10 Iconic Video Games You Almost Lost To Development Hell

2. Pokémon Red & Blue

Announced in a very rough form in 1990, what would go on to become Pokemon Red and Blue looked nothing like the genre-defining game fans would come to love. In development for Nintendo's Game Boy, the studio in charge, Game Freak, went on to release over six other titles during its production, all the while insisting the original Red and Blue was still in active development. Unfortunately though, with each passing release, the chances of seeing Red and Blue in the flesh continued to dwindle away, with many speculating that the developer or Nintendo themselves had merely lost interest in the project. However, the real issues came from more of a business standpoint than an artistic one. Assessing audience demand for the game, there were worries the core structure of Pokémon as an RPG - something that would later go on to become one of the most recognisable gaming styles of all time - wouldn't resonate with an American audience. Thankfully, these fears were addressed head-on when Nintendo splashed out on a huge worldwide marketing campaign for the title, in order to assure potential buyers that the release was going to be more than a throwaway experience. Of course, the trick worked and the game released in 1996, creating the textbook Pokémon experience that still holds strong to this day.