Recent hiccups relating to Diablo 3 aside, Blizzard's fantasy series has been a critical and commercial smash for years now - so much so that the company was at one point considering a money-spinning version for the Nintendo Game Boy Color.
Named Diablo Junior, the game would have taken a leaf from Pokémon's book by launching as multiple editions, allowing players to exchange exclusive characters with one another. Development began around the same time as Diablo 2, and a Game Boy Advance version was also on the cards.
These revelations come from Blizzard biographer David Craddock, who is currently working on an unofficial history of Blizzard called Stay Awhile And Listen, and has spoken to more than 80 ex-employees of the company - which is also responsible for the popular MMO World of Warcraft.
Here he is to tell you a bit more:
The team at Blizzard wanted to release three cartridges, each packing a different hero in the warrior-rogue-sorcerer vein as well as items that players would have to trade for in order to collect. Heroes started in a unique town before heading into dungeons and wilderness zones.
Diablo Junior was ultimately put out to pasture because of the steep production costs associated with developing handheld games.
[source edge-online.com, via shacknews.com]
Comments 15
Given Blizzard's typical long development cycle, it probably would have come out in time for the launch of the DS!
that sounds really cool. too bad it never happened
I didn't know handhelds had steep production costs. Wonder what specifically makes them so expensive?
It's truly amazing the work done in the prototype ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSPwIFLv_ak ), I would surely would have loved to play "Diablo" on the go. Hope Blizzard gets back on consoles someday.
Diablo for 3DS then please Blizzard.
That woulda been cool. Baldur's Gate on GBA was fun, so this would have worked as well. And please keep Diablo off of 3DS. Or any platform for that matter, that ship has sailed, Diablo clones such as Torchlight and Path Of Exile do it much better than Blizzard nowadays.
@med088 Cartridges are a factor I think. N64 had that same problem.
I could see it happening on the 3DS if Blizzard was smart enough, heck Heroes of Ruin reminds me alot of Diablo.
Also I can see the reason for the cancellation of the GB games at the time Blizzard was still young and didnt have all the money coming in from WoW. Now if they were to do it I dont think production cost would be a problem.
I would love to see some screenshots of what the game looked like before it was cancelled, though it is hard to say how far in development the game was in though...
Quick! Finish it and release it as Virtual Console!
I heard of that game, it has a major trilogy on the PC. Though I'd think a better idea would be on the DS or 3DS. No wait, WII U, WII U would be the best option, DO YA HEAR ME!
Well...huh. How 'bout that.
I wish Blizzard would work on Lost Vikings 3 for the 3DS.
Interesting..
Well damn. It's not terribly hard to imagine, but that would have been great!
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