Superman Homepage

2021 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News Archives

July 20, 2021: Videos and Artwork From Never Released Superman Video Game

Video game designer Salvatrix has taken to Twitter to reveal gameplay footage and artwork from a 2007/2008 Superman video game that was never released.

As the lead designer on the video game, Salvatrix says the Superman video game from Studio 5 never made it to release due to economy crashing at the time, which caused the closure of the company... and ended development on the game.

"I have multiple unreleased games through my career, but THIS is the only one I mourn to this day..."

"The goal was to present super brawls as they were seen in the cartoons and comics. [Justice League Unlimited] was our main touchstone. We put together this fast video montage to show what everything we wanted to have as gameplay. And we DID IT."



According to the game designer, the Superman video game would have featured aerial brawling, large urban environments, crashing through buildings, fast target engagement, knocking your foe into the next block, shockwaves from hits, impact grooves in the streets or building sides.

"We hadn't seen a game really deliver on that promise before, and to be honest I have yet to see it delivered fully since. We had it fully working as a prototype and were shifting to full production when the crash hit. All the main gameplay was in place and had been proven out."

"We also didn't want to rely on traditional gaming crutches of the IP – kryptonite and fighting robots. There were rules about the big blue boy scout (pre-Snyder obviously), but we were to surround Supes with foes more in his power range."



Intended as a release alongside the movie "Superman Returns," the Superman video game would have featured environments based heavily on both the Superman animated series and early 20th century artist Hugh Ferriss - featuring elevated highways, railways, and airships.



"In addition to us just appreciating the visual aesthetic (and that it worked with the animated series style), the layers of motion at every elevation in the city created a city that felt alive no matter where you were - important in a game where much takes place in the air."

"Everything here is blocky - by intent. For prototyping, we were establishing playable spaces, activity levels, core functionality, etc. When the art is more refined, too much feedback starts to focus on the art. "Ugly" art helps keep the focus on where it is needed early on."

"And this is a target render from pre-production. The point of the target render is to demonstrate what the intended gameplay might look like in a more art-finished state."



Below are additional character concept drawings for Darkseid, Parademon, Brimstone and Livewire drawn by the game's concept artists.

2021 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News

Listed below are all the Merchandise & Miscellaneous News items archived for 2021.

Back to the News Archive Contents page.

Back to the Latest News page.

DISCLAIMER: SUPERMAN and all related elements are the property of DC Comics. TM & © 2024

This Superman Homepage is Copyright © Steven Younis 1994-2024
All Rights Reserved

Dedicated to Andrew J Gould - the original keeper of the Superman Homepage!

Since May 2001, the address is www.SupermanHomepage.com

Our Privacy Policy.