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Remember Paprium? An incredible-looking Sega Genesis / Mega Drive scrolling fighter from the team behind the Wii U eShop RPG Pier Solar (which, incidentally, also began life on Sega's 16-bit system), it was announced over a year ago with a proposed launch in late 2017 - a launch that never happened.

Creator WaterMelon cited issues with PayPal for causing the delay - the studio effectively crowdfunded the game by accepting pre-order payments in March last year - and this year it was stated that a production issue was causing problems. Still, Paprium has fallen off the radar somewhat (we pre-ordered a copy for $90 in March 2017 and have had no email communication regarding any delay) and this has predictably led some to suggest that all is not well behind the scenes:

#watermelongames #developmenthell pic.twitter.com/bTW7pPIBRk Watermelon's Mega Drive project Paprium flounders as rumors of unpaid staff and the complete disappearance of Fonzie - Watermelon's CEO - raise alarm bells among backers. The game has already faced massive delays over a 5 year period. #paprium May 8, 2018

Keen to learn more, we got in touch with the game's co-creator, Luis Martins. During the day, Martins works for Ubisoft as a senior lighting designer and can count AAA games such as Rise Of The Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, For Honor and WatchDogs 2 on his CV, but in his spare time he is (or, more accurately, was) Paprium's main artist and art director.

Martins gave us the following statement:

That Tweet is a bit sensational. True, WaterMelon owner Gwenael "Fronzie" Godde is a guy who lacks all transparency and communication care or skills. The game was announced by WaterMelon to be released later this year. At least that’s his plan. I already voiced my opinion on WaterMelon's lack of responsibility and the fact that I came to learn that a lot of people where missing payments through the years for some of their later works - including myself. Paprium is a product co-created by myself while collaborating with WaterMelon, and I want it to be released ASAP. It has been out of my control for some time now, and this is why I have been upset. That said, I’ll have to wait and see what Godde will do to release a game that fans have been waiting for far too long. The great news is that there are many more Sega Genesis games on the way, like Crypt Of Dracula, which I'm supporting. The Sega Genesis community is growing and we are all sharing knowledge and support. From the likes of Xeno Crisis and Tanglewood, we are all friends and are sharing support. Look forward to great things coming your way!

WaterMelon's Facebook page states that refunds are being given to anyone who asks.

Have you already paid for your copy of Paprium? Are you happy to wait a little longer for this amazing-looking game, or have you already demanded a refund? Let us know with a comment.