Gamers were left astonished by the revelation that a version of Halo was in the works for the beloved Nintendo DS. Initially, it was speculated that Microsoft had shelved the project due to their ownership of the franchise. However, new insights from developer N-Space, specifically from their VFX artist James J. Inziello, reveal that it was actually Nintendo who pulled the plug on this exciting venture. The Japanese gaming giant reportedly hesitated to invest in marketing, reminiscent of their lukewarm commitment to Gust, which ultimately flopped commercially.
“The sad part about this game was that it was almost greenlit. But about a month after it got approved on the Microsoft/Bungie side, it was Nintendo that shut it down. There was speculation that they were unwilling to front some advertising money on a first-party development side, just as they had originally done with Geist.”
“Inziello theorised that Nintendo was “still a bit annoyed” at helping the studio finish Geist, a GameCube FPS that struggled to capture the spotlight. Regardless, the team held the belief that the Halo DS project “would have sold in the [millions] as a portable online multiplayer in 2006.”
While developers acknowledged that the DS wasn't the best fit for first-person shooters, they still felt it could have delivered a delightful experience.