An unfinished Dune video game is getting a second chance at life thanks to The Retro Room Games. Frank Herbert’s Dune: Ornithopter Assault was an officially-licensed Game Boy Advance game that began life in 2001. Originally developed by Soft Brigade, the game was basically completed in 2002, but was cancelled as a result of financial difficulties for publisher Cryo Interactive. It’s been 20 years, but The Retro Room Games has secured the rights to the title, without the Dune license. The game has been rebranded as Elland: The Crystal Wars, and all Dune references are being scrubbed from the game, making it a completely new IP.
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A Kickstarter campaign for the game is live, and has already reached its goal, surpassing the $7,563 needed to complete the game. That means it will receive a release on a Game Boy Advance compatible cartridge, alongside a retro box and manual. As of this writing, the campaign sits at $9,165, with 50 days left to go. There are multiple stretch goals, including a short documentary featuring members of the original and current development teams, a PC port, extra content, and more.
A trailer detailing the Kickstarter and showcasing gameplay can be found in the Tweet embedded below.
As readers can see in the trailer, Elland: The Crystal Wars is a first-person air combat game, taking place on a desert planet. The game features 20 missions in total, tasking players with a number of different goals, including taking out enemy locations, escorting other ships, and more.
It’s always interesting to see cancelled games get a new lease on life! Developers put an incredible amount of time and effort into these titles, and it has to be disheartening to see a nearly finished game scrapped at the last minute. Elland: The Crystal Wars is hardly the first example we’ve seen of this, but thanks to the work of The Retro Room, and Kickstarter backers, the finished game will finally see the light of day. Readers interested in checking out the game’s Kickstarter can do so right here.
Are you happy this game will be getting a second chance at release? What do you think of the trailer? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
[H/T: Nintendo Life]
