'Flashback' Ported to the iPhone!
posted May 7th, 2009 6:44 AM EDT by Eli Hodapp in $4.99, Adventure, Games, Platform, Retro, iPhone games, iPod touch gamesFlashback [App Store] is a game developed by the long-gone french game developer Delphine Software for the Amiga in 1992. Since then it got picked up by various other companies and ported to a ridiculous amount of different platforms. Notable at the time for its unusually fluid, rotoscoped animation, Flashback has existed on everything from the Acorn Archimedes to the Sega CD, and most of the consoles in between. As far as cinematic platformers are concerned, it has few rivals.
I first came in to contact with Flashback on the Sega Genesis, originally attracted to the game because of the comic book that came with it and the way they marketed the cartridge. (Supposedly it was the largest cartridge ever sold at the time.) In a time before GameFAQs I'd quickly get stuck or die, but still had a lot of fun.
You play the role of Conrad B. Hart who is trying to regain his lost memory to save the world in the cyberpunk dystopian world the game is set in. On your journey you come across plot twists, conspiracies, aliens, and everything else you'd expect to see in a solid science fiction game. Similar to Myst [App Store], Flashback can be a fairly short game if you know exactly what you're doing. Fortunately, figuring out where to go and what items to use where is half the fun and if you don't cheat by looking at guides, completing the game should take you a decent amount of time.
In the iPhone version of the game, buttons that control your character's actions line the left side of the screen and movement is controlled by using a virtual D-Pad that pops up wherever you place your finger on screen. Unfortunately, controls can be a little awkward, as the use of the "Fire" button needs to be used in combination with the virtual pad to accomplish running and running jumps.
One curious thing I noticed about the iPhone port is while the file size of the download from the App Store is only 1.1MB, it has you download another 3MB the first time you launch the game, so be aware of that if you have limited connectivity.
App Store Link: Flashback, $4.99
OMFG!
Yes please!
Nice find, bit concerned about the jiggery pokery it does in addition to the initial download but can't wait to try this. It'll be the fourth time (and the fourth different platform) I've owned the blimmin' game on. Now all we need is a version of Another World (or whatever you chaps on t'other side of the pond called it)
Oh oh, i still have it on two floppies
. That's part of my childhood
Me too. All those happy memories
I LOVE this game!
Am I dreaming? First Pinball Dreams, then MYST, now Flashback?
My all time favs coming to iPhone. God, I love this little device.
Flashback is such a beautiful (AND HARD) game. Spend months on it with friends.
Couldn't have put it better myself, all 3 are again providing hours of entertainment. Now I just need Monkey Island, Dizzy, Lemmings, Harlequin etc etc
and Gobliins
Hi,
I just downloaded this game for my 2G iPhone, and at first, it seems great. But to use this virtual stick in order to navigate the menu, it is simply impossible, extremely sensitive, it will take you ages before you can start playing. While playing, it respond better to move the hero, but still not great.
The menu on the left, and some stuff on the right, makes the game and details very small, and so, not great. It would be a lot better if the whole screen was used and better controls.
The menu nav is ok if you flick your finger… don't hold your finger down… BUT, how do you RUN??? I can only walk.
hold down "Fire" while walking to run.
arn
thanks Arn… not super intuitive… or is it just me?
I'm having trouble with the controls, though a few people seem fine with it.
maybe it's us.
arn
I'm sorting it… like holding down and fire to climb down… but, while i know how to do it, running then jumping is a trick… run, then let go of the forward control, but still hold fire, then hold straight straight up… ha…
the gunfighting is harder than i remember too…
My biggest concern is : is it legal ? where is the source code since it is based on some open source emulator ? do they even have the rights to do that ?
looks like the engine is licensed under GPL so you can request the source.
arn
Amazing, loved this game on my amiga.
Hope Another World will get ported as well.
Worth noting that this seems to be abandonware, certainly sitting there available for download at Abandonia
This was one of my favorite games on the Sega Genesis. I have it on my mac and I've probably played through it 5 or more times.
