10 Dumbest Reasons Video Games ALMOST Got Cancelled
5. It Took Focus Away From The N64 - Star Fox 2
Star Fox's polygonal models caused a major shakeup in the industry, especially since gaming companies at the time were about to transition to 3D-focused consoles.
After the Thunderbirds-inspired rail-shooter sold over four million units, Nintendo got cracking on Star Fox 2. With new ships to pilot, new characters to play as, and more variety in gameplay, fans were excited to revisit the Lylat system.
As the developers were putting the final touches on this hyped sequel, Nintendo's priorities changed. After the release of the Sega Saturn and the Sony Playstation, 3D graphics were no longer a novelty - they were becoming the norm. Believing their 16-bit SNES title would look inferior compared to next-gen games, Nintendo halted all production on the Star Fox follow-up.
Although you can understand the company's line of thinking, it still seemed unfair, since Star Fox 2 was 99% finished. It was so close to completion, fans completed the prototype themselves, turning this "unreleased" Star Fox entry into one of the hottest emulated games of the 90s.
Fortunately, there's a happy ending. After a 22-year delay, Star Fox 2 officially debuted on Super NES Classic Edition, allowing gamers to play the almost-cancelled title for the first time (at least, legally).