbed the Super NES CD-ROM, would have been Sony’s big break into the video game market and as such, it would have been home to the company’s first-ever game. As Yoshida revealed, that game was actually in development and was a space shooter.
Image source: Wikipedia
Yoshida explains to Hanson that the untitled shmup took inspiration from the Game Arts title Silpheed, which was released on the Sega CD. Yoshida’s memory isn’t crystal clear, but he recalls the game being 2D or 2.5D and that the streaming capabilities of the SNES CD-ROM drive allowed the visuals to look way beyond the standard of the time. Hanson asked if Yoshida remembered who directed the game, but believes it might have been a Sony US title (which might mean Mark Cerny was involved).
On its own, this news is pretty big, but Yoshida hints that a prototype for the game might still be kicking around in Sony’s archives. He specifically said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a CD.” Truly incredible news and something I hope eventually sees the light of day.
Leave a Comment
Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
