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Lost Sega Saturn Tech Demo Discovered After 29 Years

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After 29 years, a lost Sega Saturn tech demo has been discovered, revealing an educational game titled "Pyramid." The disc, found in perfect condition, contains a 1997 executable that showcases an Egyptian-themed edutainment title where players guide pyramid construction. This discovery adds to Sega Retro's catalog of over 300 unreleased Saturn games, highlighting the console's rich history of software that never reached market.

The Saturn version appears to be an incomplete port of the PC title developed by Knowledge Adventure. Developer Alexander Ehrath confirmed he was hired to create a console port but the project stalled at the tech demo stage. The Saturn version features basic controls but lacks key interactions found in the original, such as the ability to fill a bucket with water, limiting its educational potential compared to the full PC experience.

Despite its limitations, the preserved tech demo offers valuable insight into early Saturn development practices. Ehrath developed tools during the project that he later pitched to other publishers, though none reached release. The discovery highlights the rich history of unreleased game projects and the importance of digital preservation for gaming history, giving us a glimpse into what might have been had the project continued.