"Sony Vet Recalls Near-Complete Game for Canceled Nintendo PlayStation"

Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida recently shared insights into his experience with the Nintendo PlayStation prototype during an interview with MinnMax. Yoshida, who joined Sony in February 1993 to work under Ken Kutaragi, known as 'the father of PlayStation,' was introduced to the Nintendo PlayStation prototype on his very first day. This prototype, a collaborative effort between Nintendo and Sony, was already functional and even had a nearly completed game loaded onto it, which Yoshida had the opportunity to play.

The game, as Yoshida described, resembled a space shooter similar to the Sega CD title Silpheed, featuring assets streamed from a CD. Although Yoshida couldn't recall the developer or the specific region where it was made, he expressed a hopeful note about its potential existence in Sony's archives. "I wouldn't be surprised," he remarked, suggesting the game might still be preserved on a CD.

The Nintendo PlayStation itself remains a fascinating piece of gaming history, often celebrated for its "what-if" allure. This prototype has garnered significant interest in auctions and among collectors, underscoring its status as a rare and coveted artifact. The possibility of the space-shooter game resurfacing is intriguing, especially given precedents like Nintendo's release of Star Fox 2 years after its initial cancellation. This raises the tantalizing prospect that this piece of video game history could one day be shared with the world.

The Nintendo PlayStation prototype console. Photo: Mats Lindh (Flickr/CC BY 2.0).