Whats the chance of this being found?

Very cool. Was it a finished game? You'd think it would be with complete box art and UPC code. Unless this is fan art.

Yes, it's real, and apparently completed. However, nothing has been found. It looks like it could've been a TOSE game, and maybe TOSE might have some information on it.

Find it already!

I have a couple.

True story. I had the only known copy of Ultimate Journey, but I lost it. Actually, an arrow was heading by way, and was heading to my knee as a matter of fact. So I blocked the arrow with the cart, destroying the only known copy of this game. Also, the word Caution was underlined and you could play as a Black Indian, whose dong was clearly visible and was being drug behind him.

I can shitpost too.

I'd say the chances are fairly high, but having searched every corner I can for this one for years (myself and a handful of others), I don't think it's "findable" so much as it's something I'd expect will just randomly pop up one day like Bio Force Ape did.

Dream seems to know the world of the obscure, maybe he can shed some light on it

Does it have a Japanese equivalent?

No, there is no Japanese equivalent.

this game is one of the last great nes mysteries.... sure there a lots of other unreleased/undiscovered games but ultimate journey is high on everybody's list. It's not just some obscure unlicensed 50% prototype. it's a supposedly completed game from a known pubilsher. I personally LOVE alot of the other bandai nes titles. I just hope it's discovered before bitrot gets it

Find Dan MacArthur, which apparently nobody has been able to do yet.

Dont bother contacting Bandai US or Japan, they know nothing...

You have no idea how badly I want this game.

I really hope it turns up somehow like the California Raisins or Bio Force Ape. The game WAS developed in Japan so there may be a famicom cart with the files on it over in Japan, or if somebody could find Dan (he created the entire premise behind the game) chances are he has the prototype.

Both of these statements are untrue.

I contacted Bandai US and Japan and got nothing but the run around and spoke with a gentlemen who remembered making advertisements for the game. I received Dan MacArthur's cell phone number from his parents but there was never any response. Have you gotten any farther, TheRedEye? We were speaking about this a few months ago.

No, I haven't. This is what I meant by the statements being untrue! Also, I know of at least one other person still at Bandai USA who was there at the time (refer to our email thread).

lets go on a manhunt!

Anyone make any progress on Ultimate Journey? Im still hunting it down and have been trying to get in contact with the games creator. Just curious if anyone else is still working on this as well. Its so close I can almost smell it....

Not me, feel free to update me by email in case I know anyone who knows anyone, etc.

I remember a thread months if not a year ago where some guy claimed to have found the prototype. I sent him an offer and he responded then disappeared. I figured it was a guy bullshitting but I thought I would mention it.

Looked up my old messages, user was SimonBelmont82 and was a member for 2 days. He messaged me back and said he wanted to play the game through before he would think about selling it.

I am pretty sure he admitted that he was just trolling.

Looked like a Contra/Rygar combination, very cool.

Supposedly it was very much like the Ninja Gaiden games.

Chris, please check your PMs and get back to me.  Thanks bro!

So I thought I would add a little update after 5 years of no posts in this thread.
I have e-mailed with Dan MacArthur when doing my The History of Sunsoft research and asked him about Ultimate Journey.

This is what he told me about the game.

"Ultimate Journey was my original concept that I designed and produced, it was developed by Bandai Japan. It was finished, and sent to video game magazines to review. I can't recall the exact reason why Bandai decided not to release it, but as you can imagine I was greatly disappointed by that decision."

"Bandai had a few prototype cartridges of it, but I don't know what happened to them after I left. They sent some to magazines to review, but as far as I know they were all returned. It's a shame that it's not available in some way for people to play now."

"Ultimate Journey was a linear 2D side scrolling action platform game. You played as a Native American who came back from hunting to discover that his tribe was slaughtered by the tribe's former apprentice medicine man who was exiled for practicing dark arts. He kidnapped the elder medicine man to gain even more power, and you set off to rescue him. The evil medicine man could possess the land's wildlife, and have it attack you to try and prevent you from reaching him. The land was also a challenge to traverse, so you had to do a lot of climbing and platforming throughout the levels. But in order to swim the treacherous waters you needed to take on the form of a fish, and in order to reach high mountains you needed to take on the form of a bird. While the elder medicine man was weak, he was still able to grant you the ability to change into these forms for a limited time. And when you finally reached the evil medicine man, the elder granted you the ability to become the ultimate warrior (bigger stronger you) to defeat him. I would compare the core gameplay to the original NES Ninja Gaiden, but not as fast. And the water and flying levels had you change into animal forms to navigate them."