Discovery of a GameCube prototype of an unreleased game

A prototype for an unreleased GameCube game was discovered by a passionate Nintendo collector. Lately, there have been headlines about fortunate discoveries of rare games from the sixth console generation, including one that GameCube fans consider the "holy grail." However, this particular find seems to surpass them all as it has never seen the light of day.

Unreleased video games have become some of the rarest finds collectors can acquire nowadays, often fetching thousands of dollars. When you combine this with the knowledge that the GameCube boasts one of the finest game collections, such a significant discovery is bound to attract considerable attention. While it is true that the GameCube couldn't surpass the sales figures of both the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox during its time, some of its games have been regarded as highlights in the history of video games.

In an effort to preserve the GameCube game collection, a Nintendo collector and YouTuber named cake_hoarder made an intriguing discovery. On their recently acquired development GameCube, they found the disc of an unreleased game. Upon testing the prototype, they realized it was none other than "Pickles," a platform/adventure game featuring a unicycle-riding monkey as the main character. A quick Google search revealed that "Pickles" was developed by the now-defunct company Santa Cruz Games in the years 2005 and 2006.

In a brief Twitter video, cake_hoarder reveals that the game disc in their possession contains 12 levels, divided into two distinct worlds. Unfortunately, the footage only showcases the first level of "Pickles." Further experimentation is strongly required as the prototype proves to be somewhat unstable, launching successfully only about once in every ten attempts. Additionally, the collector plans to release the game's ROM online, making it accessible for preservation purposes.

Although neither Nintendo nor former members of Santa Cruz Games have confirmed this, Frank Cifaldi from the Video Game History Foundation commented on the Twitter post, stating that the footage is the same demo he was shown during the Game Connection event in 2006. At that time, the prototype served merely as a technical demo as Santa Cruz Games sought a potential publisher. Interestingly, this is not the first time an unreleased technical demo for a Nintendo console has garnered attention on the internet.

Preserving video games is no easy task, especially when it comes to unreleased games, as there are bound to be hurdles encountered even in the attempt to launch the games. Given this significant challenge, cake_hoarder intends to document and share everything they can gather about "Pickles" on YouTube.