Unreleased 'Dune' GBA Game Is Finally Available To Buy, But With A New Name

Following on from its Kickstarter campaign last year, Pixel Games UK has released the previously-cancelled Dune GBA game — called Frank Herbert’s Dune: Ornithopter Assault — on Steam under a brand new name.

Spotted by @TheSpaceShipper on Twitter (via Time Extension), the newly-titled Elland: The Crystal Wars launched yesterday on Valve's distribution service. The game has been retooled slightly to remove references to Frank Herbert's novel, but otherwise remains largely intact. Despite covering the Kickstarter last year, it's a pretty pleasant surprise to see this once-cancelled game hit digital storefronts.

Publishers Pixel Games UK and Retro Room Games are also keen to keep the history of this game alive and noted down, as shown by the game's Steam page:

"In 2001, development began on an ambitious Game Boy Advance game based on a popular franchise. Maybe the project was a little too ambitious, because it was cancelled in 2002 and the team walked away. Twenty years later, this game finally sees the light of day, albeit without the original franchise license. Experience the game now in this enhanced, emulated version."

Obvious omissions to the IP aside, Elland: The Crystal Wars is a look back at something we missed all of those years ago. It's actually pretty amazing to see it revived, even with the changes! Pixel Games UK seem to have made a reputation of bringing back long-lost, oft-forgotten games to Steam, such as the Actua sports games (thanks, Time Extension!), and this rerelease of the 'not-Dune' game is just another feather in this unusual cap.

• Further reading - The GBA's Unreleased 'Dune' Game Is Being Revived On Kickstarter, Minus The IP Rights

The Steam version of Elland: The Crystal Wars isn't just a straight emulation or port with visual tweaks, however. While undertaking over 20 dangerous missions on this desert planet — which involve mining for crystals, stopping rival company Trafford Corp from stealing bombs, and taking down enemy bases — there are a number of quality-of-life features available, such as:

- Saving/loading the game at any point
- Support for most modern game controllers
- Full control remapping
- Image scaling and smoothing options

The game is available on Steam right now for £11.15 (thanks to a launch offer), but looking at it, it makes us all nostalgic for the GBA. Well, you can also pick up a physical version of Elland: The Crystal Wars from The Retro Room's store. The GBA cart alone will cost "24.99, while the full boxed edition — which included a manual — is $55. Maybe, one day in the near future, we'll see the game make its way over to Switch.

Are you curious about this once-Dune game? Dig into the comments below and let us know if you'll be picking up Elland on Steam.