The 3DO Experience - Episode 34: Flashback: Important To History, Yet Terribly Aged!

[00:00:00] Have you experienced the awesome power of the Panasonic Real 3DO System?

[00:00:05] Obviously!

[00:00:06] Presenting 3DO

[00:00:09] The most advanced home gaming system in the universe

[00:00:13] It's time to put away your toys

[00:00:18] 3DO from Panasonic Gold Star and Creative Labs

[00:00:21] Anulo Pfeiss and 3DO

[00:00:23] Going graphics of Panasonic Real 3DO

[00:00:25] 3DO

[00:00:55] How was the eclipse?

[00:00:57] We didn't die, so that the idiots on TikTok are all sad now.

[00:01:02] I mean, why would you believe them?

[00:01:05] I didn't. I just laughed because the last time we had an eclipse was 2017 and TikTok didn't exist, I believe at the time.

[00:01:13] No it didn't. I think it did.

[00:01:14] Yeah, it didn't blow up yet.

[00:01:16] Yeah, it wasn't huge yet, so you didn't have the brain rot that's on that platform nowadays.

[00:01:23] TikTok started in September of 2016.

[00:01:26] Okay, it was probably back when it was so small though and no one really paid attention to it yet.

[00:01:31] Yeah because if I remember it was from the ashes of Vine because Vine started in 2013 and that ended like early 2017.

[00:01:40] Yeah.

[00:01:41] Yeah.

[00:01:42] And then it was like right after Vine died was when TikTok really started blowing up.

[00:01:47] And I remember thinking that's a stupid name for an app, there's no way that's gonna keep going and well it kind of runs the world now.

[00:01:55] See I thought, I remember because there used to be ads for it on YouTube all the time and I always remember the ads for it.

[00:02:02] See I went into the ad program because you can actually flag certain ads and not play on your feed and they'll just give you other ads and I made sure early on to get those out of my feed.

[00:02:13] Well for my computer that I'm recording this on I just have an ad blocker and like YouTube tried to nerf those ad blockers but the ad blocker guys were always one step ahead so thanks guys.

[00:02:28] Yeah.

[00:02:29] And I think YouTube gave up.

[00:02:32] Because they were trying really hard and I remember like googling like oh how do I get. Oh shit.

[00:02:40] Ladies and gentlemen, we lost him. He's gone.

[00:02:46] Anyways so but like the UBlock origin guys would always stay one step ahead with the coding.

[00:02:52] So they're like oh just do like click this setting do this thing refresh and you're good.

[00:02:56] So that's how it happened basically.

[00:03:01] And yeah like the YouTube guys kind of gave up on the on the the ad blocking things I think they realized it wasn't they were never going to win, you know, no matter how big of an online corporation you are, you will never win against a random just online weirdos who know this stuff better than you do.

[00:03:24] You'll never beat him. You'll never beat him so this might not be in the video version but I'm just going to ramble so how you doing how you're doing we're talking about talking about ass back yeah yeah yeah yeah the ass is to the back.

[00:03:42] I'm using myself too much.

[00:03:45] What we'll get I guess we'll get into more detail eventually so I'm just I'm just amusing myself now.

[00:03:52] So this is fun.

[00:03:56] Did bill die.

[00:04:03] Oh boy.

[00:04:04] Oh boy.

[00:04:07] Am I back.

[00:04:09] What is that my entire laptop just said, fuck all your connections and just turned everything off and I'm.

[00:04:17] So you say now you have like a minute and a half of me rambling. Oh that's the worst funny as part as I could hear it all.

[00:04:24] I'm like, I'm like, great yeah you're gonna have to do some editing now.

[00:04:29] Now leave it in.

[00:04:31] Okay, all right fine.

[00:04:33] I could have said something really bad, but I didn't.

[00:04:38] So the video is going to just have me disappear for a few minutes and then come back.

[00:04:42] The audio feed is going to be better because they're like oh what happened everyone's like oh yeah.

[00:04:47] Thank God the recording didn't stop. That's good.

[00:04:50] Anyways, so yeah the eclipse happened.

[00:04:55] We went outside and looked at it for like five minutes I'd use mostly used as an excuse to get some fresh air.

[00:05:00] So yeah, see where I was when the eclipse fully happened it got super fucking dark.

[00:05:06] And like to the so dark to the point that literally I could just look up and be like oh that's kind of cool.

[00:05:11] And then as soon as it started to drift in the sun I was like okay okay I've seen enough I've seen enough.

[00:05:17] And as I saw people were looking like the top trending search on Google was why do my eyes hurt.

[00:05:25] Yeah, dumbasses.

[00:05:27] So we had our eyes are fine well as fine as they can be but you know.

[00:05:33] We had one pair of eclipse glasses we were all just kind of passing them around.

[00:05:38] The best was one of my older coworkers he had like one of the old school shoeboxes cut out and he's over in the corner.

[00:05:45] Like staring the opposite direction he's like you guys are losers this is the real way to do it.

[00:05:51] Such an old man thing of like oh it was it was better in my day when it was harder to do but it was just what I liked as a child and it's like dude you fucking suck.

[00:06:01] Like there's a reason we don't do that anymore, man.

