Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida recently shared fascinating insights into his early career and his experience with the legendary Nintendo PlayStation prototype, even revealing he played a nearly completed game developed for the canceled console.
In an interview with MinnMax, Yoshida recounted his journey at Sony, starting with his work alongside Ken Kutaragi, the visionary behind the PlayStation. Joining Kutaragi's team in February 1993, during the original PlayStation's development, Yoshida and his colleagues were given a unique opportunity: access to the Nintendo PlayStation prototype. He emphasized that this wasn't just a theoretical device; it was a fully functional prototype.
While the specifics of the game remain elusive—Yoshida compared it to a contemporary space shooter, possibly Sega CD's Silpheed, utilizing CD-based asset streaming—he couldn't recall the developer or its origin (U.S. or Japan). However, regarding the game's potential survival in Sony's archives, Yoshida offered a glimmer of hope: "I wouldn't be surprised. You know, it was like a CD, so… yeah."
The Nintendo PlayStation remains a highly sought-after collector's item, largely due to its unreleased status and the intriguing "what if" scenario it represents in gaming history. Its prototype has frequently appeared in auctions and collector circles.
The prospect of this Sony-developed space shooter seeing the light of day is certainly enticing. Considering Nintendo's eventual release of Star Fox 2 years after its cancellation, the possibility of this lost game resurfacing isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility.
