Final Build Of Cancelled Resident Evil Game Boy Colour Port Surfaces
A 'final build' of the cancelled Resident Evil Game Boy Color port has surfaced online, offering the most complete version yet of this ambitious adaptation. The recovered build includes the climactic Tyrant boss battle and an ending sequence, features missing from earlier discoveries.
A previously lost version of the cancelled Resident Evil port for the Game Boy Color has been recovered and shared online, potentially offering the first chance to complete the ambitious project. According to the preservation site Games That Weren't, this newly surfaced “final build” includes the climactic Tyrant boss and a reportedly triggerable ending sequence, features missing from earlier incomplete builds discovered in 2011.
📜 The Game Boy Color's Ambitious PortsThe late 1990s saw several studios attempting to port major PlayStation titles to the 8-bit Game Boy Color, often with surprising results. While Resident Evil was cancelled, other ambitious ports like Tomb Raider and Driver were actually released, showcasing the system's technical limits and the creativity required to adapt 3D games into 2D.
The port was a technical marvel for its time, developed in the late 1990s by London-based studios HotGen and Fluid Studios. It attempted to recreate the 3D environments of the 1996 PlayStation classic using sophisticated 2D sprite work on the 8-bit handheld. Former producer Jon Oldham revealed the project was scrapped despite being functionally ready, stating that Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami “had said it couldn't be done and refused to allow it to be finished.”
Our first big Christmas update is with an amazing recovery of the final build of Resident Evil on Gameboy Color. Hotgen's impressive conversion that got canned. This is much closer to completion, and seems completable too. Lots to discover!https://t.co/PqnSERyZuP pic.twitter.com/u2sPODb7dS
— Games That Weren't (@fgasking) December 17, 2025
This discovery sheds new light on a fascinating “what if” for the Game Boy Color library. While the system eventually received the top-down Resident Evil Gaiden in 2000, this earlier port aimed to deliver a far more authentic adaptation of the Spencer Mansion adventure. Programmer Nigel Speight, whose comments are archived by Games That Weren't, estimated the game was 75-85% complete, with its scope expanding as publisher Virgin Interactive repeatedly authorised larger cartridge sizes to include more original content.
For fans, the recovery of such a significant cancelled title is a major event. It offers a tangible look at the bold, often technically constrained experiments of the late-90s portable scene, where developers like HotGen pushed hardware far beyond its perceived limits. The community will now be eager to see if this final build indeed allows players to experience a chapter of Resident Evil history that, for over two decades, was thought to be permanently locked away.
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