Batman platform game on PC-Engine

Holy HuCards, Batman, this is a big one!
Sunsoft released some awesome games on many systems, but when they released Batman for the NES, Game Boy, PC-Engine, and Mega-Drive, guess which one was a big letdown. Sorry, it wasn't the GameBoy, it was the PC-Engine version. A simplistic clone of maze games like Pac-Man (or more accurately, Heiyankyo Alien, Booby Kids/Doraemon/Cratermaze, or Lock'N Chase), Sunsoft's idea of hot Batman action was a bit bland on the PCE.

But did you know that they originally had other plans for the Caped Crusader? These pics were taken from the Sept.15, 1989 issue of Famitsu Magazine and show an early version of a Batman Platform game for the PC-Engine. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. But anyway, we can see clearly the great graphics drawn by Sunsoft's artists in the backgrounds and cut-scenes. Batman is seen jumping around on platforms (very bog-standard, it seems), but enemies, icons, and status text are nowhere to be seen.

Why was this game cancelled? Was it too similar to other platformers? Was the Mega Drive version concentrated on instead? We may never know. But until my army of trained ninjas manage to infiltrate the storerooms of our favourite game companies, some secrets may never be known.