A new patch prevents players from entering the secret dev room inSports Story. There is no indication whether the room will return in a later version ofSports Story, though it seems unlikely.
Developed by Sidebar Games, the same studio responsible for theeminently replayableGolf Story,Sports Storyexpands on the sports-themed RPG franchise while offering a widening range of non-athletic diversions. That ambition, though admirable, seems to have caused issues. The game’s flawed state at release frustrated fans who waited so long for a proper followup to the indie darling,Golf Story.
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A newSports Storypatch addresses a number of bugs, which it breaks down into categories according to apparent importance, and removes access to a secret dev room. That change is listed as the “Main” function of patch 1.0.4. Players who accessed the room ahead of the patch going live learned that thesecretSports Storydev room is a dark place. Within its walls, developers working at a fictional game studio called Cold Cartridge make comments along the lines of, “You might say we’re experiencing a troubled development.” They discuss glitches, an excess of new features, and a loss of vision during development of a game calledGalf. Much of the vocalized discontent sounds like it could be an insider reference to work onSports Storyitself.
This is not the first time a dev room has been removed from a game.Square Enix removed the dev room fromFinal Fantasy 4when it released that game’s updatedPixel Remaster, for instance. The room in the original version of Square’s game, which originally released on the Super Nintendo, also made note of development woes.
Sports Storyreleased five years afterGolf Story, though it’s not clear whether Sidebar Games spent that entire time working to bring the newer release to life. It’s also unclear just how seriously the developers meant for the dev room to be taken. The NPC commentary could point to genuine issues that impacted development ofSports Story, or it could be intended to make light of industry practices. Whether the NPC comments were a joke or a serious gripe, though, they raised uncomfortable questions that Sidebar Games seems anxious to put in the rear-view mirror.
Sports Storyis available now on Switch.
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