Play Tinhead (Proto) Online

Summary

Tinhead, the unreleased SNES prototype that still circulates among retro collectors, began life as a Microprose U.K. platformer slated for a 1994 launch. The project fell victim to the studio’s cash crunch, leaving only a completed ROM and a handful of screenshots behind, while the Genesis version made it to market under Ballistic and Spectrum HoloByte. Even a finished Atari Jaguar conversion was shelved, a casualty of the console’s poor sales.

The game’s core revolves around a metal‑capped hero who fires tiny orbs from his head, choosing between a diagonal upward shot, a straight blast, or a low‑bounce launch via a dedicated button. Levels demand a mix of precise shooting and modest exploration, rewarding players who hunt for hidden exits, extra health, and point bonuses. Power‑ups and “dynamic” bosses keep the difficulty curve steep, but never unfair.

Critics who managed to play the prototype gave Tinhead a modest 6.4/10, praising its vibrant graphics and the satisfying feel of its projectile combat. Today, the ROM’s existence fuels a niche fascination, turning the game into a digital relic that hints at what might have been on the SNES.

Storyline

In the universe of Tinhead, an intergalactic goblin called Grim Squidge hijacks the night sky. Using a spaceship with a vacuum‑cleaner nose, he sucks up every star, traps them in glass spheres and flings them across distant worlds, endangering the very fabric of spacetime. The theft leaves the cosmos in darkness and throws the cosmic infrastructure into chaos.

Far beyond the ruined constellations, the metallic Guardian of the Edge of the Universe—Tinhead—receives a frantic distress call from an unknown ally of the stars. He straps on his signature head‑mounted ball‑bearing gun and rockets from his remote space station, determined to reclaim the stolen stars and restore order to the universe.