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MrBlueSky on 6/17/2013 7:58 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

Looking at the screenshots it seems Highway Hunter and Highway Fighter are actually the same game, expect for the name, the HUD and some other details. Compare, for example, the start screens. Or the sprites on http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/highway-fighter/screenshots/gameShotId,408690/ and http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/highway-hunter/screenshots/gameShotId,10640/. Strange..

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vedder (70822) on 6/17/2013 8:27 PM · Permalink · Report

Looks like they simply improved the graphics (to be more colourful) and changed the name for the Epic release.

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Indra was here (20755) on 6/17/2013 8:32 PM · Permalink · Report

Only thing similarly noticeable is the intro: Fighter Take #1 and Hunter Take #2. Though recycling graphics by the same game developer isn't unheard of.

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Daniel Saner (3503) on 6/18/2013 2:44 AM · Permalink · Report

According to Underdogs they're not totally identical. I suppose they just kept working on it between the time of their self-release and the Safari deal.

Hey, at least it's the same developer! I've seen Chinese games that simply lifted sprites from other companies' games wherever they pleased :)

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Pseudo_Intellectual (66362) on 6/18/2013 4:35 AM · Permalink · Report

Duke Nukem 1 lifted all sorts of assets from Turrican and Mega Man! It was a real wild west back then.

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Daniel Saner (3503) on 6/18/2013 2:07 PM · Permalink · Report

I guess in the 8-bit and low-res days you could always argue that single sprites can't reach the threshold of originality required for copyright protection :)

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Patrick Bregger (301035) on 6/18/2013 2:41 PM · Permalink · Report

My favorite: Limbo of the Lost

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MrBlueSky on 6/23/2013 12:17 AM · Permalink · Report

I've never seen something like this before, but well, it's not that strange apparently. I learn something new everyday, even about old games.. :)

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Daniel Saner (3503) on 6/23/2013 11:53 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

I actually bought a copy of that, I just had to see it! The ending was... unforgettable.

The game was actually in development for ages, originally for the Amiga, where most of the art seems to have been original. Apparently they couldn't do any 3D modelling though, so they had to find another way.. The developers were infamous on the forums of the game development toolkit they used for needing step-by-step instructions, or code snippets, for the simplest things. And when they got busted, they blamed a mysterious contract artist and said they never suspected anything.