Posted on August 6th, 2004 by Frank Cifaldi 
Digital Press has posted a video clip featuring a full commercial for Wings, an unreleased Atari 2600 game developed by CBS.
Wings, sadly, is not based on the 1990 sitcom starring teen heartthrob Steven Weber and his hilarious airline management misadventures. According to the commercial, the storyline involves Earth being “under attack,” with the only hope being the player and his or her “wings.” We’re not sure who the attackers are, but they appear on-screen as pink rectangles.
What’s interesting is that Wings, according to the ad, was coded to “megacharge your Atari VCS” and make it “three times as exciting.” Surely, Wings would have revolutionized the gaming industry as we know it.
Fortunately, the game itself has also been found, and will be displayed at this year’s Classic Gaming Expo in San Jose. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it out this year, so if anyone out there can explain the increase in excitement, I’m sure our readers would love to hear it.
Download the clip, along with three other apparently unaired CBS Games commercials, from the Screening Room at Digital Press.
Posted on August 2nd, 2004 by Frank Cifaldi 
On I-15 today, somewhere between Barstow and Baker, California, I realized something kind of significant. Lost Levels is one year old today.
I suppose now is when I’m supposed to offer some sort of reflection on my life, and how writing about videogames that don’t exist has affected it. But instead, I’m going to announce:
The Lost Levels One-Year Anniversary Naked Birthday Bash!
Except without the naked part.
The festivities will be held this Friday, August 6, 2004 at the Freakin’ Frog Beer and Wine Cafe in beautifully dusty Las Vegas, NV from 6 until 9 p.m. I’ll be the guy sitting alone in the corner, wearing a party hat and choking back tears while staring into my beer and realizing just what my life has become. Free drink if you barge in the door screaming, “Dead games tell no tales!”
Posted on July 31st, 2004 by Kenny Sutherland 
The story of the alleged EarthBound NES prototype can be summed up in one word: Controversy.
The legitimacy of the cartridge has been called into question since it was first mentioned online in 1998. Now, more than half a decade later, Lost Levels will deliver some answers about this unique game.
Jonathan Wirth takes us on a journey into the world of copy protection screens, graphical edits, and expanded endings. That is to say, into the world of EarthBound.
Posted on July 1st, 2004 by Frank Cifaldi 
“Toucan” of Toucan’s TI-99/4A Videogame House has uploaded screenshots of Lobster Bay, an unreleased TI-99 game developed by Funware.
From what we understand, the game takes place entirely underwater, where your little scuba diver guy attempts to collect treasure across upwards of seven screens per level.
“Toucan” plans to make this, along with another unreleased Funware game by the name of Ant Colony, “available” in some form. We’ll keep you updated.
Posted on June 1st, 2004 by Frank Cifaldi 
When Taito discovered that their in-development NES port of Hit the Ice was, well, bad, they decided to spice it up a bit. The result?
The world’s first hockey RPG. Read on, my captive little audience, read on, and learn more than you either wanted or anticipated about a game you’re probably better off without.
As always, feel free to discuss this piece on our steadily growing forums.
Posted on May 24th, 2004 by Frank Cifaldi 
Best Electronics, a company more than infamous among Atari collectors, recently auctioned off a prototype PCB board containing a previously unheard-of game for the Atari 2600.
Best’s auction claims that the prototype was “recently acquired from an ex-Universal 2600 programmer,” which is likely indicative of the game’s development origins. The winning bid of $565.00 was placed by Bidiots! user “atarimuseum,” whom we’re guessing is Curt Vendel of The Atari Historical Society.
We’ll keep you updated with any further developments that come in about the game. Meanwhile, check out the screenshots I’ve so kindly uploaded, and feel free to discuss this on our forums.
Posted on April 24th, 2004 by Kenny Sutherland 
This month, Lost Levels brings you an introspective look at vegetables, video games, bad puns, and children in ninja costumes saving the world.
Read on, if you dare, and discover the lost treasures of Jaleco’s Squashed. Author Chris Covell delves deeply into the mysteries of the unreleased game, with a special focus on Jaleco’s attempted gankage of intellectual properties.