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[SantaC]

I remember that out of this world was something very different when I played it. It really felt like a weird sci-fi movie. Sadly, out of this world was a short game. So I was very excited for Flashback which was also developed by Delphine Software.

Flashback(advenure/sci-fi) improves in every way over out of this world. The game is lenghty, and very hard. It took me a great amount of time before I actually beat it.

In Flashback you play through jungles, sewers, cities, houses and space ships. Your quest is to find your way home to earth since you lost your memory. The game has great advenure elements, and great variety in the puzzles. The controls is alittle slow (think prince of persia), but you get used to it. What's kinda weird is that the music is totally silent sometimes, and it starts to build up when something happens.

if you still haven't played flashback, (available for mega drive/snes/jaguar/even dreamcast I think)you should try it. I had a blast, but It requires patience

 

[Fularu]

Snes version sucks, amiga version all the way!

 

[AstroLad]

It was a beautiful game; I played it on the Genny though.

 

[SantaC]

Snes version sucks, amiga version all the way!

aha so it was on the amiga too

 

[jenov4]

I played this on the Amiga. I believe that was the system it was first developed for? Great game, the graphics still hold up today. What ever happened to Delphine? Are they still around?

 

[Ryo]

As far as I know it first came out on Amiga, and that's when I played it. I actually played it through on emu last year. Still very impressive and fun

 

[Ranger X]

I kinda miss those "learn by death" games. There was also Out of This World that was really worth it and Heart of Darkness on Ps1.

I don't remember... what the fuck happened with Flashback 2??

 

[XS+]

I think the story was weak and the game relied too much on its cinematic technology. The PoP-style gameplay was pretty solid, even though I don't care for that type of control scheme.

 

[Shompola]

Also on PC. I enjoyed Flash Back... But Another World was so much nicer IMO.

 

[Takosuke]

I kinda miss those "learn by death" games. There was also Out of This World that was really worth it and Heart of Darkness on Ps1.

I don't remember... what the fuck happened with Flashback 2??

It was canned when Delphine Software was bought by Doki Denki (And so I lost my job as a game designer on this game :/).

It was Flashback 3 in fact, as Flashback 2 was Fade To black (We did't have the right to use "Flashback 2 or 3" since US gold owned the name of the game. We could name it "Fashback -something-" anyway), and the project name was Flashback Legend)

 

[radioheadrule83]

I've been playing the PC version with DOSBox recently. I remember how amazing the cutscenes were for the time even today... they must have taken ages!

 

[ManDudeChild]

Snes version sucks, amiga version all the way!

Iawtp

 

[Ranger X]

It was canned when Delphine Software was bought by Doki Denki (And so I lost my job as a game designer on this game :/).

It was Flashback 3 in fact, as Flashback 2 was Fade To black (We did't have the right to use "Flashback 2 or 3" since US gold owned the name of the game. We could name it "Fashback -something-" anyway), and the project name was Flashback Legend)

Nice info tks!
Where do you work now? I'm working on becoming game designer at UbiSoft, come over here and let's revive this franchise!

 

[XS+]

It was canned when Delphine Software was bought by Doki Denki (And so I lost my job as a game designer on this game :/).

It was Flashback 3 in fact, as Flashback 2 was Fade To black (We did't have the right to use "Flashback 2 or 3" since US gold owned the name of the game. We could name it "Fashback -something-" anyway), and the project name was Flashback Legend)

Awhile ago I saw a demo of a Flashback game that looked like the original FB, except the backgrounds were redrawn, and the levels were scrolling instead of static. Would you know anything about that by chance?

 

[Takosuke]

Nice info tks!
Where do you work now? I'm working on becoming game designer at UbiSoft, come over here and let's revive this franchise!

I will work for Blizzard Europe @ Vivendi in October.
It's a hard time for all the videogames studios here in France :/

Awhile ago I saw a demo of a Flashback game that looked like the original FB, except the backgrounds were redrawn, and the levels were scrolling instead of static. Would you know anything about that by chance?

Yup, it was an early alpha of the game I was talking about, and it seems taht it was leaked by someone at Ubisoft ;p
The scrolling was a very bad Idea IMHO but was decided before I began to work on the project, in order to make the game more appealing for a younger audience :/ - that and the flashy/younger art design.

