Flash Point

n/a

Flash Point
System(s): Sega System 16, MSX, Sega Master System (Unlicensed)
Publisher: Sega, Zemina (Unlicensed)
Developer: Sega R&D 1 Zemina
Genre: Puzzle
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code JP 1989-07 ¥? ? KR 19xx KR 19xx

Flash Point (フラッシュポイント) is an arcade puzzle game by Sega. It was released for Sega System 16 hardware in 1989.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot from the System 16 version.

Flash Point is an extension of Sega's 1988 version of Tetris (using the same Sega rotation ruleset and Tetrimino colour scheme), however rather than being judged by how many lines are cleared, the player is tasked with removing highlighted blocks from the screen (or "flashing points").

Instead of starting with a blank playfield, the player can choose from a number of pre-determined layouts. While points are awarded in a similar manner to Tetris, the big scores come from removing the highlighted blocks. Levels have a bonus timer which rapidly counts down at the bottom of the matrix; the faster the player clears the flashing blocks, the more bonus points they earn at the end of a level. There are a total of 90 levels.

De facto Sega mascots Flicky (Flicky), Alex Kidd (Alex Kidd in Miracle World), Opa-Opa (Fantasy Zone) and Princess Kurumi (Ninja Princess) make cameos in the game, wishing the player luck just before starting a level. In addition, all of the backgrounds are recycled from Fantasy Zone.

History

Legacy

Flash Point was later re-released in the Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol.28: Tetris Collection in its original form. Also included in this collection is a previously-unreleased Sega Mega Drive version of Flash Point—the ROM of which has since been ripped and circulates on the internet today. It is unknown whether Flash Point suffered a similar fate to Sega's Tetris - dropped from the release schedule due to a lack of valid license for home console conversions of the game.

Zemina made an unlicensed port to the MSX and Sega Master System in some unknown year, calling it Flashpoint.

Magazine articles

Main article: Flash Point/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

System 16 JP flyer

Physical scans

System 16 version

System 16, JP
Instuction card(s)

Master System version

Master System, KR
Cover

MSX version

MSX, KR

Unreleased versions

Flash Point
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
State before cancellation: Late in development
Status of prototype(s): Extracted from Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol.28: Tetris Collection

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
✔	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1 358e4dc17b4269b34273b7c4ce1d57c0c01ffd4e	128kB	1989-01	PlayStation 2 disc			(62 kB) (info)	Page
?	CRC32 61e8806f MD5 e74328c8cdd71af02ed99b17139126cd SHA-1 bfa43eaa99c470eaa542ba37033651c2759b9874	32kB		Cartridge (KR)

External links

• KLOV entry
• Arcade-History entry