Still, knowing how complex the controls can be even when using a gamepad or a keyboard, I'm not at all surprised people are having trouble with the controls on the iphone's touch screen. getting the running-jump to work exactly when you want it to was tough even when you had tactile, separate buttons. I can't imagine using the virtual D-pad and side-buttons on a slick touchscreen to try and do that.
It's a fantastic game, and I expect this release will remind people it is out there, but I don't think it's well suited to the iphone platform. I'll stick with the version I have on my mac.
Oh yeah:
And the game "Another World", also made by Delphine, is called "Out of this World" in the U.S.. That was also a fun one!
I immediately thought of Out of this World when I saw the art for this game. I was wondering if there was a connection. Very cool game, i'm glad someone else remembers it!
Out of this World was great fun. I only ever saw the first level of Flashback … might wait to see if they put it on sale
.
Omg! one of my favourite oldskool games ever! Can't wait to see how it's ported!
Cool! I hope Another World comes to the iPhone too, another Delphine / Amiga classic.
No video? I've never played this game but it sounds interesting. I would like to see some gameplay
Here's a youtube video with some footage from Flashback as played on some other system (It's not Sega Genesis and it's not the iphone. . . that's all I know). But the gameplay and graphics are pretty much identical to the Genesis version. Can't speak to the iphone one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypSNZDRvwyE&NR=1
well, what's the point to bring back such old stuff, that like over 10 or 15 yrs ago. I still remember I like it a lot when I'm small, not sure now tho.
Like 3D wolfenstein, I remember I like it when I'm young, after download the lite version, try it out for the first 30 seconds, I get boring already to those familiar old screens, so no doubt deleted it after very first try.
This game is for the retrogamers amongst us (who will enjoy going back to this and playing it for a while.) I've spent a lot of time on Wolftenstein. I will definitely spend a good bit of time on Boulder Dash when that comes out. Flashback though, at this price, I'm not so sure.
It looks like it plays okay ..but there's something very wrong with the music tempo in this version. It's completely wrong. For the price it's at, I'd expect a better quality product.
We'll work on the controls more and provide some guidance screens to walk you through them. Unfortunately, the original game took some getting used to, too
To RUN, hold Fire and push left or right. You can release left or right and it will continue to run in same direction. If there is a ledge above, Conrad will auto jump up to the ledge.
Definitely check out our site and the Walkthrough link – it should help with the controls.
Stay tuned for a 1.1 update – we're reading all the comments (and there are a LOT of them)
Stuart, the controls work perfect for me. I understand that the controls use a flick type method and I think I've mastered it. I can also see how others would find the controls challenging. So if you feel that you must change the current controls can you make it an option to keep the original control settings you created.
Seems to lock up at the Titan job mission screen…. Just stays on the splash page and doesn't progress.
Mike,
Send us an email if you are still having problems.
The sequel might be fun on the iPhone too
The sequel wasn't fun at all on the original, why would it be any more fun on the iphone. Fade to Black could of been a better game if they kept the sidescroller look, with the addition of higher quality visuals and possible 3d elements.
I bought the game immediately and I am sure I will get used to the controls..thanks Stuart for bringing this to the ipod!!! I hope you guys port over Another World and its sequel as well. Both will be instant buys for me.
No worries, Anthony – stay tuned as we have more in the works…
Stuart, I'm loving this game man. Please port Another World and other classics and I'll be waiting to pay.
Amazing retro mayhem! We just need Gods, Another World and Epic on a long list of games to come
Instant buy!
One of the C O O L E S T game news I've heard.
This is right up there with "iMYST".
Now please bring "Out Of This Word" to the iPhone ….
@Stuart Hi, from the youtube video this seem to be a port of the Sega Genisis version, could there be any chance of the actual Amiga version? ( I Likes the music and cut scenes way better) same for Another World, the amiga version seemed to poop on all others (just a little biased
all we need now is a canonfodder port!
Flashback 1.1 has been submitted to Apple for review. See this blog for information on the enhancements, the bug fix and screen shots
http://www.manomio.com/index.php/blog/flashback_1.1_submitted
1.1 is now available in the US appstore!
Wow… I still have this game too! On my old Amiga 500! *lol* So funny! I never made it though. Haha! ^^;