A game is delayed by 22 years

After 22 years, Kien has finally been published.

The story of Kien is a true odyssey: Originally developed in 2002 by an Italian studio for the Game Boy Advance, the fantasy action game was put on hold due to financial risks and uncertain market prospects.

But now, 22 years later, Kien is celebrating its debut, overshadowing even the infamous Duke Nukem Forever, which took »only« 15 years to release.

Happy ending after half an eternity

The story of Kien begins with Fabio Belsanti, the original game designer. Together with his team, he had been working on a side-scrolling action game that focused on a warrior and a priestess.

But the dream was shattered when the publisher decided that the costs of producing the physical cartridges were too high and the chances of success were too low.

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In a Interview mit The Guardian Belsanti explained that the financial requirements just to print the first copies were daunting – and his dream seemed to be over forever, even though the game was actually finished.

But surprisingly, Belsanti returned to his project after more than two decades. This was made possible by the current Retro-Gaming-Boomwhich brings a renaissance to old gaming platforms like the GBA:

Kien has now been released exclusively as a physical cartridge for the GBA – a conscious decision that is more than just a nostalgic gimmickBelsanti believes that the old hardware has a special magic – it creates a connection between artwork and pixels and fills every border and every gap with fantastic stories.

With 22 years of development time, Kien Duke Nukem Forever now steals the record for the longest delayed game – the shooter at the time only 15 years required.

However, this title will probably not stay with Kien for long, because Shantae Advance, whose development also began in 2002, is also announced for 2025. The jump-and-run game about the purple-haired genie is also scheduled to be released for the Game Boy Advance, but will also be released on Steam and modern consoles.