A prototype of the unreleased game Quake for the Game Boy Advance has been discovered, a potential gem recovered from the depths of time. This revelation highlights how the Game Boy Advance could have been a truly revolutionary handheld gaming device, capable of delivering experiences that were decades ahead of its time.
History of Quake
Quake is a first-person shooter developed by id Software and released for PC in 1996. It pushed boundaries with its 3D graphics at the time, and popularized online multiplayer with its chaotic deathmatch battles. It was praised by critics for being groundbreaking and would evolve into sequels and spinoff games over the next few decades.
The game was ported to various home consoles shortly after, such as the Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, Sony PlayStation, and Dreamcast. While console versions of Quake were usually downgraded from their PC counterparts due to hardware limitations, they still provided an experience that was faithful to its source material.
Unreleased Prototype Discovered
The discovery came when an anonymous developer found a prototype cartridge while looking through some old stuff in their closet. After plugging it into a GBA flash cart reader, they figured out that it contained an unfinished version of Quake meant for use on the Game Boy Advance (GBA). The prototype cartridge includes multiple levels that can be explored by players and features several weapons found in other versions of Quake.
“The code running on this prototype is really impressive,” said the anonymous developer in an interview. “It’s clear that whoever was working on it had a lot of ambition and passion when porting this iconic game over to GBA.”
Impact on Handheld Gaming
This discovery shows just how far developers were willing