This game is very famous and has been released on several platforms, and I remembered it as being close to the hearts of literate players, reminiscent of the once very popular Out of This World (it’s Another World). Another thing is that for someone who has never seen Flashback, I should probably explain that this game is actually a bit of a sequel to it. It is a kind of ordinary arcade game (though certainly different in Gex), but even if the program doesn’t allow for its realization at the last moment, it exists with puzzles that almost return to a classic adventure. In some Sega Genesis / MegaDrive versions, the graphics were very inadequate, to the extent that it would be quite unreasonable to port the game in a manner similar to the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. It did not come as a blessing. The 3DO version turned out to be much more colorful, meaning more vibrant backgrounds/sprites and the addition of 3D animations, which, of course, positively affected the game, but still, it isn’t enough to call the game beautiful. Here, it is essential that the game’s process is so addictive that the graphics need to be such that they do not distract the player from the aforementioned process.
How was the process? Well, initially, this is definitely the dominant arcade component of the project. You manage the person with the weapon until the end of the game along with the main weapon. The character cannot rejoice in combat training, but cannot be happy either. They can roll on the ground, shoot while sitting or standing, run, jump, go up and down. In short, they can do everything that a 2D version of Lara Croft could do. But for her, this is not the limit, and here is where a piece of adventure comes into play.
The character has an inventory filled with all kinds of gadgets during the adventure and actually in the process of exploring levels and completing various tasks. Now the gadgets have been divided into several groups from less useful to more useful. On the other hand, what can be considered useful? For example, a stone may seem useless, but it can also be used to achieve honesty objectives to varying degrees. For instance, a stone can distract the attention of a blind mutaput in the first level. Like throwing a stone. The mutant hears the noise and starts to worry (walking left, then right). The moment it turns its back to you is the best time to hit it (follow the knight duel rules, as here hitting from behind decides everything). You can do this later as well, but right now, it activates weapons that open fire on the stone, which destroys its soldiers. Another stone can be placed on a broken sensor that controls the elevator on the floor, etc. Here you see just one way to use an object, and there are many more in the game, up to force fields and teleporters.
Is the game really good? It’s great. Maybe not everything here is perfect; there are certainly some downsides, but the process is just magnificent, to the extent that you’ll keep coming back repeatedly until you finish the game. But it’s easy to go through. The levels are not too many, and some are not as long as one might want. This is probably still a plus because it seems to me that excessive delay is a disaster for such games, and here everything turned out just fine. The levels are diverse (from all kinds of “jump and hit” tasks), the brain works, and the fingers do not stop pressing buttons. What else is needed? At least nothing else is needed while playing Flashback.
**Path to Follow:**
Initially, select the holocube with a screen below. Return to the original position and go as far right as possible. Kill the first mutaput. Then go right and select a stone and a credit (let’s call them dollars for simplicity). Go right; the door should open before the second mutaput. Select the cartridge. Carefully go down, then go right without entering the force field’s range. Recharge the shield and cartridge. Go left and place the cartridge in the console, which will allow you to cross this bridge. When you cross the bridge, take the elevator and go left. Place the stone on the sensor and climb the elevator. Take the teleporter and two stones. Go down from the elevator; now you need to turn right and then go down, jumping over two mutaputs. Pass through the dangerous force field, take the stone, kill another mutaput and collect one hundred dollars, a key, and another hundred dollars. There will be another mutaput on your right; you should be ready for it. Collect five hundred dollars. Slowly go left and insert the key into the console. This will allow you to open the door. Now you need to return to the bridge (go right) and you can recharge all your items there. Go left from the highest point, kill the mutaput, go up, and make sure the sensors allow you to go up. Go right and talk to the injured Scientist. Give him a teleporter and receive an ID card. Now slowly return to the bridge (to the left). Go left, insert the ID card into the console, and go down the long passage; you will encounter two mutaputs. Go down. Caution: You will burn the laser beam when you try to pass through the right sensors. Dive down and screw into the next screen. The old Hermit will sell you an anti-gravity belt that you need to jump to the next level.
**Titan’s Tower:**
Always go right and go down to take the elevator. Run from the middle platform, jump up. Here you will meet two police officers. We need to pass them by until they start shooting. Talk to Jan; he will unlock the door for you. Go through and go down. Below, kill the mutaput. Take the fuse, return, and insert it into the console to secure the elevator. Climb the right side of the window, take the map, and go down to the metro.
Activate the underground map. Go to the “America” station. Listen to the bartender and talk to Jake (on the right). Return to the metro and go to the “Africa” station. You will receive a work permit by giving an ID card. Go to the employment office (“Europe” station). Go left to the terminals to get the first job and slot the license into the slot.
Go to the “Asia” station. Take the girl to the right of the ticket office and take her to “Africa,” to the “Travel Agency.” You will receive a new task at the “Asia” station in the employment office.
Save her. You can recharge your shield as well. Now go to the “Africa” station. Take the VIP (very important person) and always go right. Shoot the mutaput. Take the key and stick it into the console. Go left, kill the mutaput. Turn left again and settle between two floating balls. Take the key from the upper platform, go right, and open the door. Take the VIP and follow him. You just need to be responsible for this person. He will always follow you; the main thing is to fight mutaputs and set the elevators. At the end of the journey, you will need to pay for teleportation. Recharge again.
Save the game. To get the third job, insert the “Workin rapper” license into the slot and go to the bar (“America” station). Talk to the vendor and go down to talk to the police. Return to the bar and shoot the mutaput. Then, after talking to the rescued person, kill the police and take the keys from him. Return to the bar and enter the place where the cyborg is hiding using the keys.
Save here. Go right and shoot two terminators. Pay for teleportation and don’t forget to recharge.
