Sony Exec Recalls Concealed NES-PS1 Co-Op Project

Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida recently shared insights into his experience with the unreleased Nintendo PlayStation prototype, including playing a nearly completed game developed for the cancelled console.

In a MinnMax interview, Yoshida recounted his career at Sony, starting with his early work alongside Ken Kutaragi, the "father of PlayStation." Joining Kutaragi's team in February 1993, during the original PlayStation's development, Yoshida and his colleagues were introduced to the Nintendo PlayStation prototype. He emphasized that this was a functional prototype, not just a concept.

Yoshida described playing an almost finished game on the very day he started. The game, reminiscent of a contemporary space shooter like Sega CD's Silpheed (which streamed assets from the CD), remains largely a mystery. He couldn't recall the developer's identity or the game's origin (US or Japan). However, regarding the game's potential survival in Sony's archives, Yoshida expressed optimism, noting the game's data was stored on a CD.

The Nintendo PlayStation remains a highly sought-after collector's item, a testament to its unreleased status and the intriguing "what-if" scenario it represents for Nintendo and Sony. Its appearance at auctions and among collectors further highlights its rarity.

The possibility of this Sony space shooter eventually surfacing is captivating, especially considering Nintendo's own release of Star Fox 2 years after its cancellation. Perhaps this lost piece of gaming history could one day see the light of day.