Mr. Bill's Neighborhood (lost build of cancelled Atari 2600 game; 1983): Difference between revisions

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==Cancellation==
==Cancellation==
Along with another one of Data Age's licensed games, ''[[Smokey Bear (Cancelled Atari 2600 Game; 1983)|Smokey Bear]]'', both games were finished and ready to be released but were cancelled<ref>[http://www.atarihq.com/2678/3party/dataage.html Atari HQ Page about Data Age.] Retrieved 13 May '16.</ref> due to their previous licensed game ''Journey Escape'' doing so poorly that they couldn't afford to pay the licensing fees. Even if they could, the following Video Game Crash of 1983 would have likely stopped the release. According to an article in the October 1983 issue of Video Games magazine (page 32), when Data Age folded, the license for the game was sent back to ''Mr. Bill'' creator Walter Williams.
Along with another one of Data Age's licensed games, ''[[Smokey Bear (Cancelled Atari 2600 Game; 1983)|Smokey Bear]]'', both games were finished and ready to be released but were cancelled<ref>[http://www.atarihq.com/2678/3party/dataage.html Atari HQ Page about Data Age.] Retrieved 13 May '16.</ref> due to their previous licensed game ''Journey Escape'' doing so poorly that they couldn't afford to pay the licensing fees. Even if they could, the following Video Game Crash of 1983 would have likely stopped release. According to an article in the October 1983 issue of Video Games magazine (page 32), when Data Age folded, the license for the game was sent back to ''Mr. Bill'' creator Walter Williams.


After the cancellation of the game, no ''Mr. Bill'' games were released until 2010, when two ''Mr. Bill'' games were released in the App Store by Capcom.
After the cancellation of the game, no ''Mr. Bill'' games were released until 2010, when two ''Mr. Bill'' games were released in the App Store by Capcom.
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Mr Bill Atari 2600 original photo.jpg|Original artwork of the game found in a TV Guide scrapbook.
Mr Bill Atari 2600 original photo.jpg|Original artwork of the game found in a TV Guide scrapbook.
Unreleased Data Age games.jpg
Unreleased Data Age games.jpg
Mr. Bill unreleased Atari 2600 game drawings.png|Prototype drawings of the sprites from the July 1983 issue of Electronic Fun with Computers & Games (page 83).
Mr Bill unreleased Atari 2600 game drawings.png|Prototype drawings of the sprites from the July 1983 issue of Electronic Fun with Computers & Games (page 83).
</gallery>
</gallery>



Revision as of 20:54, 5 October 2016

Mr. Bill's Neighborhood Unreleased2600 Game.jpg

Flyer of the game.

Status: Lost


Mr. Bill's Neighborhood is a cancelled 1983 Atari 2600 game based around Mr. Bill, a clay figurine character from Saturday Night Live by Walter Williams. The game would have been developed and published by Data Age and was planned to be released in April 1983. Had it been released, it would have been the first Mr. Bill video game. The game was shown at the 1983 Winter CES.[1]

Plot

In this game, the player would try to save Mr. Bill and his family from the neighborhood and their arch rival, Sluggo. Mr. Bill's travels would have been hampered by speeding traffic, streets with dead end alleys, and the ever-present Mr. Hands who would grab Mr. Bill and push him towards Sluggo.

Cancellation

Along with another one of Data Age's licensed games, Smokey Bear, both games were finished and ready to be released but were cancelled[2] due to their previous licensed game Journey Escape doing so poorly that they couldn't afford to pay the licensing fees. Even if they could, the following Video Game Crash of 1983 would have likely stopped release. According to an article in the October 1983 issue of Video Games magazine (page 32), when Data Age folded, the license for the game was sent back to Mr. Bill creator Walter Williams.

After the cancellation of the game, no Mr. Bill games were released until 2010, when two Mr. Bill games were released in the App Store by Capcom.

No prototypes or ROMs of the game have surfaced.

Additional images

References

  1. Atari 2600 unreleased games list. Retrieved 14 May '16.
  2. Atari HQ Page about Data Age. Retrieved 13 May '16.