Flashback (video Game) - Development and Releases

Development and Releases

Flashback was and still appears to be mistaken as a sequel to Eric Chahi's video game Another World (the game Heart of the Alien was released as Another World's sequel). Although both games do share similarities, the storylines are completely different, and there is no major connection between two characters in Flashback. Flashback is mistaken as a sequel because both games are published by Delphine, Another World also utilizes rotoscoped animation (Flashback's graphics are similar to Another World, but the gameplay backgrounds are digitized hand-done drawings, while the vectors are pre-rendered compared to Another World, which featured real-time polygons all over, though the 3DO port did have digitized hand-painted backgrounds), and the gameplay of Flashback is similar to Another World (however, Flashback featured step-based controls and a heads-up display while Another World lacked both).

The PC version has an extended introductory sequence and more minor cut scenes than the Amiga version, such as when picking up items. In the Amiga version, the user can see these scenes by enabling them (although with few seconds of delay every time the animations load) or by playing the game entirely from the hard drive. The Amiga version also had an option to zoom in on the action whenever Conrad opens fire. Due to criticism of the look, it was removed from all other versions, although an option to play the game zoomed in remained in the PC version. The message that Conrad writes in the ending was also different in this release.

The game was originally released on 3.5" floppy disk for MS-DOS. Re-releases on CD-ROM for 3DO, CD-i, PC, and Sega CD featured redone pre-rendered cinematic FMVs with audible dialog and sound. The Sega CD port also has voice work for gameplay and CD tracks for each level. The Jaguar port has the title screen that these ports have, but the music is different and the look of the title screen is all that it has from the CD releases.

In North America, the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive), Super Nintendo and Sega CD versions featured a Marvel Comics comic book within the manual in order to explain the initial story. The PAL Sega Mega Drive and Super Nintendo releases (there was no Mega CD version) omitted the comic and instead featured a textual prologue. The Super Nintendo port featured some minor censorship due to Nintendo's content guidelines at the time. Changes included New Washington's bar becoming a cafe and Death Tower being renamed Cyber Tower, while the enemy mutants (who had natural skin colors in other versions) were recolored green.