In another huge win for game preservation, a long-lost Ratchet & Clank game has been uncovered following an astonishing 19-year wait. As reported by GamesRadar+, the previously scrapped mobile title Ratchet & Clank: Clone Home has been recovered and is now available for everyone to play.
The game was scheduled to be released on Java-based devices in 2006, a prequel to the well-received Ratchet & Clank: Going Mobile from the year prior. It was quietly scrapped, however, leaving behind an assortment of screenshots and online goose chases. Ever since, it has become something of a “holy grail” among lost media enthusiasts.
The break in the case came after a six-year quest led by a pair of enthusiasts known as “Emily” and “Super Gamer Omega Clank”. Their peculiar odyssey, described in detail by The Golden Bolt on YouTube, consisted of tracking down and buying old phones in the hope that one of the phones would contain a build of the game.
A long shot, to be sure, but their perseverance paid off with a copy miraculously turning up on an old Sony Ericsson w810i. Eventually, they succeeded in extracting a complete and playable version of Clone Home to their computers.
Now safely archived, Clone Home represents a triumph for lost media recovery and preservation. It is a testament to the commitment of this community’s most dedicated enthusiasts who refuse to allow any piece of gaming history to fade into nothingness.
All games deserve to be preserved, and I fear that that particular generation of mobile games is especially at risk, with this game’s recovery being nothing short of miraculous. Fire the game up on your favorite retro handheld (I like playing J2ME games on my Zero 40), and enjoy a lost chapter of the Ratchet & Clank saga.
Source: GamesRadar+
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