Flashback is a sci-fi platforming adventure created by Paul Cuisset and Delphine Software and originally released for the Amiga way back in 1992, but has since been ported to just about any platform you could think of. It’s considered a classic by many for its awesome dystopian setting, its unique visuals, and its smooth-as-heck rotoscoped animations. It’s the type of game that’s so well-designed both visually and mechanically that it’s been able to hold up well over the 25+ years since its original release, hence the many ports across a number of platforms. That also means you don’t need to mess with the formula too much when bringing Flashback to more modern platforms, a lesson Cuisset and his studio VectorCell learned the hard way when they completely remade the game with shiny new visuals for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows back in 2013. The game was extremely poorly received and, well, VectorCell went bankrupt later that year.
Cuisset redeemed himself with a much more welcome remaster for consoles and PC last year titled Flashback: Remastered Edition, or Flashback: 25th Anniversary, or simply good old Flashback, depending on where you’re looking. This time around Cuisset didn’t mess with the original formula too much and instead offered some optional modern niceties for those who wanted them, like graphical filters, a remastered soundtrack and sound effects, a rewind function, and an actual tutorial for those who needed a little more guidance getting started. Now a similar remastering of Flashback is coming to mobile this summer courtesy of Cuisset and SFL Interactive, check out the teaser trailer.
While it isn’t explicitly stated in the official press release that this new mobile version is based on the remastered versions released for consoles and PC last year, it certainly seems that it is seeing as they have the exact same additional features which I mentioned above: The graphical filters, the remastered sound, the rewind feature, and the tutorial. This version does boast an additional modern feature in the form of new touchscreen controls, though you can also opt for the “original" control scheme which I imagine will amount to virtual buttons. You may recall that this isn’t the first time this classic has graced mobile, as an iPhone version of Flashback was released WAY back in May of 2009, and was more or less a straight port with some very funky virtual controls. Those awkward controls definitely brought down the experience, so I’m really hoping this upcoming version plays a little better.
One other cool thing worth noting is that there’s a connection between SFL Interactive and the original Flashback. SFL was founded by Michael Sportouch who was the co-founder of Delphine Software back in 1987, which was the original development studio of Flashback in 1992 and Paul Cuisset was the studio’s lead designer. What a crazy circle of life the video game industry is, eh? This Flashback mobile release will be SFL Interactive’s first title, and should be launching on both iOS and Android sometime this summer. For more information including a second trailer and a video interview with Paul Cuisset himself, check out the game’s official website.
