Construction Contract X-2

[CONTROLS]
WASD - move
O - Shoot
P - Interact/Sell
L - Buy

The Lost Masterpiece: The Rise and Fall of Construction Contract X-2

After the catastrophic failure of Construction Contract 2, the franchise faded into obscurity. Once a household name and an industry cautionary tale, the series became little more than a relic of gaming history. For years, no one spoke of it—until E3 2008.

Nintendo's keynote presentation was winding down when, to the audience's surprise, the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto took the stage. With characteristic enthusiasm, he revealed a deeply personal passion project: Construction Contract was making a comeback. The trailer rolled, and the crowd erupted. This wasn’t just a sequel—it was a revival, and it had the creative force behind Mario and Zelda at the helm.

The excitement, however, didn’t extend to the press. Publications like The New York Times, which rarely covered gaming at the time, ran skeptical pieces. Critics questioned whether Miyamoto could reinvigorate a series marred by failure. Even within Nintendo, executives were apprehensive, fearing their visionary had overreached.

Miyamoto became increasingly reclusive, pouring countless hours into design documents and obsessively refining his vision. He believed Construction Contract X-2 could reshape gaming, challenging the very nature of interactive storytelling. But the pressure mounted. Nintendo’s higher-ups eventually gave him an ultimatum: abandon the project or face termination.

Faced with an impossible choice, Miyamoto relinquished his dream. Nintendo retained ownership of everything he’d created, and the project was shelved indefinitely. Insiders who saw the game described it as breathtaking—"everything Miyamoto imagined and more." But corporate bureaucracy sealed its fate, leaving the game to become one of gaming’s greatest "what-ifs."

それは素晴らしかったかもしれません! 「それは素晴らしかったかもしれない！あなたたち野蛮な企業人たちは、私が愛するすべてのものを奪い、私に残したのはイタリア人の配管工だけです。私は彼が嫌いです。私を殺して。私は間違った選択をしてしまいました。あなたを無視してそのゲームを終わらせるべきだった。 —Miyamoto, reportedly on the day Nintendo shut down the project.

Rediscovery in 2024

For years, the legend of Construction Contract X-2 lingered in whispers, until an extraordinary discovery brought it roaring back into the spotlight. In December 2024, a GameStop in downtown Indianapolis was closing its doors for good. While cleaning out the storage room, the regional manager stumbled upon a peculiar DS game box—one she’d never seen before.

Curious, she turned to the internet but found little information. So, she posted on Reddit. That’s when user CNSTUCTCONTRCT96 replied, linking her to the 2008 E3 presentation. Suddenly, the magnitude of her find became clear: she had unearthed a piece of gaming history.

She dumped the ROM online, but within two days, Nintendo’s legal team descended. She was arrested and faced a lawsuit. When Miyamoto learned of the incident, he reportedly broke down in tears. In an unexpected twist, he paid her bail and persuaded Nintendo to drop the charges in exchange for promising to develop two more Mario games.

Closure at Last

What happened next remains shrouded in mystery. Miyamoto arranged a meeting with the GameStop manager. The two sat together and played through the early demo of Construction Contract X-2. Observers say it was a deeply emotional moment for Miyamoto, as if he were finally closing a long unfinished chapter of his life.

When asked for comment via email, Miyamoto reflected on the experience:

これでまたイタリアの配管工ゲームが作れると思います。誰かが工事請負X-2をプレイしているかもしれないと思うと心が軽くなった気がします

Though the game itself remains out of reach for most, its rediscovery reaffirms the timeless power of passion, creativity, and the stories left untold. Perhaps some dreams, even when deferred, can find their way back to life in the most unexpected ways.

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Also, if you've read this far and are a true fan of the Construction Contract franchise, this [G]ame has a hidden debug mode you can enter by pressing a specific key on the keyboard. Thanks for reading, and thanks for playing <3. 

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Thank you Lawra for teaching what I think is my favorite class I've ever taken. Thank you to all the beautiful people in this class for all the beautiful games you've made this semester and wonderful feedback you've given me on mine. I love you all very much and am so excited to see where everyone goes from here.