 

[shpankey]

Awesome game, I remember it well. But without a doubt Out of this World was leagues ahead of Flashback because the puzzles in OotW where 10 times better, more clever and more abundent. I mean, when I got through an OotW puzzle it was like realizing I had just worked a masterpiece. Flashback just didn't have that. But it was a great game however, indeed, in my top 10 games of alltime is Flashback. It's just OotW is the #1 game of alltime IMO.

I remember playing Fade to Black (on PSX I think) and thinking how much it lost in the transition to 3d. They should have stuck with the 2d gameplay with 3d graphics. It basically sucked.

P.S. The original Prince of Persia is up here with Out of this World and Flashback in alltime classics with this familiar gameplay.

P.P.S. Didn't Delphine also end up making the incredible "Moto Racer"? Another alltime masterpiece. I remember playing it online, one of the first online games ever, and the gameplay was absolute perfection.

 

[Takosuke]

Here's a little something for you all flashback fans

It's some early work on Conrad's new design for Flashback Legend. These arts were made by Phillipe Dessoly, one of the best 2d artist I know. He's also the father of Mister Nutz ^_^

 

[SantaC]

Here's a little something for you all flashback fans

It's some early work on Conrad's new design for Flashback Legend. These arts were made by Phillipe Dessoly, one of the best 2d artist I know. He's also the father of Mister Nutz ^_^

Cool

Wasn't the flashback on PC fade to black? Or was the original released on PC as well?

 

[Takosuke]

Fade to Black was the sequel to Flashback.
Flashback (the 1st) was released on PC too.

Here's some more eyecandies, cover prototypes:

 

[SantaC]

Fade to Black was the sequel to Flashback.
Flashback (the 1st) was released on PC too.

Here's some more eyecandies, cover prototypes:

thats cool. So we will never see this?

 

[Ryu]

Oh God... Fade to Black...

"You must follow the way of the Oracle."

Flashback, however, was awesome. I still own a mint in box copy of the SNES version.

 

[GhaleonEB]

To hell with the SNES version - the original Genesis version smoked it.

 

[fennec fox]

These arts were made by Phillipe Dessoly, one of the best 2d artist I know. He's also the father of Mister Nutz ^_^

Does not compute!

But anyway, I played Flashback and Out of This World on the Genesis and they're both stonking classics. I later played both on the SNES and man, they're slooooooow! Quick, someone change the console in the topic!

 

[Shompola]

fade to black was an awesome game, atleast on PC.

 

[Ghost]

i prefered the PC version, the FMV was great.


I loved the presentation, but the game was way too hardcore for me, searching the map for items was tough enough at times, but when you had to fight the morphing things...well i was just owned. Dont think i ever completed it.

GBA version, cool, i dont like the move to the cleaner art shown in that box art though...its similar to the Super Star Wars --> GBA Star wars, too clean....whats wrong with the old art?

 

[Takosuke]

The problem is thaht most of the producer or publisher think thaht GBA = Young Audience.

They all try to make games attractive to young people by giving a much kiddier tone to the art, making game easier and removing darker parts of the scenarios :/

It's very frustrating, especially when you are a fond of the original games >_<

 

[Ranger X]

Well, what's sad is that the majority of SP userbase is young people...
But well, i understand what you mean. We are in a world where it's the guys at the marketing department who decides what the games are...

 

[Shinobi]

To hell with the SNES version - the original Genesis version smoked it.

Haha, hell yeah.

It was canned when Delphine Software was bought by Doki Denki (And so I lost my job as a game designer on this game :/).

It was Flashback 3 in fact, as Flashback 2 was Fade To black (We did't have the right to use "Flashback 2 or 3" since US gold owned the name of the game. We could name it "Fashback -something-" anyway), and the project name was Flashback Legend)

That's a damn shame. Truth be told I had a hard time getting into Fade to Black, but Flashback was one of the best games I've ever played. Music was fantastic too (good ole tune #11). Never did play Out Of This World, but Flashback's world was always more appealing to me. Still, I'll have to give it a go at some point.

 

[BlackClouds]

Yeah, and if you think about it, the game was one of the more mature games that came out for the 16bit consoles. The game is definetly a top 5 favorite of mine on the Genesis.

Also though, what was deal with Shaq Fu, which used the same engine that was in Flashback. I always thought Flashback 2 was cancelled or delayed because of that attempted cash in that completely backfired. I would've much preferred a Flashback 2 instead of Shaq Fu.

