The Cancelled Green Lantern SNES Game Sees The Light Of Day

Friends, the other evening after we had finished the Diary of An Arcade Employee watch party on Facebook – Earl Green sent me a link to a pretty remarkable documentary from Did You Know Gaming? It concerns the cancelled Green Lantern video game from Ocean Software – a title that originally began in the early ’90s as a possible computer game for the popular home computers of the day. In fact the game and software company which was founded in England, really developed a solid working relationship with DC Comics when it released its 3D isometric Batman game in 1986. It was one of three video games based on the Dark Knight that Ocean would release as a matter of fact – with each appearing to have been well received back in the day. Having said that, after watching the cancelled Green Lantern documentary, it seems like it was the success of Ocean’s Batman: The Movie in ’89 that kind of opened the door for the company to develop games for other DC Comics characters.

Before finally being cancelled by Ocean Software, the Green Lantern game had an interesting development cycle – starting off as a possible home computer game. That first attempt at seeing the likes of Hal Jordan in a video game eventually found itself being put on the back burner – until it was decided to give it another go as an Super Nintendo Entertainment System title. Although as you will see in the documentary – which runs a little under 20 minutes – there were many hurdles that were placed in front of the development team. Such as last minute changes, thanks to the then current storylines being produced by DC Comics – namely the Zero Hour event in 1994. A crossover event that I have touched on in the Starman episode of the Pop Culture Retrorama podcast.

Without further ado, enjoy this entertaining and informative documentary on the Green Lantern SNES game that could have been. Thanks to the research of Frank Gasking (The Games That Weren’t) and Did You Know Gaming? – we can actually see the game in action – and it honestly looks like it could have been quite a bit of fun if it had been finished.

“In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might, beware my power, Green Lantern’s light.”