Flicky

From Sega Retro

n/a

Flicky Arcade Title.png

Flicky
System(s): Sega System 1, SG-1000, Mega Drive, MSX, FM-7, PC-8001, PC-8801, Sharp MZ, Sharp X1
Publisher:
Arcade
SG-1000
Sega Mega Drive
Sega
Arcade
Bally Midway (US)
FM77AV
NEC PC-8001
NEC PC-8801
X1
Micronet
Developer:
Genre: Action

















Release Date RRP Code

Flicky (フリッキー) is a video game released for Sega System 1 arcade hardware in 1984. The game stars a little blue bird called Flicky tasked with saving smaller birds from being eaten by predators. It was designed by Youji Ishii, and (according to text at the top and bottom of the ROM) was known as Busty and Flippy during development.

Gameplay

In the game, the player controls Flicky, a bird who has to save the Chirps (Piopio in Japan) from cats named Tiger (Nyannan) and iguanas named Iggy (Choro). The player has to collect all of the Chirps and guide them through the exit, with a bonus increasing in proportion to the amount of Chirps saved at once.

There is only one button in the game, which both causes Flicky to "jump" and, if he is holding and item, throw it across the screen. Items thrown ate enemies will knock them off the screen temporarily, however they will re-spawn at specified locations until the game is over.

Players start with three lives and can gain more lives by acquiring certain scores, however there is a maximum of five lives that can be retained at once.

There are 48 proper levels ("rounds") in the game. Completing these yields a "congratulations" message, followed by the possibility of playing through the game again at a faster speed. These levels are numbered 49, 50 and so on, and levels which previously did not contain Iggy may contain it. Furthermore, some throwable items are replaced with different ones. Once the game has been completed a second time (passing level 96, the "fast" version of 48), the game repeats again, but there is no speed increase (i.e. level 97 is identical to level 49), and the game simply carries on in this fashion until the player loses all his/her lives.

Legacy

Following its release, Flicky was ported to the Sega SG-1000, MSX, NEC PC-8801, Sharp X1, Fujitsu FM-7, Sega Mega Drive, DoCoMo iMode mobile phones, and was released as part of Sega of Japan's Sonic Cafe mobile service.

Interestingly despite its Japanese origins, the Mega Drive version of the game was only released in cartridge form in the US and Europe. In Japan Flicky was only downloadable through the Sega Game Toshokan service. The game was also included as an unlockable game in Sonic Mega Collection and Sonic Mega Collection Plus and has been included in numerous Mega Drive compliations, from the 1996 Mega Drive release of Classic Collection to the 2009 release of Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

If the player completes the first ten levels perfectly in the Mega Drive version, (i.e. all under 20 seconds with a perfect score eventually totalling 240 000) he/she is presented with a screen with a girl in a bikini. A level select screen can also be accessed by holding Up, A, C and  START  between the title and "round 1" screen.

Flicky has also made several cameos in several Sega games (such as Super Monaco GP) and became an integral part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island can be seen as a spiritual sequel to this game, with similar goals played out on an isometric field, paired with gameplay inspired by previous Sonic outings.

Production Credits

Arcade Version

Programming: Hideki Ishikawa, Shuichi Katagi
Game Design: Yoji Ishii
Character Design: Yoshiki Kawasaki
Security/Copy Protection: Shuichi Katagi

Mega Drive Version

Director: K.Fuzzy
Designer: Yumi
Programmer: O.Samu
Sound Design: T's Music
Special Thanks: Lee, Bo, Arcade Flicky Staff, Test Players

FM-7 Version

Staff: Y.Kitano, K.Endo, R.Komaita

PC-8001, PC-8801, X1 Versions

Staff: Y.Koideya, M.Kobayashi, M.Yamada, R.Komaita, I.Nanji
Copyright by Sega
Produced by Micronet

Artwork

Promotional Material

Physical Scans

System 1 Version

System 1, US
System 1, JP

SG-1000 Version

SG-1000, JP
Flicky US SG1000 Back.jpgNospine.pngFlicky US SG1000 Box Front.jpg
Cover
Flicky SG-1000 cart.jpg
Cart
FlickySGJPManual.pdf
Manual
SG-1000, EU
FlickySGEUBack.jpgNospine.pngFlickySGEUFront.jpg
Cover
SG-1000, NZ

