Flashback

n/a

Flashback
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Mega-CD
Publisher: U.S. Gold, Sunsoft (JP), Sega
Developer: Delphine Software International
Original system(s): Amiga
Sound driver: GEMS
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1
Official in-game languages: English Français 日本語 English
Release Date RRP Code JP 1993-12-29 ¥8,000 T-15083 US 1993-02-20 $64.95 T-79066 UK 1993-06 £39.99 79066-50 FR 1993-06 ?F 79066-50 DE 1993-06 DM 129,95 79066-50 ES 1993-06 ?Ptas 79066-50 AU 199x $? ? BR 199x R$? 045070 US 1994-11 $? 4448
VRC ESRA

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Flashback (フラッシュバック), known in the US as Flashback: The Quest for Identity, is a platform-action game for the Commodore Amiga developed by Delphine Software International and published by U.S. Gold in 1992.

Arguably Delphine Software's greatest work, it has been ported to a variety of platforms, including the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Mega-CD, as well as 3DO, Acorn Archimedes, Atari Jaguar, CD-i, IBM PC, FM Towns, iPhone OS, Mac OS, PC-9801, and Super NES. CD-based versions tend to include full motion video cutscenes and an enhanced music soundtrack, but are essentially the same game.

Gameplay

In Flashback the player controls Conrad B. Hart, who having escaped from aliens finds himself in the jungles of Titan with his memory erased. He must recover his memory and save earth from an alien attack. The game is largely inspired by Prince of Persia, though has many notable improvements such as a weapon system. The game was well received due to its fluid animations and stealth-like gameplay.

The Sega versions of the game have one notable difference than other versions - Conrad wears a white shirt, presumably due to a more limited on-screen color palette.

History

Legacy

The game was followed by a 3D sequel, Fade to Black, a PC and PlayStation exclusive which was also intended for release on the Sega Saturn and was released for Dreamcast in 2018 as Fade to Black: Flashback 2. Plans for a third game in the series called Flashback Legends was due for the Game Boy Advance, but was cancelled. Leaked prototypes show a significant amount of graphical and story changes that barely resemble the world built up in the previous titles. A remake of the game developed by VectorCell was released in 2013.

JoshProd released a new version for the Sega Dreamcast in 2017.

Production credits

Mega Drive version

The FlashBack Team is...

• Programmers: Benoist Aron, Philippe Chastel, Paul Cuisset, Frederic Savoir
• Graphic Artists: Patrick Daher, Thierry Levastre, Denis Mercier, Thierry Perreau, Christian Robert, Fabrice Visserot
• Hardware Engineer: Thierry Gaerthner
• Story: Paul Cuisset
• Level Design: Paul Cuisset, Patrick Daher, Denis Mercier, Frederic Savoir, Fabrice Visserot
• Music: Jean Baudlot, Fabrice Visserot
• Sound fx: Benoist Aron, Philippe Chastel, Paul Cuisset, Fabrice Visserot
• Actors: Benoist Aron, Patrick Daher, Thierry Levastre, Denis Mercier, Thierry Perreau, Christian Robert, Fabrice Visserot
• Video directors: Patrick Daher, Thierry Perreau, Fabrice Visserot
• Video Co-directors: Thierry Levastre, Denis Mercier, Christian Robert
• Video sfx: Paul Cuisset, Thierry Perreau, Fabrice Visserot
• Testers: Phil Bradley, Patricia Cuisset, Simon Hadlington, Daniel Llewellyn, Jean-Pierre Luck, Martin Smith
• Many thanks to...: Lori Christensen, Patricia Cuisset, Anne-Marie Joassim, Jean-Pierre Luck, Marc Minier
• Special Credits to...: Cross Products for the SNASM development system., Sega of America for GEMS sound tool.
• Directed by: Paul Cuisset
• Produced by: Delphine Software / US Gold

(c) MCMXCIII

Source: In-game credits

Mega-CD version

Flashback SEGA-CD Team:

• Programmer: Benoist ARON
• 3-D Graphics: Denis MERCIER
• Additional 3-D Graphics: Thierry PERREAU
• Musics composed by: Fabrice VISSEROT, Jean BAUDLOT, Marc MINIER, Patrick SIGWALT
• Musics recorded & mixed by: Marc MINIER, Patrick SIGWALT
• Additional Engineering: François COUSIN
• In-Game Musics: Pierre-André ATHANE, Pascal PERINO
• Photo Director: Alain RAMOND
• Voices recorded & mixed by: Yves BOURVON
• Voices: Randall PRICE, Bruce BENINGTON-PORTER, Joe MAY, Cary GUY, Lori CHRISTENSEN, Olivier TOUSSAINT, Manone THUMIAH, Anne-Marie JOASSIM
• Testers: Dan LLEWELLYN, Jason SHELDON, Richard HOLDSWORTH, Brian SCHORR, Thomas MARX, Mike SCHMITT
• Art Director: Denis MERCIER
• Project Manager: Benoist ARON
• Directed by: Paul CUISSET
• Music digitally recorded and mixed at: DELPHINE Studios, PARIS.

