Sound Fantasy
Encyclopedia
Sound Fantasy also titled Sound Factory during production, is an unreleased video game for the Super NES/Super Famicom
.
designed the game in the early 1990s using concepts from the installation art
piece Music Insects, which he created during his time as an Artist in Residence at the San Francisco Exploratorium
. However, the finished product was never brought to market by Nintendo
for unknown reasons.
Its eccentric
concepts and untested game mechanics may have been the main factor in its cancellation; music games
, especially on home consoles
, were not popular in the early 1990s, and it wouldn't be until much later in the decade that they gained mainstream attention.
Sound Fantasy was to come packed-in with the SNES Mouse
and mouse pad, and it would arrive in a larger game box to hold its contents similar to Super Nintendo games like Mario Paint
and EarthBound
. It is speculated that Nintendo chose to use Mario Paint to launch its mouse peripheral
in 1992
instead, as that game was endorsed by Mario
, one of gaming's most recognizable mascots.
Toshio Iwai eventually went on to convert his work into the PC
game SimTunes
in 1996
, and many of Sound Fantasys unreleased gameplay elements can be found there.
In April 2005, to celebrate the Japanese launch of Toshio Iwai's latest work, Electroplankton
for the Nintendo DS
, Nintendo opened an exhibit at Tokyo
's Harajuku Station
to focus on the new game and on Iwai himself. Nintendo made available for perusal the box art and manual for Sound Fantasy, but the "lost game" was not made playable there.
SimTunes
, the PC game that Sound Fantasy was converted into
Electroplankton
, Iwai's most recent creation, for the Nintendo DS
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
.
Summary
Interactive media artist Toshio IwaiToshio Iwai
is a Japanese interactive media and installation artist who has also created a number of commercial video games. In addition he has worked in television, music performance, museum design and digital musical instrument design.-Education and early work:...
designed the game in the early 1990s using concepts from the installation art
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
piece Music Insects, which he created during his time as an Artist in Residence at the San Francisco Exploratorium
Exploratorium
The Exploratorium is a museum in San Francisco with over 475 participatory exhibits, all of them made onsite, that mix science and art. It also aims to promote museums as informal education centers....
. However, the finished product was never brought to market by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for unknown reasons.
Its eccentric
Eccentricity (behavior)
In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...
concepts and untested game mechanics may have been the main factor in its cancellation; music games
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
, especially on home consoles
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
, were not popular in the early 1990s, and it wouldn't be until much later in the decade that they gained mainstream attention.
Sound Fantasy was to come packed-in with the SNES Mouse
SNES Mouse
The Super NES Mouse is a peripheral released by Nintendo in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . Originally designed for use with the game Mario Paint, the SNES Mouse was sold in a bundle with the game and included a plastic mouse pad...
and mouse pad, and it would arrive in a larger game box to hold its contents similar to Super Nintendo games like Mario Paint
Mario Paint
Mario Paint is a video game created by Nintendo for use with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and was released along with the SNES Mouse peripheral device...
and EarthBound
EarthBound
EarthBound, also known as EarthBound: The War Against Giygas! and released as in Japan, is a role-playing video game co-developed by Ape and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console...
. It is speculated that Nintendo chose to use Mario Paint to launch its mouse peripheral
Peripheral
A peripheral is a device attached to a host computer, but not part of it, and is more or less dependent on the host. It expands the host's capabilities, but does not form part of the core computer architecture....
in 1992
1992 in video gaming
-Events:-Notable releases:* Gremlin Graphics releases Zool, Amiga's answer to Mario and Sonic. It goes on to become the best selling Commodore Amiga game, boosting the already popular computer to be the leading gaming machine in Europe....
instead, as that game was endorsed by Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, one of gaming's most recognizable mascots.
Toshio Iwai eventually went on to convert his work into the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
game SimTunes
SimTunes
SimTunes is a children's software toy designed by Toshio Iwai and released by Maxis in 1996. It involves painting a picture with dots , where each color represents a musical note...
in 1996
1996 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*January 29 — Duke Nukem 3D, successor to the simple side-scrolling originals, and a genre-redefining title for first person shooters....
, and many of Sound Fantasys unreleased gameplay elements can be found there.
In April 2005, to celebrate the Japanese launch of Toshio Iwai's latest work, Electroplankton
Electroplankton
Electroplankton is an interactive music video game developed by Toshio Iwai and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan, and was later released in North America and Europe. This game allows the player to interact with animated plankton...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, Nintendo opened an exhibit at Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
's Harajuku Station
Harajuku Station
is a railway station in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company . The station takes its name from the area on its eastern side, Harajuku.-Lines:This station is served by the Yamanote Line...
to focus on the new game and on Iwai himself. Nintendo made available for perusal the box art and manual for Sound Fantasy, but the "lost game" was not made playable there.
See also
- Toshio IwaiToshio Iwaiis a Japanese interactive media and installation artist who has also created a number of commercial video games. In addition he has worked in television, music performance, museum design and digital musical instrument design.-Education and early work:...
,
SimTunes
SimTunes is a children's software toy designed by Toshio Iwai and released by Maxis in 1996. It involves painting a picture with dots , where each color represents a musical note...
, the PC game that Sound Fantasy was converted into
Electroplankton
Electroplankton is an interactive music video game developed by Toshio Iwai and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan, and was later released in North America and Europe. This game allows the player to interact with animated plankton...
, Iwai's most recent creation, for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...