Canceled Centipede RPG on Atari Jaguar CD

Level up here
Post Reply
User avatar
Jagosaurus
Next-Gen
Posts: 4041
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2013 12:15 pm
Location: Houston area, Texas

Canceled Centipede RPG on Atari Jaguar CD

Post by Jagosaurus »

I'm a big fan of the arcade game Centipede and ran across this while researching sequels. Many of you likely know Tempest, Defender, and Break Out were remade for the Jaguar as updated versions of the arcade classics. Looks like Centipede was going to be remade into a 3D RPG. Interesting concept and thought some of you RPG fans would find it interesting. :D

Link to old Atari Age thread on subject: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/25828-centipede-2000/

Via interview with original dev below. Several quotes from him in the post. Interesting read about a lost RPG, on a system that needed more RPG love.

Notes: The Dark Science "Centipede 2000" was actually going to be a fantasy role-playing game (RPG). The design was to be similar to current 3D RPG titles on Sony and Nintendo systems like Nintendo's Zelda64. Of course, due to the limitations Jaguar hardware, everything would have been constructed of nicely gouraud shaded polygons with little or no texture mapping. We were developing the title under (and referring to it as) "Centipede 2000" or "C2K" -- However, an official title for the game had not been decided. The game was also to be a JaguarCD-ROM title.

As you can probably imagine, since the game would have been based on the original "Centipede," the game environment would have consisted of fields of giant mushrooms -- inhabited by giant spiders, scorpions, and, of course, centipedes. In typical fantasy role-playing fassion, the player would travel the world and stop off in various towns to purchase supplies, talk with people, learn new skills, and buy/upgrade weapons. The player would use a combination of weapons, magical items, and magical spells throughout the game.
Games Beaten 2025, 2024, 2023 | Retro Achievements
xJAGOx = Xbox Gamertag | Console Mods
User avatar
Exhuminator
Next-Gen
Posts: 11573
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 8:24 am
Contact:

Re: Canceled Centipede RPG on Atari Jaguar CD

Post by Exhuminator »

Jagosaurus wrote:Looks like Centipede was going to be remade into a 3D RPG. Interesting concept

Atari and Wayforward kind of did something like this on the Wii (and 3DS):
Image

http://www.amazon.com/Centipede-Infesta ... B003VJGIDU
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centipede:_Infestation

It wasn't totally an RPG, but it did have a story and upgradeable weapons at least.
PLAY KING'S FIELD.
User avatar
Jagosaurus
Next-Gen
Posts: 4041
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2013 12:15 pm
Location: Houston area, Texas

Re: Canceled Centipede RPG on Atari Jaguar CD

Post by Jagosaurus »

Exhuminator wrote:
Jagosaurus wrote:Looks like Centipede was going to be remade into a 3D RPG. Interesting concept

Atari and Wayforward kind of did something like this on the Wii (and 3DS):
Image

http://www.amazon.com/Centipede-Infesta ... B003VJGIDU
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centipede:_Infestation

It wasn't totally an RPG, but it did have a story and upgradeable weapons at least.


I completely forgot this game existed! I now remember looking at it when I bought my 3DS. Essentially a run & gun with some depth in the Centipede universe. Cool.

Should note Jeff Minter was also working on Centipede 2K when he lost the source code.

I think the Centipede RPG game would've stuck out in the Jag library where the only RPG is Towers II (which is similar to a D&D game).
Games Beaten 2025, 2024, 2023 | Retro Achievements
xJAGOx = Xbox Gamertag | Console Mods
User avatar
Sarge
Next-Gen
Posts: 7273
Joined: Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:08 pm

Re: Canceled Centipede RPG on Atari Jaguar CD

Post by Sarge »

Definitely not the first genre I think of when someone mentions Centipede. I'd have paid to see that.
fastbilly1
Site Admin
Posts: 13775
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:08 pm

Re: Canceled Centipede RPG on Atari Jaguar CD

Post by fastbilly1 »

It is a very neat concept, and I would have bought it on the Jag. I am going to check out that 3ds game now if it is similar, thanks Exhuminator.
Post Reply