Flicky SG1000 NZ Cart.jpg
Cart
SG-1000, TW

Master System Version

Master System, KR
<div style="margin:auto; max-width:Expression error: Unexpected < operator.px"> 320x120pxNospine.pngFlicky SMS KR cardcover.jpg
Cover
Flicky SMS KR card.jpg
Card

Mega Drive Version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
80 №50, p110
84 №120, p96/97
58 №4
70 №22
62 №18, p183
28 №5, p92
88 №1, p78[1]
92 №13, p94/95
55 №15, p105
66
60 №23, p53
75 №25, p32
37 №18, p65
Sega Mega Drive
66
Based on
13 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
30
[2]
ACE (UK) PAL
75
[3]
ACE (UK) PAL
75
[4]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
57
[5]
Console XS (UK) PAL
67
[6]
Computer & Video Games (UK) PAL
84
[7]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
53
[8]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU)
20
[9]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
85
[10]
Games-X (UK)
58
[11]
Games-X (UK)
70
[12]
Joystick (FR)
62
[13]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL
28
[14]
Mega Force (FR) PAL
50
[15]
Mega Play (US) NTSC-U
50
[16]
MegaTech (UK)
88
[17]
Micromanía (segunda época) (ES)
55
[18]
Mean Machines (UK) PAL
92
[19]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
88
[20]
Player One (FR)
55
[21]
Power Play (DE)
66
[22]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-U
50
[23]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
75
[24]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
37
[25]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
27
[26]
Video Games (DE)
60
[27]
Sega Mega Drive
60
Based on
26 reviews

Flicky

Mega Drive, US
<div style="margin:auto; max-width:Expression error: Unexpected < operator.px"> 320x120px
Cover
Mega Drive, EU
Flicky box eu.jpg
Cover
Flicky MD EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, AU
Flicky Sega Megadrive AU Cover.jpg
Cover
Flicky Sega Megadrive AU Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, BR
Flicky MD BR Box.jpg
Cover
Flicky MD BR Cart.jpg
Cart

FM-7 Version

Fujitsu FM-7, JP
Flicky FM7 JP Box.jpg
Cover

MSX Version

MSX, JP
Flicky MSX JP Box.jpg
Cover
Flicky MSX JP Cart.jpg
Cart

PC-8001 Version

NEC PC-8001, JP

PC-8801 Version

NEC PC-8801, JP

Sharp MZ Version

Sharp MZ, JP
<div style="margin:auto; max-width:Expression error: Unexpected < operator.px"> 320x120px
Cover
Flicky SharpMZ JP Cassette.jpg
Cassette

Sharp X1 Version

Sharp X1, JP

External Links

  • File:Megatech UK 01.pdf, page 78
  • 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 82
  • ACE, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-10-08), page 110
  • ACE, "December 1991" (UK; 1991-11-08), page 114
  • Aktueller Software Markt, "Juli 1991" (DE; 1991-06-28), page 116
  • Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 130
  • Computer & Video Games, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-10-15), page 96
  • Electronic Gaming Monthly, "April 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 24
  • Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 315
  • Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 47
  • Games-X, "24th May 1991" (UK; 1991-05-17), page 37
  • Games-X, "19th-25th September 1991" (UK; 1991-09-19), page 36
  • Joystick, "Juillet/Août 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 183
  • Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 92
  • Mega Force, "Septembre/Octobre 1991" (FR; 1991-09-13), page 87
  • Mega Play, "May/June 1991" (US; 1991-0x-xx), page 44
  • MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 78
  • Micromanía (segunda época), "Diciembre 1991" (ES; 1991-1x-xx), page 80
  • Mean Machines, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-27), page 94
  • Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 138
  • Player One, "Décembre 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 105
  • Power Play, "8/91" (DE; 1991-07-1x), page 126
  • Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 53
  • Sega Power, "December 1991" (UK; 1991-10-30), page 32
  • Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 65
  • Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 76
  • Video Games, "3/91" (DE; 1991-09-06), page 91