Flashback GENESIS Team:

• Programmers: Benoist Aron, Philippe CHASTEL, Paul CUISSET, Frederic SAVOIR
• Graphic Artists: Patrick DAHER, Thierry LEVASTRE, Denis MERCIER, Thierry PERREAU, Christian ROBERT, Fabrice VISSEROT
• Hardware Engineer: Thierry GAERTHNER
• Story: Paul CUISSET
• Level Design: Paul CUISSET, Patrick DAHER, Denis MERCIER, Frederic SAVOIR, Fabrice VISSEROT
• Testers: Phil BRADLEY, Patricia CUISSET, Simon HADLINGTON, Daniel LLEWELLYN, Jean-Pierre LUCK, Martin SMITH

• Many Thanks to: Lori CHRISTENSEN, Patricia CUISSET, Anne-Marie JOASSIM, Jean-Pierre LUCK, Henri-Paul CARVALAT
• Supervised for U.S. Gold by: Stuart HIBBERT
• Produced by: Delphine Software International and U.S. Gold ©MCMXCIV

© MCMXCIV

Source: In-game credits

• Product Manager: Peter Loeb
• Associate Product Manager: John Garner
• Product Specialist: Nemer Velasquez
• Manual Designed by: Carol Ann Hanshaw

Source: US manualMedia:Flashback mcd us manual.pdf

Magazine articles

Main article: Flashback/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Main article: Flashback/Promotional material.

Physical scans

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average

Publication Score Source Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 92 №9/93, p137 Beep! MegaDrive (JP) 73 №1994-01, p24 Beep! MegaDrive (readers) (JP) 84 №, p83 Consoles + (FR) 96 №18, p56-60 Computer & Video Games (UK) 94 №138, p34-37 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 93 №1, p46Media:MeanMachinesEssentialSegaGuide Book UK.pdf Game Power (IT) 94 №19, p39-41 GamePro (US) 100 №43, p36-37 GamesMaster (UK) 93 №7, p78 No results 94 №19 Hippon Super (JP) 60 №1994-01, p40 Joypad (FR) 97 №18, p72-75 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) 90 №10, p14-17 Mega (UK) 94 №9, p52-53 Mega Action (UK) 92 №2, p22-23 Mega Force (FR) 97 №15, p94-98 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 93 №7, p16-20 Player One (FR) 96 №29, p64-67 Sega Power (UK) 93 №43, p32-35 Sega Pro (UK) 94 №20, p42-43 Sega Zone (UK) 94 №8, p36-39 Sega Force Mega (UK) 93 №1, p89 Sega Force (SE) 96 №4/93, p6-7 Sega Force (UK) 93 №18, p32-35 Supergame (BR) 95 №21, p6-7 Supergame (BR) 90 №22, p20-23 Supersonic (FR) 93 №8, p10-11

	92
Based on 27 reviews

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart File:Flashback MD US Manual.pdf Manual

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, AU

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, SE (Rental)

Mega Drive, FR
File:Flashback MD FR Manual.pdf Manual

Mega-CD version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) 75 №65, p44/164 GamePro (US) 83 №66, p44 Next Generation (US) 60 №4, p93

	73
Based on 3 reviews

Mega-CD, US
Cover
Disc Manual

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
✔	CRC32 23a9616d MD5 111e1694facbe6879640ccf83040cd20 SHA-1 bce40031f6adab48670c8a2d73e42f3a3dcba97c	1.5MB	1993-01-20	Cartridge (US)
✔	CRC32 33cd2b65 MD5 55977f8786715847ba2061708e49beeb SHA-1 225b405274d39541e07488fdd33de8f854624bf1	1.5MB	1993-01	Cartridge (US)
✔	CRC32 6f311c83 MD5 cef0031bd4612df7d4eac6bd71f7648d SHA-1 31372b2c056eacb747de0a706de3899d224f2c92	1.5MB	1993-01-20	Cartridge (EU)
✔	CRC32 b790e3b4 MD5 9a445d5b0d1cd873ce743743b8faec31 SHA-1 5082180974a125b5f9c01c96410c0fdbfb707d2b	1.5MB	1993-01-20	Cartridge (JP)

References

NEC Retro has more information related to Flashback.

Flashback games for Sega systems
	Flashback (1993)
	Flashback (1994)
	Flashback (2017) | Fade to Black (2018)