Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida recently shared insights into his experience with the unreleased Nintendo PlayStation prototype, including playing a nearly completed game developed for the defunct console.
In a MinnMax interview, Yoshida recounted his career journey at Sony, starting with his early collaboration with Ken Kutaragi, the renowned "father of PlayStation." Joining Kutaragi's team in February 1993, during the original PlayStation's development (the one that ultimately launched), Yoshida and his colleagues were introduced to the Nintendo PlayStation prototype.
Yoshida described witnessing a functional prototype and even playing an almost finished game on his first day. He compared the game's style to a contemporary space shooter, possibly resembling Sega CD's Silpheed, which streamed assets from a CD. While Yoshida couldn't recall the developer's identity or the game's origin (U.S. or Japan), he expressed optimism about its potential survival. He noted the game's data was likely stored on a CD, suggesting a possibility of its rediscovery in Sony's archives.
The Nintendo PlayStation remains a highly sought-after rarity, a testament to its unreleased status and the "what if" scenario it represents in the history of Sony and Nintendo. The prototype's value has been evident in its appearances at auctions and among collectors.
The prospect of this lost space shooter resurfacing is intriguing, especially considering Nintendo's own precedent of releasing Star Fox 2 years after its cancellation. Perhaps this piece of gaming history could yet see the light of day.
