Flicky
Encyclopedia
Flicky is an arcade game
made by Sega
. First released in arcades
in 1984, Flicky was also released at the time for the SG-1000
, and then ported to the MSX
and Japanese computers Sharp X1
, Fujitsu FM-7 and NEC PC-8801
. It was later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
in 1991. Flicky was designed by Yoji Ishii, who was with Sonic Team
until August 1999, when he formed Artoon
, his own company.
In the game, the player controls Flicky, a flightless bird who has to save the Chirps (Piopio in Japan
), from house cats.
The player has to collect all of the Chirps and guide them through the exit. The player has to avoid the cat
, Tiger (Nyannan) and the green iguana
, Iggy (Choro). They can also be killed by throwing items at them. Tiger tries to catch Flicky by jumping on platforms or running, while Iggy owns the ability to climb walls and crawl fast along the floors. He debuts in round 10.
Players start with two lives and can gain more lives by acquiring certain scores; however there is a maximum of five lives they can attain.
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 the Iggy now do contain it. Furthermore, some throwable items are replaced with different ones. Once the game has been completed a second time (passing level 96 = 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 after the 256th level the game starts over at the very first level and continues from there. If the player touches the enemy, the player will lose a life. When all three lives are gone, the game will end.
(subtitled Flickies' Island in Europe
and Japan), where the birds, who not only resemble but are explicitly named Flickies, follow Sonic around after being found in the same way the Chirps would follow Flicky in this game. Other mechanics were also similar, such as losing Flickies that happen to touch an enemy or hazard, or losing them all if Sonic died (though unlike Flicky, Sonic could, depending on the circumstances, survive a hit). The point system (extra points awarded for rescuing Flickies/Chirps together instead of one at a time) had the same principle, as well.
In Tails Adventure
, the island that Tails is on seems to be inhabited by Flickies. Also, in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, Tails' super transformation has four super Flickies surrounding him, who attack any enemies that are surrounding Tails, including bosses.
In the Sonic Adventure
, there are five birds of the Flicky species, they are of a different variety than the other small animals collected for use in the Chao Gardens, although two are found inside robots in E-102 Gamma's story line (one inside Gamma itself and one inside of E-101 MKII) and one follows Amy Rose
in her story line, and two more come to meet her rescued Flicky. These Flickies can not be collected and taken to the Chao Gardens.
Flicky also makes a cameo in an arcade Sega game called Flash Point and Bloxeed, two Tetris-like puzzle games, as well as in the bonus rounds of the arcade version of Teddy Boy, which was made by the same staff. Gunstar Super Heroes
has a stage based on Flicky in which the player rescues chicks.
Flicky was also included as an unlockable game in Sonic Mega Collection
.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
made by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
. First released in arcades
Video arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
in 1984, Flicky was also released at the time for the SG-1000
SG-1000
The SC-3000 was the computer equivalent of the SG-1000.The SC-3000 sold for ¥29,800 in 1983 and was marketed as a computer for beginners...
, and then ported to the MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
and Japanese computers Sharp X1
Sharp X1
The X1 is a series of home computer released by Sharp Corporation from 1982 to 1988. It was based on a Z80 CPU.Despite the fact that the Computer Division of Sharp Corporation had released the MZ series, suddenly the Television Division released a new computer series called the X1...
, Fujitsu FM-7 and NEC PC-8801
NEC PC-8801
The NEC PC-8801 was an early Zilog Z80-based computer exclusively released in Japan, where it became very popular, by NEC Corporation in 1981. It was informally called the "PC-88"....
. It was later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
in 1991. Flicky was designed by Yoji Ishii, who was with Sonic Team
Sonic Team
is a Japanese computer and video game developer established in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan in 1990, originally known as Sega AM8. The Japan-based division is also known as G.E. Department Global Entertainment. The studio has collaborated with several in-house Japanese studios as well as other American-based...
until August 1999, when he formed Artoon
Artoon
Artoon is a computer and video game third-party developer established in 1999. The team was primarily affiliated in the United States with recent and current Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360 projects, although they had also worked with Hudson Soft and Nintendo on other platforms...
, his own company.
Gameplay
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
), from house cats.
The player has to collect all of the Chirps and guide them through the exit. The player has to avoid the cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
, Tiger (Nyannan) and the green iguana
Green Iguana
The Green Iguana or Common Iguana is a large, arboreal herbivorous species of lizard of the genus Iguana native to Central and South America...
, Iggy (Choro). They can also be killed by throwing items at them. Tiger tries to catch Flicky by jumping on platforms or running, while Iggy owns the ability to climb walls and crawl fast along the floors. He debuts in round 10.
Players start with two lives and can gain more lives by acquiring certain scores; however there is a maximum of five lives they can attain.
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 the Iggy now do contain it. Furthermore, some throwable items are replaced with different ones. Once the game has been completed a second time (passing level 96 = 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 after the 256th level the game starts over at the very first level and continues from there. If the player touches the enemy, the player will lose a life. When all three lives are gone, the game will end.
Appearances in other games
The Flicky birds in the Sonic the Hedgehog games are derived from the bird in the Flicky arcade game. This is most obvious in Sonic 3D BlastSonic 3D Blast
Sonic 3D is an isometric platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was developed in the United Kingdom by Traveller's Tales and published by Sega. The Japanese version was also Sega Saturn exclusive...
(subtitled Flickies' Island in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Japan), where the birds, who not only resemble but are explicitly named Flickies, follow Sonic around after being found in the same way the Chirps would follow Flicky in this game. Other mechanics were also similar, such as losing Flickies that happen to touch an enemy or hazard, or losing them all if Sonic died (though unlike Flicky, Sonic could, depending on the circumstances, survive a hit). The point system (extra points awarded for rescuing Flickies/Chirps together instead of one at a time) had the same principle, as well.
In Tails Adventure
Tails Adventure
, also known as Tails Adventures, is an action-adventure video game with role-playing elements that was developed by Aspect and distributed by Sega in 1995 for the videogame console Sega Game Gear....
, the island that Tails is on seems to be inhabited by Flickies. Also, in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, Tails' super transformation has four super Flickies surrounding him, who attack any enemies that are surrounding Tails, including bosses.
In the Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure
is a 1999 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and released on December 23, 1998, in Japan by Sega for the Dreamcast. One of its development titles was Sonic RPG...
, there are five birds of the Flicky species, they are of a different variety than the other small animals collected for use in the Chao Gardens, although two are found inside robots in E-102 Gamma's story line (one inside Gamma itself and one inside of E-101 MKII) and one follows Amy Rose
Amy Rose
, known earlier as Rosy the Rascal, is a video game character who appears in most of the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games developed by Sega's Sonic Team, debuting in Sonic CD as the third recurring protagonist. Amy Rose was created by Kazuyuki Hoshino and based on one of Kenji Terada's...
in her story line, and two more come to meet her rescued Flicky. These Flickies can not be collected and taken to the Chao Gardens.
Flicky also makes a cameo in an arcade Sega game called Flash Point and Bloxeed, two Tetris-like puzzle games, as well as in the bonus rounds of the arcade version of Teddy Boy, which was made by the same staff. Gunstar Super Heroes
Gunstar Super Heroes
Gunstar Super Heroes is a Game Boy Advance title created by Treasure Co. Ltd. It is the sequel to Gunstar Heroes...
has a stage based on Flicky in which the player rescues chicks.
Flicky was also included as an unlockable game in Sonic Mega Collection
Sonic Mega Collection
is a video game compilation for the Nintendo GameCube.The compilation contains twelve to fourteen games depending on the region, all originally released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis console...
.