Targeted for an April '97 release in NA territories, B&C was inevitably canceled at the hands of SCEA's jurisdiction. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, however, was a bit more lenient, and allowed the game to be released onto their shores in '98. Nearly a decade later, in 2006, Battle & Chase got a legitimate US release as an unlockable in the Mega Man X Collection. In the end, everything worked out!
Needless to say, it's amazing to see just how close B&C got to releasing in North America.
I was never able to unlock B&C in the X collection (because I suck at X, even though I love it) but from what I've played via emulator... it wasn't worth it. Awful game, really. XD
ReplyDeleteSo that's the full ad (Gauntlet has part of it on his site, if it's not an alternate). Gotta love the disconnect of the MM7 character art from the rest of the art. XD
ReplyDeleteI have never seen that before. Needless to say, it is pretty awesome!
ReplyDeleteSony Computer Entertainment America (Not Sony of America) was such bastard to Capcom. In fact there's an interesting story behind Capcom and SCEA's relation before.
ReplyDeleteExcerpt from Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Man_X4#Development
Originally, the American release of the PlayStation version was put on hold after Sony Computer Entertainment America denied Capcom permission to release it in the United States, allegedly due to it being a 2D video game; due to early American policies at the time, the American division of Sony Computer Entertainment only wanted 3D games for their system. Apparently, other Capcom titles that had fallen victim to this policy included Mega Man 8, Mega Man Battle & Chase, and the PlayStation version of Mega Man X3 (Both the last two were eventually included in the Mega Man X Collection released for PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube). Capcom, who was behind the PlayStation's first million-selling game (Resident Evil) allegedly threatened to not release the highly-anticipated Resident Evil 2 after being denied permission to release their 2D games in the US; SCEA eventually caved in to the pressure and allowed Capcom to release X4 in the United States (the game had already been release in Japan at that point) in order to secure a release for Resident Evil 2. The Sega Saturn version of X4 was not delayed and was available in North America on its initially planned release date.
Awful game??? I love this game!
ReplyDeleteWhat's 2D about this game? Still, it isn't really the best game, but it does have some pretty nice music. I wouldn't have minded having this game see a state-side release (especially since it already was in Europe, but oh well).
ReplyDeleteAlso, just a minor detail, but I notice Rock's Driver's License said 12/17/86 for some reason. I wonder what was up with that (it should have been 12/17/87 I would think)?
awww man.... weak.... B&C is one of my favorite games, i wish it was released in NA.... and preferably un-edited like it was in the EU/Xcollection version.
ReplyDeleteMan, I remember that thing! I had it up on my wall (Along with the X3 add) for EONS. :P
ReplyDeleteYeah, had the MM5 one too... Any MM add I could find, up on the wall it went, since they didn't make posters back then.
I loved the art of X and Zero for the X3 add though.. original and beautiful use of colors. Not just hacked-in use of Capcom's art.