Posted by msmash from the better-late-than-never dept.
An Italian video game, 22 years in the making, has finally hit the market, setting a record for the longest development time in gaming history. “Kien,” an action platformer for Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance, began development in 2002 by a group of five inexperienced enthusiasts, The Guardian reports. Only one, Fabio Belsanti, saw the project through to completion. The game, inspired by 15th-century Tuscan manuscripts and early Japanese graphics, offers a challenging, nonlinear fantasy experience. It’s now available on a translucent gray cartridge, complete with a printed manual — a rarity in modern gaming. Belsanti’s company, AgeOfGames, survived the delay by creating educational games. The recent boom in retro gaming finally made Kien’s release feasible, he said.
“Spock, did you see the looks on their faces?” “Yes, Captain, a sort of vacant contentment.”
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