Flashback: The Quest for Identity

1001 Video Games

Flashback appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Release variations

A bargain bin CD-ROM version of the game for Sega CD (which was later adapted to the PC CD-ROM, 3DO and CD-i) contained new cinematic sequences with voice acting and sound effects. This version of the game came only in a jewel case (no box).

Ports and conversions

• Although Amiga version of the game was released as the first one in December 1992, it was in fact a port from the original platform which was Sega Mega Drive. However SMD version was released later in spring of 1993.
• SNES port was slightly censored. Death Tower was renamed to Cyber Tower, New Washington's bar became a cafe and all the enemy mutants were recolored green.
• Amiga version has cut-down introductory sequence and some cut scenes during the gameplay does not exist until the player enables them manually by pressing CTRL+C. The Amiga and DOS versions also had an option to zoom in on the action whenever Conrad opens fire. It was removed from all other versions. Zoomed in option in DOS version can be enabled in the game options screen while in the Amiga version by pressing F9 during the game.
• DOS version contains changed message that Conrad writes in the ending.

Soundtrack

A two-track CD soundtrack was released featuring music inspired by the game, but not directly from it.

Technology

One of the materials in the box of Flashback is a coupon for a rebate on a Gravis Gamepad and a note to "try Gravis' Ultrasound 16-bit sound card." This is ironic because, amongst Gravis Ultrasound enthusiasts, Flashback is notorious for being incompatible with the GUS.

Programmers might be interested in the fact that Flashback is one of very few games that used a screen mode with a width of 256 pixels. This implies that the address of a pixel on the screen could be comfortably stored in a 16-bit register, say AX. The X-coordinate could then be manipulated through AL, and the Y-coordinate through AH. This might have contributed somewhat to Flashback's impressively fluent animations.

Awards

• Amiga Joker
  • Issue 02/1994 – Best Genre Mix in 1993 (Readers' Vote)
• Electronic Gaming Monthly
  • May 1993 (Issue 46) - Game of the Month (Genesis version)
  • November 1997 (Issue 100) - ranked #92 (Best 100 Games of All Time) (Genesis version)
• FLUX
  • Issue #4 - #10 in the "Top 100 Video Games of All-Time" list
• GamePro
  • 1993 (Vol. 6, Issue 2) - Action/Adventure Game of the Year (Genesis version)
• Retro Gamer
  • September 2004 (Issue #8) – #65 Best Game Of All Time (Readers' Vote)
  • Issue #37 - #15 in the "Top 25 Platformers of All Time" poll

Information also contributed by Brian Hirt, Robert Schmidt, Apogee IV, PCGamer77, and Big John WV