Renegade Kid is best known to most Nintendo fans - we suspect - as an indie download developer, in particular stepping up a notch in popularity with Mutant Mudds on the 3DS eShop. In the DS era, though, the studio released a variety of respected retail efforts, very much part of the mid-tier market subsequently swallowed up by download stores.

These releases included the likes of Moon - now released as Moon Chronicles on the eShop - and two Dementium games - Dementium: The Ward and Dementium II. It's those latter horror games that were, it's emerged, pitched to Konami early in development as potential Silent Hills games.

Speaking to IGN, studio co-founder Jools Watsham explained that an initial pitch with what became The Ward was dismissed relatively quickly, and then a subsequent pitch with the engine of Dementium II was also ruled out, albeit with more consideration the second time around.

Our goal was always to release The Ward as an original game, but we were also open to the idea of turning it into a licensed horror game and approached Konami to see if they wanted to work together to mold it into a Silent Hill game for the Nintendo DS.

They were kind enough to meet with us, but the meeting only lasted a few minutes and ended with their [representative] saying they wouldn't let a team like us handle the Silent Hill license.

Third-person concept images pitched to Konami

Konami's response that time [with the Dementium II engine] wasn't dismissive like the first time. They simply didn't want to venture into the DS space with a horror title at that time.

In any case, Renegade Kid's atmospheric horror experience will be cleaned up and remastered for 3DS this year. A reminder of the teaser is below.

[source uk.ign.com]