Not strictly speaking a 3DO game but a 3DO M2 game. D2 is the sequel to the first D as originally intended by Eno Kenji.
Unfortunately the 3DO M2 unit as a games console was shelved by Matsuishita after spending a $100 million on acquiring the technology. Having said that the M2 technology lived on, albeit periodically, as a corporate multimedia device, a presentation unit for chevrolet, a coffee machine and an arcade board.
Sadly however the M2 D2 was never released, although according to the rumours it was finished as a game.
From various sources around the web and from having seen the demo included with Warps other gaming series, Flopon World, a few pieces of information regarding the plot can be collated.
Firstly, Laura, the main protagonist of the original games dies in a airplane crash but her unborn child lives on. Magically teleported from her womb prior to the crash - or so it would seem.
We are then left with a plot question. Either her son reaches maturity by natural means or is magically aged.
Either way, it is son of Laura that is running around the European medieval style castle solving puzzles in a similar way to her mother.
A few other screen shots around the web, predominately those from the 3DO collective, seem to suggest that the Dracula theme is further exaggerated with references to the original Drac the Impaler but I guess in ways privy only to the employees of Warp.
The only D2 demo I have currently as already mention is from the Flopon World disk - which I will describe:
The introduction starts by showing a panoramic view of San Francisco, the year is 1998.
The scene then switches to a Boeing 747. Destination unknown. Although the airline company "Prawair" suggests Eastern European? Maybe - maybe not.
Once taken-off the scene changes once again to the aircraft interior. A number of people are moving around in their seats and the attention to detail is impressive.
The camera finally settles on Laura who is sat next to the window. At this point Laura then has a flash back to the events of the original D.
It is after this we can see that Laura is in fact pregnant as she clutches the child inside her.
A storm brews outside and the aircraft is struck multiple times by lightning. The passengers all start to panic and the air-masks fall from the area directly above their heads.
The final scene has Laura fading out and then a heart-rate monitor signifying a declining heart rate - although, perhaps significantly, it doesn't flat line. The image then pans to the D2 logo with a feetus included.
So did Laura die or not? It is amazing the number of times in Japanese media that the main protagonist dies right at the bitter end. Classic Japanese stories, for example 47 Ronin, have this 'beauty in death' cliche, that while existent in other cultures, is heavily emphasised in Japan. Good examples available to Westerners are the many Takashi Katano movies, where he, usually taking a starring role, dies right at the end.
Like wise for films like the Ring and more recently Premonition. Although not unique to Japanese culture (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid springs to mind) it becomes even more apparent in joint US/Japanese movies - when Tom Cruise lives but Ken Watanabe dies. Or Takeshi Kitano dies but the American Omar Epps lives in the film Brother.
Europeans/Americans like their heros alive - the Japanese like them dead - albeit beautifully.
So - I'll predict dead. Having said that Laura isn't Japanese ...but of cause we don't know for sure and Laura was amongst the living in D2 on the Dreamcast - although there are no similarities between the two games.
And before anyone cites Akira Kurosawa he pandered to Westerners!
Finally, the last shots are of the medieval castle and some Japanese words overlaid on top.
Translation: The sequel to the eagerly anticipated "D's Diner" has finally arrived.
Translation: Keeping the fun aspect of the interactive movie, it has become a real time adventure. Both freedom and scale have been improved.
Translation: A mystery novel, Ds Diner is revealed by the 64 bit machine which produces good graphics.
More information about D2 was included in the 3DO Live! Magazine volume 9 (or 10) - which I am trying to get hold of. Any help appreciated!
I'd also like to point the images are grainy because the video images are grainy - nothing to do with me - 1996 technology!
I think these old systems are fairplay for a bit of friendly game sharing!
The M2 was possibly the most anticipated machine ever. I had a few issues of EGM that discussed how it was going to be all things to all people. There were a handful of arcade games made using that architecture but i am not sure how much they altered it. i do remember playing D2 on the Dreamcast. Are the Dreamcast version and the m2 the same? I seem to remember reading that a few of the m2 games were adapted to the Naomi board.