PBA Bowling 2001 for the Dreamcast

A reader by the unlikely name of “ShadowofBob” sent me a few screenshots from PBA Bowling 2001, an unreleased game for the Sega Dreamcast.

PBA Bowling 2001 was being developed by Bethesda Softworks, better known perhaps for their Pirates of the Caribbean and Elder Scrolls series of games.

A PC version of the game was released, as well as a 2004 update for the Playstation2.

Check out the shots here, and feel free to comment on this or any other game in our forums.

Modem Wars

I first wrote today’s article well over a year ago. It was my first attempt at video game journalism, and the very inspiration for the web site you’re reading. Ladies and gentleman, the true story behind the Baton Teleplay Modem.

Dune on the 2600

Curt Vendel of AtariMuseum.com has released a binary for Dune, an unreleased game for the Atari 2600 based on the 1984 David Lynch movie starring Francesca Annis (of television’s “The Gravy Train Goes East”).

Check out Matt Reichert’s review here, and download the game from this page at AtariAge.com.

Special thanks is in order for The Internet Movie Database. For years, IMDB has helped me trick people into thinking I have an encyclopedic knowledge of useless television and movie trivia. I’d hate to think of where I’d be today without it.

Dept. of Corrections

It was implied in yesterday’s news that Tiffany sang the Classic 80’s Pop Hit, “The Locomotion.” She did not. That song was sung by Kylie Minogue. We deeply apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

As a matter of fact, it’s such a common misconception that the above-linked Tiffany site debunks it on its news page.

Furthermore, I used to live down the street from Kylie Minogue. But not the famous one. Just a girl named Kylie Minogue. Her mom was a real estate agent.

Loco-Motion

AtariProtos.com has recently been updated with (among other things) a page for the unreleased Atari 2600 game Loco-Motion. Strangely enough, the game was to have been a port of the 1981 Konami arcade machine Loco-Motion.

The gameplay looks somewhat similar to the “Amquack Railroad” train operator mini-game from the Commodore 64 title Donald Duck’s Playground, except for the passenger riots, exploding stations, run-away “crazy trains,” and the complete lack of Donald Duck.

And to think, I almost got away with this news post without making reference to 80s “superstar” and Playboy covergirl (April, 2002), Tiffany.

Apocalypse II

I don’t know what’s up with the sudden surge of unreleased Super Nintendo games being discovered, but I’m not complaining! SNES Central, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite online resources, has posted information on Psygnosis’ ill-fated Apocalypse II.

In fact, you’d do well to check out the site’s Unreleased Games section, which contains the most comprehensive list of unreleased Super Nintendo games I’ve ever seen.

Big thanks to programmer Simon Nicol for sharing this game, and to the fine folks at the Digital Press web forums for tipping us off.

Boicotta Settembre!

I’ve been asked, several times, in various states of politeness, why this site is “dead.”

It’s an excellent question, and one I’m reluctant to answer, as I’ve yet to find a valid explanation that would cover all of my bases. So, I came up with a great excuse.

We’re boycotting September.

That’s right, folks. Here at Lost Levels, we view the ninth month of the year as a time of personal reflection, a time to stop writing about video games and take the time to notice the little things.

It also happens to be the month Fall semester begins, and merely the second month of the little project you’re now viewing.

In short, I was mistaken in believing that I could produce work of adequate quality on a set schedule. I can not. In a perfect world, writing about video games would cover my rent and my ramen noodle and coffee stockpile, but it does not.

So here’s the deal. I’ll publish articles, right here, when they’re done. This is not to say that my future output will not match that of August’s. What this means is that, instead of worrying about balancing three to four articles at a time, I can focus on getting each one done right. Which, to me, is scads more important than reaching some kind of presupposed deadline.

We’ll pick up again this weekend. After that, I foresee no problems in publishing regular updates. Thank you for your continued support and words of encouragement. We’re not going anywhere, and it only gets better from here.