Game Boy Advance Game That Was Announced 22 Years Ago Has Finally Been Released

Kien, a long-delayed action platformer that was initially scheduled to launch on Game Boy Advance more than 20 years ago, has now finally released in 2024 as an exclusive for Nintendo’s retro handheld. Though it’s unfortunate that the game is only available on a console that’s no longer supported by its manufacturer, seeing this once-lost Game Boy Advance title be made available to the public in any official manner is cause for celebration, as it serves as another significant win for game preservation.

Having entered production all the way in 2002, Kien suffered an excruciatingly long and arduous journey towards its release. The game, which was made by independent Italian developer AgeOfGames, started life as a simple passion project conceived by 5 aspiring game creators who had no prior experience with coding or programming. After work on the title began, it hit a snag leading up to its initial launch and ended up in production limbo. Unlike other games with long development cycles, though, progress on Kien went smoothly for the most part. In fact, the title was actually finished and shipped to reviewers as early as November 2003. However, it was canceled by its publisher right before launch. Though AgeOfGames did shop Kien out to other companies over the years, they were unable to find a suitable partner for decades.

Fortunately, in March 2024, retro game publisher InCube8 announced that it would collaborate with AgeOfGames to finally bring Kien to GBA in the near future, physical cartridge and all. Fast-forward a few months later, and the once-canceled Game Boy Advance platformer is now officially available for Nintendo’s classic portable console. To commemorate the game’s release, one of the 5 original developers who worked on Kien, Fabio Belsanti, spoke in an interview with The Guardian and shared some comments about the much-postponed launch of the title.

This Once-Cancelled GBA Game Has Finally Released More than 20 Years Later

Belsanti discussed many topics during the interview, but one of the things he highlighted was AgeOfGames’ and InCube8’s decision to release Kien on a defunct platform. Speaking on this subject, he stated that “the thought of releasing the game on its original console is simply magical” to him. The Italian developer then said that seeing “Kien come to life on the very platform it was designed for is a dream come true.” Though the title may be dated by modern standards, Belsanti argued that the technical limitations of the Game Boy Advance game added 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 made with limited graphical and technical resources.”

Belsanti closed things off by revealing that a spiritual successor to Kien is currently in development at AgeOfGames. This is rather surprising, but it’s exciting news from the independent Italian developer nonetheless. Hopefully, this spiritual sequel to Kien won’t take 20 years to release and be trapped exclusively on the Game Boy Advance like its predecessor is.

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 upgraded graphics and allowed developers to pack even more complex games into the handheld space.

Brand

Nintendo

Original Release Date

June 11, 2001

Original MSRP (USD)

$99.99

Weight

4.9 oz