Labyrinth, had been lost forever. Or, at least, that’s how it was assumed for years. Without a digital version, to collectors of rarities interested in the third installment of the saga Horror Tour they checked from time to time those Amazon Japan listings, the only market in which it was put up for sale, waiting for the planets to align and a copy to appear. And then, in 2018 a miracle happened.
If it doesn’t ring a bell Zeddas: Horror Tour 3 It is absolutely normal: beyond being a niche game, for many collectors it was little less than a legend. Its degree of rarity made even in flashbacks of the saga it was taken for granted not only that a playable version of Labyrinth, but the very fact that it had come into existence.
Something that for a huge percentage of players did not lose sleep, things as they are. However, given the uncertainty and that bizarre situation, he made other collectors rub their hands. And they did so until Labyrinth appeared from nowhere. Where had she been all this time? Let’s go by parts.
The fleeting appearance of 67 GB of lost games
The title of Caravan Interactive appeared on the network of networks overnight and, despite the fact that it is a very niche game, that discovery did not take long to spread like wildfire: gameplays began to be shown on YouTube and those who they trusted in their existence saw their faith rewarded.
That was not a myth, but a reality. And, at the same time, the tip of an iceberg.
Labyrinth It was part of a generous collection of 70 games also listed as missing that was found by chance on a private video game forum. But the most curious of all is the title of the folder in which they were saved: ‘DO NOT UPLOAD‘ (do not go up in the language of Cervantes). Because?
The story is somewhat more complicated than it seems: according to Motherboardthe discovery of this 67 GB folder that included games like Cookie’s Bustle, Yellow Brick Road o Link Devicer 2074 it took place at the beginning of 2018. Titles practically unknown then and now for the western public and for which there was hardly any information. The question asks itself, how did that folder get on the internet?
Phil “Shadsy” Salvador, who since The Obscuritory engages in digital curation of software, and I got it, whose youtube channel showed Labyrinthe gameplay, they were aware of what was in that 67GB as well as other forum members. However, for months a controversial decision was made: not to give the content visibility as they deduced that its original owner would end up removing it, making games disappear again.
It’s curious. (The discovery) was different than when people talk about finding ‘lost games.’ Usually there are some notable titles that people have been trying to track down. This collection has a lot of games for which there is almost no information in English! And yet, it could be said that they get excited in a very discreet way.
The sad thing is, Shadsy and Sain were right: according to a screenshot, the forum’s private collector threatened to remove the entire content folder from the directory and stop loading games entirely if anyone ever leaked. Labyrinth. Because?
The darker side of video game collecting
We live in curious times. To a greater or lesser extent, it is relatively easy to have your own collection of video games which, at the same time, is practically impossible to own. Snacking just a little of everything that Game Pass offers is already an odyssey. Either for a matter of time or because we end up starting another one before finishing the one we have in hand. Which is not an obstacle to continue adding novelties and classics. And then there is retro collecting.
Recovering the games we liked the most from our childhood has become a passion. Broaden those sights to games we wanted but couldn’t have as well, and complete Full Sets (or all the videogames published for a system) is an odyssey: there are games that are easy to get, others that are difficult or very expensive, and others that are directly impossible. But there is a higher degree: video games that even question their existence.
However, Shadsy details an even more particular point of view of collecting: in addition to being passionate about getting the games, there are collectors who are especially interested in have exclusive access to rarities and lost titles. In other words, depending on the case, the myths of the lost games are not only founded, but their disappearance is completely intentional.
While I’m glad these games are available, this is not a sustainable way to preserve games. Leaks play a role in getting these kinds of rarities, but they’re not a healthy foundation for a gaming culture that values preservation.
There is often a tense relationship between private collectors who value rare games and people who want to post things online. We are all in this together, and to preserve our shared cultural history, we need to build trust.
Shadsy advocates for the preservation of video games as work promoting that those disappeared can be enjoyed again. Not by treasuring them and enjoying the sensation of exclusivity, but by making these playable experiences reach new generations of video game enthusiasts. A point of view that clashes with a very specific profile of collectors.
Private collectors have saved historic items that might otherwise have been lost, and instead of demonizing people who are reluctant to make their collections available, we need to engage with them on the importance of preservation.
It’s been over five years since that folder and its 70 games were removed from the forum, but its contents were never lost again: Shadsy uploaded Labyrinth and other games lost to The Internet Archivewhere anyone can give them a try from their web browser, and trust that more video games will be recovered that are impossible to find today.
In ExtraLife | The 43 best free games to play from the browser
In ExtraLife | The 31 best FRIV games to play for free
