The ‘Master’ Build of Viewpoint 2064 Has Been Rescued from the Abyss
A complete "Master" build of the cancelled N64 shooter Viewpoint 2064 has been dumped by Hard4Games. Dated April 2000, this final version fixes the bugs of previous prototypes and offers the full experience intended for retail.
It is a rare mercy when the gaming industry’s history is preserved rather than left to rot in a damp warehouse. For fans of the Nintendo 64, that mercy has arrived in the form of the "Master" build of Viewpoint 2064. A sequel to the Neo Geo isometric shooter, this title was developed by Racdym and published by Sammy, but it was unceremoniously cancelled despite a scheduled release in the year 2000. Now, thanks to the efforts of preservationists, the final intended code is available to the public.
The discovery comes courtesy of Hard4Games and the release group 8bitbros, who have dumped the ROM and uploaded it to Hidden Palace. While a prototype of the game surfaced back in 2020, that version was riddled with bugs, missing collision detection, and incomplete features. This newly acquired cartridge, however, bears the label "MASTER 4/13VER", dated April 13, 2000. It represents the game as it was meant to be shipped to retailers, had Sammy not pulled the plug at the eleventh hour.
Viewpoint 2064 was an odd beast. It traded the original’s isometric perspective for a 3D, behind-the-ship camera that drew immediate comparisons to Star Fox 64. Previews at Nintendo SpaceWorld 1999 were cautiously optimistic, praising the polygonal graphics and lock-on mechanics. Yet, as is often the case with N64 software released late in the console’s life cycle, it simply vanished from release schedules.
This preservation effort highlights a sobering reality: our access to gaming history often hangs by a thread. Had this specific development cartridge been tossed in a skip or overwritten, the "complete" version of Racdym’s work would have been lost entirely. Instead, curious players can now experience the full 15-stage campaign, branching paths and all, without the glitchy nightmares of the previous prototype.
You can find the full details and the ROM download at the Hidden Palace entry linked below.
Read the full documentation and download the build at Hidden Palace
