Harrier 2000

Harrier 2000 is a cancelled Nintendo 64 game by Paradigm and Video System. It was to jump on the bandwagon of the flight games craze that Pilotwings created.

=Harrier 2000=

Plot
A terrorist group called The Brotherhood have stockpiled high-tech weapons. They are selling them to the highest bidder. To prove to the bidders the authenticity of the weapons, The Brotherhood has invaded the island of Vahita. The island population is essentially taken hostage. Your job is to take out The Brotherhood.

Gameplay
There are around 50 missions to complete. You would have dogfights in locations like Iran and the Falklands. Choosing the correct payload for the jet is key to success.

To aid you are weapons. There would be:
 * three gauges of guns
 * five types of air-to-air missiles
 * nine types of air-to-ground missiles
 * six types of rockets
 * seventeen types of bombs
 * laser weapons.

Development
Harrier 2000 started off as Flights of the UN. The title was changed in early 1998 to be more marketable.

Development took so long that the name of the game was changed to Harrier 2001.

=Harrier 2001= The plot was changed: The Brotherhood is mining a new chemical element called Prodinium on their secret island. You would play as Jake Cross, former US Marine Corps pilot. Your backstory is that The Brotherhood killed your US Marine Corps partner, Morgan Reynolds, for declining to join them.

Cancellation
In May 1999, Paradigm Entertainment filed a lawsuit against Video System. Paradigm claimed that Video System had breached the contract for failing to make the game. Video System was also not paying full development costs, despite smooth progress.

Paradigm sought $900,000 for royalties and court costs. The Harrier project was put on indefinite hold in April 1999. Video System told its staff to cease production. They were 85-98% complete.

Video System officially became defunct in 2001.

Timeline:
 * 1997: development begins as Flights of the UN, developed by Paradigm
 * early 1998: name changes to Harrier 2000, development switches to Video System
 * early 1999: name changes to Harrier 2001
 * May 24th, 1999: Paradigm Entertainment sues Video System
 * April 16th, 1999: development ceases

Video
Gameplay footage at E3 1998, 1:34:42-1:35:26

Trivia
Harrier Strike Force seemed to be a side-project of Video System. Either it was a region title for this game or it was a separate game entirely.