Neverending Story Video Game?

[Waif]

Greetings and salutations,
For awhile now I have been asking myself, why was there never a video game based off the book/movie "The Neverending Story". In using the search function, I could not find a thread in this forum that asked the same question. So after some research I came to discover that there were games for the Neverending Story, three of them to be precise.The Neverending Story for the Atari (1986), The Neverending Story II - The Arcade Game (1990), and The Neverending Story - Auryn Quest (2001). You can view a trailer for Auryn Quest here:


I had never heard of these games. Either because it was before my time (Atari), wouldn't know where to find it( Arcade Game?), or it was released in only a few European countries (Auryn Quest). So my question is: why wasn't there any Neverending Story games on the NES or SMS? Maybe even the Genesis or the SNES? I don't fully understand why they would have neglected to cash in on an epic series, as is the case with The Neverending Story. I know what some of you may be thinking. That if there were a video game, chances are it would ruin the book and the movie. As movie-video game releases generally have a bad reputation. So it is in that event, I would also ask how would you make a good Neverending Story game.

What kind of platform would you envision for it (SMS,NES,ETC)? Would it be 2d platformer, RPG, or maybe even an adventure game? What features would you use, and how would you implement them? How much of the game would be derived from the story? It is these things that interest me, because I had always wondered what a good Neverending Story game would play like. Thank you for reading.

 

[Bat Vader]

That was the trailer for it? I understand it was in 2001 but it looked like something you would find a high school student made. I don't think a Neverending story video game would sell that well.

 

[Hallow'sEve]

I thought Final Fantasy was the Neverending Story?

 

[Waif]

That was the trailer for it? I understand it was in 2001 but it looked like something you would find a high school student made. I don't think a Neverending story video game would sell that well.

I'm as surprised as you are that there was a trailer for it. That being said, it doesn't look like the game is true to the story line from the book itself. The graphics and character movement seems blocky, edgy, and unrefined. Though, why would a Neverending Story game not sell that well? I had considered that if it were released during the era in which the first movie came out, it would have done fairly well.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I thought Final Fantasy was the Neverending Story?

why do people do this? its really not that hard to figure out every single final fantasy game is an entirely different universe and different plot/characters, they just are made by the same company that decided to make it easy for the fans by numbering them upwards

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

That was a pretty poor trailer...which leads me to believe that the concept of a Neverending story game is just CRAP

 

[Hallow'sEve]

I thought Final Fantasy was the Neverending Story?

why do people do this? its really not that hard to figure out every single final fantasy game is an entirely different universe and different plot/characters, they just are made by the same company that decided to make it easy for the fans by numbering them upwards

You wanna know why? Because Final Fantasy goes on for fucking ever, its got 13 games, I don't think I'm out of line in calling Final Fantasy "Neverending".

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I thought Final Fantasy was the Neverending Story?

why do people do this? its really not that hard to figure out every single final fantasy game is an entirely different universe and different plot/characters, they just are made by the same company that decided to make it easy for the fans by numbering them upwards

You wanna know why? Because Final Fantasy goes on for fucking ever, its got 13 games, I don't think I'm out of line in calling Final Fantasy "Neverending".

and clearly i just explained to you they are all different stories put into different universes with different characters and different plots, ask anyone who has played a few final fantasies, they are not continued or related at all (besides a few spin offs, which they are new stories as it is anyways)

if the games were all continuing on the same path, or same storyline, or same characters, no you wouldnt be out of line, but being ignorant about it when its not true makes it that way

 

[Waif]

That was a pretty poor trailer...which leads me to believe that the concept of a Neverending story game is just CRAP

Well, it is true that the quality of trailer is pretty poor. I don't think the game itself is much better, in my opinion. That, and it follows pretty loosely on the storyline itself. Though a 2d platformer would be possible, and it might not even be half bad if it were to be implemented correctly. There is a good story element there, its in the implementation that would make or break the game, which is why I was wondering about how others might design such a game.

 

[Bat Vader]

That was the trailer for it? I understand it was in 2001 but it looked like something you would find a high school student made. I don't think a Neverending story video game would sell that well.

I'm as surprised as you are that there was a trailer for it. That being said, it doesn't look like the game is true to the story line from the book itself. The graphics and character movement seems blocky, edgy, and unrefined. Though, why would a Neverending Story game not sell that well? I had considered that if it were released during the era in which the first movie came out, it would have done fairly well.

I meant in 2001 it would not sell that well since the last film was released in 1994. I never really hear The Neverending Story get talked about that much. It is rare whenever I hear someone mention it.

 

[Hallow'sEve]

*snip*

It doesn't matter that they're all "different", any franchise thats gone on as long as FF is, in fact, a neverending story.

 

[Waif]

That was the trailer for it? I understand it was in 2001 but it looked like something you would find a high school student made. I don't think a Neverending story video game would sell that well.

I'm as surprised as you are that there was a trailer for it. That being said, it doesn't look like the game is true to the story line from the book itself. The graphics and character movement seems blocky, edgy, and unrefined. Though, why would a Neverending Story game not sell that well? I had considered that if it were released during the era in which the first movie came out, it would have done fairly well.

I meant in 2001 it would not sell that well since the last film was released in 1994. I never really hear The Neverending Story get talked about that much. It is rare whenever I hear someone mention it.

Well, it is true that this was more of an 80's thing. Perhaps it would have stuck in memory better if it were made into a video game around that time. I agree that a 2001 release of it, surely could not go far. Though if what you say is true, that the mention of The Neverending Story is rare, then I find that there is irony at work here. With "The Nothing" and all that.

 

[Jekken6]

There should've been a lawsuit against The Neverending Story, because of false advertising.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

snip.

well if you really want to go by your definition of neverending story, then you can say that about valve and about tons of other game companies and series, as they all use the same engines/styles/basics for all their games

however, if you wanna go by actual, neverending story definition, where it is in fact, a NEVERENDING STORY, defined as it is pronounced, then no, final fantasy is not part of that

 

[Kouen]

I thought Final Fantasy was the Neverending Story?

The Irony is stunning mentioning them two titles

Final Fantasy is Never Final and is actually a Neverending collection of Story's

Dude I think you just cracked what I've wondered for years!

You've earned yourself a cookie!

 

[reg42]

*snip*

It doesn't matter that they're all "different", any franchise thats gone on as long as FF is, in fact, a neverending story.

Does that make all the Mario games "the neverending story"? And all the Zelda games? How about the Metroid games?
You're going to have to find a better arguement.

 

[Hallow'sEve]

Does that make all the Mario games "the neverending story"? And all the Zelda games? How about the Metroid games?
You're going to have to find a better arguement.

Yes it fucking does, and pokemon and any other game that's got more than 5 sequels.

 

[Omnific One]

I thought Final Fantasy was the Neverending Story?

Hmm... it is never-ending... I smell conspiracy!