Highlights
- Kien, a long-awaited Game Boy Advance action platformer, was finally released in 2024 as a retro Game Boy exclusive.
- Kien was developed by independent Italian studio AgeOfGames, but suffered several setbacks before its release, one of which was its cancellation by the publisher.
- The release of Kien on the Game Boy Advance is seen as a major victory for the preservation of the game. One of the original developers expressed the magic of the release on the intended platform.
Kiena long-delayed action platformer originally scheduled for release on Game Boy Advance more than 20 years ago, has now finally been released in 2024 as an exclusive for Nintendo’s retro handheld. While it’s a shame that the game is only available on a console that is no longer supported by its manufacturer, seeing this once lost Game Boy Advance title being made available to the public in an official way is a cause for celebration, as it marks another major victory for gaming preservation.
Production started already in 2002, Kien has had a terribly long and arduous journey to release. Created by independent Italian developer AgeOfGames, the game started out as a simple passion project conceived by 5 ambitious game makers with no prior experience in coding or programming. After work began on the title, it stalled in the run-up to its initial launch and ended up in production limbo. Unlike other games with long development cycles, the progress of Kien went smoothly for the most part. The title was even finished and sent out to reviewers in November 2003. However, the publisher canceled it just before launch. Although AgeOfGames did Kien Over the years they approached other companies, but for decades they were unable to find a suitable partner.
Related
The lost Game Boy Advance physical game is now available for pre-order
A previously unreleased Game Boy Advance game will receive a limited physical release, complete with a cartridge compatible with the original hardware.
Fortunately, in March 2024, retro game publisher InCube8 announced that it would be partnering with AgeOfGames to finally to take Kien to GBA in the near future, physical cartridge and all. A few months later, the once-cancelled Game Boy Advance platformer is now officially available for Nintendo’s classic handheld console. To commemorate the game’s release, one of the 5 original developers who worked on it KienFabio Belsanti, speaking in an interview with The Guardian, shared some thoughts on the title’s long-delayed launch.
This Once Cancelled GBA Game Is Finally Released, Over 20 Years Later
Belsanti covered many topics during the interview, but one of the things he highlighted was AgeOfGames and InCube8’s decision to Kien on a platform that no longer exists. Speaking on the subject, he said that “the idea of releasing the game on the original console is just magic” for him. The Italian developer then said that seeing “Kien “To bring it to life on the platform for which it was designed is a dream come true.” While the title may be dated by modern standards, Belsanti argued that the technical limitations of the Game Boy Advance game contributed to its charm. “The power of the video game experience can, not always but in some cases, be much more intense and powerful in old video games that were made with limited graphical and technical resources.”
Belsanti closed the evening by revealing that there was a spiritual successor Kien is currently in development at AgeOfGames. This is somewhat surprising, but nevertheless exciting news from the independent Italian developer. Hopefully this spiritual sequel to Kien won’t take 20 years to come out and it won’t be a Game Boy Advance exclusive like its predecessor.
Nintendo Game Boy Advance
The Game Boy Advance was Nintendo’s handheld offering in the sixth generation of consoles and was the successor to the Game Boy Color. It offered improved graphics and allowed developers to cram even more complex games into the handheld space.
- Brand
- Nintendo
- Original release date
- June 11, 2001
- Original Suggested Retail Price (USD)
- €99.99
- Weight
- 136 grams