alright, since it's been a few hours. i was able to compile a bunch of extra details.
What happened to the cart?
as it turns out, the original owner (DreamTR) sold it off. and the new owner imprisoned it in
a WATA shell.
thankfully, checking the MD5 hash of the leaked rom confirms that it's
1;1 with the cartridge version.
the unused content
you already saw part of the Hangman image in the OP, but it turns out the full version is
shockingly grim for an SNES game designed for casual players.
the "coming soon" text seems to suggest that it would get added to the Gateway system later on. even though it never properly displays in-game.
in less creepypasta-esque content, there's also an alternate version of the UI which uses the more standard name of "Tic-Tac-Toe".
as well as an
unused music track, maybe it was intended for one of the other games?
the origins of Nintendo Software Technology
the earliest evidence i could find of them was in a
May 1998 press release at E3 mentioning their formation.
Nintendo of America Inc. continues to strengthen its internal development capabilities. Previously, Nintendo announced an increased stake in U.K.-based Rare Ltd., developer of the recent million-seller GoldenEye 007™ and developer and publisher of the blockbuster Diddy Kong™ Racing, and a significant investment in Left Field Productions, Inc., the Los Angeles-area developers of the newly launched, fast-selling Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside (published by Nintendo).
Nintendo also has created its first internal games development group in Redmond, Washington, Nintendo Software Technology Corporation.
what's
not mentioned, however. is it's ties to the DigiPen Institute of Technology
. Nintendo had a close relation to the university starting in the 90s, with
a new school opening in Redmond, Washington (the future location of NST) a few months prior to E3.
Recognizing the need for new, creative talent in the video game industry, Nintendo of America is supporting DigiPen by providing guidance, technical expertise and the donation of hardware and development tools. Nintendo and DigiPen are also working together to create a Nintendo Laboratory within the school giving students the opportunity to focus on Nintendo technologies.
"The video game, computer animation, and special effects industries are thirsting for new talent," explains Howard Lincoln, chairman, Nintendo of America. "We are pleased to join with DigiPen to foster growth in the video game and computer fields through provision of a Nintendo technology lab, and supporting industry-wide efforts to encourage today's youth to continue excelling in math and science."
Nintendo having a small internal group at the university was not new for the time, with evidence suggesting they previously operated under the names "DigiPen Computer Graphics" and "DigiNin".
of particular historical relevance was
the university's policies (circa 1996) on how projects made by their students could be used.
In two years, the students have produced 30 products, with names like "Dungeon Madness," "Star Fighter" and "Fate of the Heroes." All remain in the students' portfolios and can be sampled at DigiPen, but none will be sold or licensed to commercial interests. (That's to allay suspicions that the students are being exploited.)
we don't have an exact date on when Noughts & Crosses was made, but it was likely a
huge turning point for Digipen as a whole. with the advancing rate of the internet, Student projects could go from being perpetually locked (mostly, the official site for the school allowed students to share info about what they made. but no builds were allowed.) inside the halls to being shared online. allowing general audiences to see the germination of
creative gameplay mechanics and
unique voices before they hit a major commercial title.
the other Digipen Nintendo games
with the note about their close partnership, it's not surprising to learn that other students at Digipen would get the chance to work with SNES dev tools.
projects such as
"Disposable Heroes" and
"OCOWA" would be created for the hardware, never to be seen outside the classroom.
the possibility of those students still having a build lying around is reasonable, and as such it seems like a worthwhile project to look into.
however, the DigiNin group also got their hands on the then-new N64. and created a tech demo you've
almost certainly never heard of.
during my research into various employees at NST, i stumbled upon this unique note about DigiNin from an employee.
DigiNin (Spinoff between DigiPen and Nintendo of America):
• 2D/3D content creation
• lead artist, story-boarding and game design for prototypes and pilot projects.
• game-designer, level-designer, lead artist and art director for a prototype N64 game “Human-
Motion”, featuring innovative character animations and technology.
this is all the info we have currently, but whatever it is sounds
vastly important in Nintendo's history.
