Six levels in Banshee

[Gzegzolka]

For a very long time I thought it was some kind of urban legend that was brainless copied in many magazines previews.
We all know Banshee got only 4 levels:
1. fly over ocean and harbor
2. city, park, graveyard
3. winter/desert level
4. fly into space and alien command base
Both floppies and CD32 got only those levels and there is no trace of other two.

So I start to play different Banshee demos from coverdisks. I count at least three different versions, each one got different short playable segment from first level.
Each one got music in background during gameplay, and what is more important each one ends with statement that full game will feature six levels.




I also made some screen shoots from early CORE promotional materials:










Even here it is mentioned there will be six stages. Plus for bonus You can spot different HUD, different player bullets and plans for IBM PC port too.

I wonder what had happens with those two missing levels? Were there any photos of them in press previews? Were there any graphics done for them and why there were cut? How do they look?
I believe only developers could answer my questions. Or maybe someone here know the story of its development.

[chip]

Could they be two "secret" levels ?

[d4rk3lf]

They probably broken deadline, and couldn't afford development on all 6 levels.
It happens.

From the side note, this is what Rise of the Robots promised:
[ Show youtube player ]

[Amigajay]

I didn’t know the floppy version was originally to have 6 levels, from what i remember reading the CD32 version which came after was to get “2 extra levels” and some rendered FMV sequences between levels, we course know it didn’t get either.

I can only assume they ran out of time and/or budget.

From glancing at the Amiga Power and CD32 Gamer CD32 reviews they insist it has 6 levels, but as you say mags often told a porkie and often reviewed the A1200 version on the premise what was coming and what to write in its place, they could have gotten that info from their own demo disks as you say, but even then the manual only states 4 levels, so we can only assume AP was FOS!

[ransom1122]

[ransom1122]

Back cover of game mentions only 4 levels. So id say they never lived up to their promise.

[Predseda]

Cut costs.

[Gordon]

Shame aboout the no music in game too. Not a fan of the sound effect. Even if they couldnt have both at the same time, at least let us choose.

[gimbal]

Originally Posted by Predseda

Cut costs.

Yeah maybe. Or maybe it was a rather sudden shift of resources... to making PC 3D games. This is all in the Doom boom.

The next releases from Core in 1995 and 1996 were games such as Thunderhawk 2, Shellshock and Tomb Raider...

[jotd]

Off topic but Zool CD32 has 7 levels when AGA & ECS versions only have 6.

[Gzegzolka]

I have two theories for those missing levels:
One - those were going to be two big levels, each one with different setting. Just like those in final version. Core wants to make game with six levels at beginning of development, but sometime during production they come to realization that they will not release game on time and cut them. I have no idea where they could take place, maybe jungle environment or rural areas covered with small rivers, fields and farms, or more space levels?
Two - those were some kind of short bonus stages that were going to be independent very small levels, but during finishing development of game Core decided to simple merge them with final stages. There could be for example level in space based on avoiding incoming asteroids, flying inside canyon and avoiding falling rocks or flying across minefields like in beginning of level 3.
Anyway those are just my speculations. I could be right, or totally wrong I think that only someone who works on this game might know full story, maybe Jacob Andersen could put some light on this.