In a giant win for preservation, a misplaced Pokémon browser sport has been restored and is now totally playable on-line, due to DidYouKnowGaming.
Pokémon 2000 Journey was developed by Cyberworld Worldwide Company, which was a shopper of Warner Bros., and was launched to tie in with the film Pokémon the Film 2000. As reported in DYKG’s video on the topic, Nintendo gave Warner Bros. permission to create formally licensed merchandise to assist promote the second Pokémon film — so Warner Bros. in fact commissioned for Cyberworld to create a sport of their QBORG engine, following on from the success of their Harry Potter-based browser sport.
Pokémon 2000 Journey blends 2D sprites (based mostly on the anime variations of the Pokémon) with 2.5D backgrounds, and upon launch, it grew to become a success. Eddie Ruminski, who labored at Cyberworld, mentioned the browser sport “had about one million downloads within the span of a month”. It was at that time that Nintendo “freaked” because the browser sport proved far more well-liked than the corporate anticipated.
Nintendo then issued a stop and desist, Ruminski states, as a result of “they thought Warner Brothers breached the contract — they exceeded the contract’s allowable scope”. Primarily, Nintendo was anticipating one thing smaller to advertise the film relatively than an entire new online game.
*whoops, I meant Pokemon 2000 Journey. Anyway it was an official sport, made in partnership with Warner Bros for $2 million, however Nintendo killed it after it was already completed. Messy story, too lengthy for a tweet, simply see the video in the event you wanna hear it (or obtain the sport). pic.twitter.com/LlgtXFddJE— DidYouKnowGaming (@didyouknowgamin) September 20, 2023
Provided that the browser sport was launched again in 2000, it’s a must to think about — as DYKG factors out — that there have been solely two 3D Pokémon video games out within the West on the time: Pokémon Snap and Pokémon Stadium. So Pokémon 2000 Journey might’ve given the improper impression to followers a few new path for the collection.
The sport has been lengthy thought misplaced — although in line with Misplaced Media Wiki, the web site was nonetheless up and obtainable on the Wayback Machine as late as 2012. However you need not fear about that now as Ruminski has saved maintain of the information of the sport and has shared them with DidYouKnowGaming. And the correct factor to do, clearly, was to dump the information and archive them on-line. That implies that sure, after years of being a chunk of misplaced media, Pokémon 2000 Journey is now totally playable as soon as once more.
Pokémon Backyard (which was lined by our buddies at Time Extension) archivist Rufus10 and a pal DoomTay each acquired the sport engaged on fashionable laptop programs, with DYKG dumping the information so all can expertise. You’ll be able to watch the total video for protection on an entire host of cancelled and misplaced Pokémon video games down under.
Whereas it is solely a ten-minute or so expertise, you possibly can replay the sport with three totally different groups of Pokémon and select from one among three difficulties. Plus, it is simply type of cool to see this misplaced piece of Pokémon historical past in movement.
You’ll be able to try directions on how you can play the sport over on DidYouKnowGaming’s YouTube channel. Not solely is the sport totally playable, however you too can obtain idea artwork, storyboards, and the soundtrack — all of which have additionally been archived.
Big due to Eddie Ruminski, Rufus10, DoomTay and DidYouKnowGaming for preserving this sport. We’ll see if Nintendo manages to let this piece of historical past sit safely and soundly on-line for now…
Do you bear in mind Pokémon 2000 Journey? Will you be checking this out now it is re-available? Tell us.