Save the game. Insert the paper to get the fourth task. At this stage, all actions must be done very quickly. Enter the teleport setup. Run right, open the lid. Also, always run left. Go down from the elevator, run right, and jump onto the platform that will activate the elevator. Go down from the elevator, then run right. Insert the card into the receiver slot and teleport to the task distribution room. Recharge.
Save, put the paper in the slot to get the fifth job. At this stage, you will need to go to the “Europe” station.
Save the game, kill the mutaput, and go down. After the second mutaput shoots, take the key. Go down and kill the third enemy. Go left, insert the key into the console, go left again, take the stone, and throw it. Shoot the mutaput, then run left, jump down, and kill another mutaput. Go down, turn right, take the key and money. Turn left, go down, and go right and down. After opening the door and paying for teleportation, you will pass to the task room.
Here, recharge and save the game. Go to the bar (America station) and talk to Jake. Pay to get the ID card. The card is given to the person in the dead tower. Now you can move to the next stage.
**The Death Tower:**
To reach Earth, you need to win the show. Your mission is to go from the eighth floor to the first floor.
On the eighth floor, go right and kill the terminator. Open the door, go right, and recharge.
Go left, kill the terminator, still go left, open the door, and get on the elevator.
On the seventh floor, jump up and go left. Open the lid, go left, and kill the terminator. Activate the doors and kill the terminator. Go left and kill another terminator. Now go left, go up, still go left, fight the terminator and two balls. Go left and save the game. Go left and get on the elevator.
On the sixth floor, go right, open the door, turn right, go up, and go left. Wait until the lid opens on the floor. Recharge and go left. There, kill the enemies, then go back left and wait until the mines on the ground activate.
Use the elevator.
On the fifth floor, turn left and kill the terminator. Climb, turn right. Here you can save the game. Go left and then go down. Run left from the middle platform, jump up, and fade away.
At the beginning of the fourth floor, go right, release the terminator and destroy it. Then open the door and go right. After killing the enemy, recharge. Go right from the lower platform and open the door. Go right from the middle platform and open the lid on the floor. Go right from the lower platform as well and use the elevator.
On the third floor, you need to kill the enemy and go right. Fight the ball in the middle, kill the terminator, save the game. Kill the remaining three balls and use the elevator.
On the second floor, kill the terminator, open the door, and kill the other terminator.
On the first floor, after killing the terminator, you will enter the television studio and be able to go to Earth.
**Earth:**
Give the ID card to the officer. After leaving the building, go down and head to the correct taxi stand. When you arrive in the downtown area, climb to the upper platform and enter the nightclub from the balcony. In the room, go right towards the elevator and go down. The elevator with the blue platform lowers you even further. Here you will need to climb up to the door, turn right, enter the hole, and close the key. Return to the door, go up, take the key, and go up high, fighting the charges with the balls. In the corner of the room, sever the connection of the key. Now return to the blue forklift, go to the elevator on the right, and go up. If you tamper, two panels that fail simultaneously will activate. Continue and go down. In the left corridor, take the key without touching the alarm and go up. Open the door and go all the way right. Do a roll under the door.
**Prison:**
Progress to the mutant save point. After getting the weapon, deal with the followers, take the key from the dead man, and climb the acid flow. Pass it. Take care of yourself and follow the left. There, shooting the cyborgs, get the “telecontroller” and “tele-transmitter.” Take the key from the top shelf, return to the acid, go right, and throw the receiver into the hole. Apply the telecontroller; it can teleport you to the TV receiver. Go left, jump to the next hole, and open the door. Fight and then run right, down, and left. After passing through the acid, use the interstellar teleportation.
**Alien World 1:**
Advance right to the key. Then it is possible to go down while moving. Take a stone from the right wall, fight the aliens, and go right. Place the stone on the door sensor and use the telecontroller to acidify. The lower door opens from the shot. The dead man will give you an atomic bomb. By taking a journal from the elevator, you will learn about a device that can destroy the mutaputs’ world. Go down in the elevator, go right, wait for another elevator, and then go down. Kill the mutaput and move left with a stone. Thus, after drawing a circle along the corridor, you will return to the elevator. Climb onto the surface and go right.
**Alien World 2:**
Take the elevator, kill the guard, and take two “exploding mice” from the shelf – they can be used as a power shield. Move up and right. Leave the TV receiver in the elevator and rise again. Turn off the weapon, go left, and change the key. Teleport to the elevator, take the receiver, go right to the iditol, select the keys, and go up. By stepping away from the storage device, throw the receiver and the teleporter. You will find yourself between two acid flows. Now teleport again and descend with the help of a fox. Open the door and go down again. In the large hall, after killing the mutaputs, place the receiver on the middle lid and hit the ball from the left corner. When the receiver falls, teleport behind it. Go all the way left along the corridor, go to the shelter from the elevator, and go right. Hit the brain center of the mutaputs three times from the left and three times from the right. Go right, take two “exploding mice” from the shelf, kill the enemy to take the key. This key will open the lower door. After killing them all, return to the elevator, go up, and run towards the closed door. There, drop the receiver, then return to the battlefield, go right. I heard a recommendation to place a fee on the correct platform, do it. Extract the key and teleport. The door will open, and the spaceship will be ready to take you away from the uninhabitable planet. After killing them all, return to the elevator, go up, and run towards the closed door. There, drop the receiver, then return to the battlefield, go right. I heard a recommendation to place a fee on the correct platform, do it. Extract the key and teleport. The door will open, and the spaceship will be ready to take you away from the uninhabitable planet. After killing them all, return to the elevator, go up, and run towards the closed door. There, drop the receiver, then return to the battlefield, go right. I heard a recommendation to place a fee on the correct platform, do it. Extract the key and teleport. The door will open, and the spaceship will be ready to take you away from the uninhabitable planet.
