A game released 22 years ago is finally being released, and on the Game Boy Advance

Kien, a Game Boy Advance title announced by Italian volunteers in 2002, has finally been released after 22 years. Kien will be released as a Game Boy Advance game, just like when it was announced.

Kien, the most-delayed video game in history, released after 22 years | Games | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/games/article/2024/jul/04/kein-the-most-delayed-video-game-in-history-released-after-22-years

22 Years After Later, Kien Is Finally Out on Game Boy Advance
https://kotaku.com/kien-game-boy-advance-22-years-most-delayed-game-gba-1851578935

While games often have long development cycles and release delays, it's extremely rare for a game to be released more than a decade after it was announced - but it's not unprecedented: Duke Nukem Forever, for example, was announced in 1997 but wasn't released until 2011, 14 years later.

Kien was announced in 2002 by a group of Italian volunteers, and the development team was a collection of amateurs with zero experience in game development. Kien's development progressed enthusiastically over the two years since its announcement, and the game itself was completed. However, it was never released as a title for the Game Boy Advance because game publishers did not want to sell Kien. One of the reasons for the lack of interest from game publishers was that 'it would have been very costly to sell the game as a title for the Game Boy Advance.'

After that, the only member of the development team was game designer Fabio Belsanti, who founded his own game studio. Belsanti's game studio creates educational games for children and teens. However, Belsanti did not give up on selling Kien completely, and decided to release Kien in line with the recent boom in retro games.

Kien - Official Game Boy Advance Trailer #2 (2024) - YouTube


The synopsis of Kein is as follows:

Unlock the secrets of Kein! For 7,000 years, the planet Malkuth has been wisely ruled by seven absolute rulers. But evil has corrupted the land of harmony, reawakening chaos. The seven rulers have disappeared, mystic warriors slaughtered, and temples soaked in blood. The only hope remaining is trapped in the hearts and wills of two young apprentices. Their destiny is to fight evil, uncover the truth, and unlock the secrets of Kein.

As the synopsis says, the main characters are KJAN and ELENDEL. KJAN is a warrior and ELENDEL is a monk.

Belsanti describes Kein as 'a very challenging game, in some ways a Soulslike , developed before the term Soulslike was even invented. The combat is always intense and challenging, the missions and paths between the different levels and worlds are really complex, and you discover something new as you play, make mistakes and die. Many players will love it, but some may not.'

The battle screen is as shown below. It is a side-scrolling action game, but it also contains RPG elements. It is said that '23 complex, demanding and fascinating fantasy worlds' are prepared.

The controls are as follows: A button to attack, B button to jump, D-pad to move, R button to perform spell attacks in ELENDEL and special shots in KJAN, L button to throw weapons and power up.

'I think we're experiencing a similar trend with games to the resurgence of records and cassette tapes,' developer Belsanti told The Guardian. 'Nostalgia for the generation that lived through those days, and the curiosity of people who discovered retro games later, is driving a return to more primitive forms of media.'

'Releasing this game on its original console is a romantic and truly magical experience,' said Belsanti, who is pleased to finally be able to release Kien after 22 years. 'The fact that we're able to sell Kien on the platform it was originally intended to be released on is a dream come true.'

Belsanti partnered with Incube8, a game publisher that supports the sale of new titles for older game consoles such as the Game Boy Advance, to successfully launch Kien. Kien is available for $59.99 (approx. 9,600 yen) for the Game Boy Advance cartridge version and $9.99 (approx. 1,600 yen) for the digital version that can be played on an emulator. The expected play time is 10 to 15 hours.

Kien (GBA) – Incube8 Games
https://incube8games.com/products/kien-gba

Kien (GBA) - Digital Edition – Incube8 Games
https://incube8games.com/products/kien-gba-digital-edition