 

[MrPing1000]

*does the noise when u recieved an item*

do dooo doodle doo

 

[radioheadrule83]

I'm having a drool-heavy fit... right now!

 

[Date of Lies]

Nice info tks!
Where do you work now? I'm working on becoming game designer at UbiSoft, come over here and let's revive this franchise!

hey, that's my goal.

Hands off, bitch

 

[Ranger X]

You work at Ubi Soft you ennemi?

 

[Lazy8s]

Completing missions and solving puzzles in the futuristic settings of Flashback made for a great sci-fi thriller. I particularly remember the last puzzle and figuring out a game-breaking trick to completely defuse the challenge.

The Genesis version was great. There were some sound effects inexplicably missing on the SNES that killed it for me since I couldn't get over the void that was left in their absence.

 

[Kiriku]

I always preferred Another World (did it have a different title in the US?). Less 'technical' hi-tech world, more mysterious and fascinating. Loved the atmosphere. Although I have to admit some action sections were really tough, and the game was a bit on the short side. Never did play that SegaCD sequel (?) either. Was it any good?

 

[Takosuke]

Also though, what was deal with Shaq Fu, which used the same engine that was in Flashback. I always thought Flashback 2 was cancelled or delayed because of that attempted cash in that completely backfired. I would've much preferred a Flashback 2 instead of Shaq Fu.

Flashback 2 was really in the way, as a pure sequel, still in 2D etc.

There was a lot of levels that were fully designed, but the project was canned because Paul Cuisset wanted to create a game on the 32bits consoles, and thought that 3D was a much better choice. And so came Fade to Black.

If you want to know more about DSI back then, then have a look to this website from a friend of mine who was a graphist in DSI and worked on Flashback 2 :

http://www.bozo3000.free.fr

 

[nitewulf]

fantastic game. it really reminded me of a mix between the running man and total recall. overall i liked it more than OoTW because it had better controls and gameplay, though OoTW was much more atmospheric and creepy, i always felt the controls were too limiting and made the game tougher than it needed to be.
Flashback on the other hand was perfect, didnt have any difficulty beating it due to the awesome control scheme. loved the missions in order to buy the ticket out of the planet, it was like playing some sort of a cyberpunk thriller.
and i played/beat the genesis version...it was lovely in every way, dont know much about any other versions though.
a proper 2d sequel (ie, not kiddified) on the GBA would be fantastic.

 

[Junon]

I remember both Flashback and Out of this World being very good games. I also remember them turning out better (and faster) on the Genesis than on the SNES. Kind of surprising considering the technicals of both consoles by comparison. I remember an EGM review of both games on both consoles praising the Genesis version over the SNES version, something about the Genesis version was a "sight for sore eyes".

 

[Lazy8s]

Given the specifications of each console, it's not so surprising that the SNES version of Flashback had more slowdown.

 

[Mejilan]

I purchased both the SNES and Genny games a few months ago. I should probably set my classic systems up again...

 

[Shompola]

I always preferred Another World (did it have a different title in the US?).

Yep Another World is the original name of the game. I don't know why they renamed it to Out Of This World when it was released in NA. Maybe license issues over there.

 

[Agent X]

Yep Another World is the original name of the game. I don't know why they renamed it to Out Of This World when it was released in NA. Maybe license issues over there.

It had to do with the American soap opera named "Another World." They didn't want any confusion and/or lawsuits, so they simply changed the name to Out of This World.

BTW, I own the Amiga version of Out of This World, and the Jaguar version of Flashback. Both are really great games!

 

[jett]

I love Flashback and Out of this World...but I like OotW much more. Even to this day it has an AWESOME presentation and atmosphere...I was just blown away the first time I saw the intro movie when I played it on my SNES.

 

[luxsol]

Well, what's sad is that the majority of SP userbase is young people...
But well, i understand what you mean. We are in a world where it's the guys at the marketing department who decides what the games are...

Didn't Nintendo say a couple of months that the majority of GBA owners are 16+?

 

[Seth C]

Flashback is easily one of my favorite games of all-time. I actually own it (complete with box and manual) for Genesis, SNES, 3DO, and Sega CD. In my opinion (short of Jaguar, perhaps) the Genesis version is the best, by far. I simply prefer the stylish real-time cinemas found in the cartridges much more than I do the pre-rendered cinemas on the CDs.