Nintendo of America had planned to release this game in 1991 under the title "Earth Bound." However, the release was canceled when the game was deemed unprofitable (the Super NES had already been released, and NOA didn't think gamers would pay attention to a new NES game). In 1998, a prototype cartridge surfaced, and the ROM file was made available (illegally) on the Internet. This version is referred to by fans as "Earthbound Zero," a reference to its sequel ('Mazâ 2: Gîgu no gyakushû (1994) (VG)') being released in the United States as "Earthbound."