[00:06:04] It was kind of cool I will admit but at the same time.

[00:06:08] Yeah.

[00:06:09] Appreciate modern technology you fogies.

[00:06:13] Yeah, so that happened.

[00:06:14] So speaking of old shit. We're going to be talking about flashback today, the quest for identity.

[00:06:20] Yes, and I think that's the running theme of this episode because you are on a quest to identify your opinion on this game.

[00:06:28] Yeah.

[00:06:29] Um, yes.

[00:06:30] So it's what I like about it is that it's one of the most readily available games on the planet.

[00:06:37] Yes, it doesn't matter what you have. You can play this game, which I think is a good thing.

[00:06:43] Yes, this game actually was in the Guinness Book of World Records for a long time as the most successful French developed game of all time.

[00:06:52] I believe that as that has that been overtaken.

[00:06:56] There's got to be some Ubisoft game that did better like at least Ubisoft still considered French though.

[00:07:05] The Montpellier studio is, I know that.

[00:07:08] Okay, it's just they've become like a worldwide thing because they have studios everywhere.

[00:07:13] So I just don't view them as French anymore like people probably would.

[00:07:20] I mean Atari's technically French when you think about it in a roundabout way.

[00:07:25] And I just I associate Atari with like pre-Silicon Valley like California.

[00:07:31] Well, that Atari's long gone. The Atari we have now is just Infogrames cosplaying as Atari.

[00:07:37] Yeah, yeah. You know all about cosplay, don't you?

[00:07:41] Not as much as Alex. I've done it a few times though.

[00:07:45] Yeah. I've never done it. I don't know if I ever will.

[00:07:50] It's fun.

[00:07:52] Unless you like don't like people.

[00:07:55] Some of the ones I would be down to do I'd have to shave.

[00:07:58] And I'm like, I don't want to. I don't like get rid of this because the moment I get rid of this you're all going to say just grow back.

[00:08:04] I mean, you could I promise. I promise if you saw me without this you'd be horrified.

[00:08:09] You could totally cosplay as like Red Air or Robert Fripp.

[00:08:13] Yeah, I do have that look.

[00:08:18] Not so much the 80s period because he had like that like old man in the business suit look.

[00:08:24] Yeah, yeah.

[00:08:26] We'll use wearing like the really low cut tank tops with all his hair popping up.

[00:08:31] Yeah, it's looking hot.

[00:08:33] Totally.

[00:08:34] There's an interview he did. I think it was like with MTV where like the whole start of it is him just eating truffles and just being like, oh, these are so fucking good truffles, man.

[00:08:45] He is a he is a very interesting man. I'm sure there's a podcast about him somewhere.

[00:08:49] If my interesting you mean autistic.

[00:08:51] Yeah, like it's it's apparent, but it made some great music.

[00:08:57] Anyways, flashback 1992.

[00:09:01] Before we get into it, I have to share this because this was hilarious to me.

[00:09:05] So I bought this at Retro World last year.

[00:09:08] And I hadn't opened it yet because honestly if I'm playing this game I'm usually probably going to play the switch port.

[00:09:14] But so I opened it to play it for the for the review.

[00:09:18] And the first thing I see when I open the top of the boxes, the CD case is open.

[00:09:23] And it literally says Wing Commander three and I was like, oh no, you got to be kidding me.

[00:09:30] Thankfully that's just the case it is flashback like this can all happen in that case.

[00:09:36] Who knows.

[00:09:38] Honestly, man.

[00:09:40] Probably they just replaced it and did away with it that way.

[00:09:44] But the other fun thing is rather than a big manual for some reason they decided to include the SNES version strategy guide.

[00:09:54] Hey, alright. Is there any is there any hot tips and tricks in there?

[00:10:00] I guess like a secret like level code.

[00:10:03] I mean we got the game line thing that you had as well.

[00:10:07] Yeah, before the stream I called that number to see if it still existed sadly it does not.

[00:10:13] So I should have done it on the show.

[00:10:18] Yeah, we learned I guess I'm too content piled.

[00:10:23] So it's mostly just a strategy guide to get through the game.

[00:10:28] The controls are all for the SNES version so they don't really match.

[00:10:33] And I will say this thing has been foxed really bad and it smells like an old book.

[00:10:38] Oh yeah, I know that old book smell whenever you go into like a used bookstore or library.

[00:10:43] You all know that smell.

[00:10:46] See I love foxing on books because it's like you'll go on any book collector subreddit and you know these people be like is my book rotting and it's like no that's just how books are.

[00:10:55] It's fine.

[00:10:58] Your book is aging like imagine if we didn't know our faces like wrinkled and one day we woke up and it was that and we're like what the fuck is my face gonna fall off.

[00:11:08] That'd be nice but no.

[00:11:10] Yeah, just a bunch of skulls with eyeballs walking around you know.

[00:11:16] Yeah.

[00:11:18] So yeah that was my fun little like what the hell with this long box.

[00:11:23] Like you paid a lot of money for that and it didn't like come complete but it came with like an extra goodie.

[00:11:29] So my guess is the person who sold this to me didn't even open it they just assumed.

[00:11:34] Yeah, does the SNES version that passwords as well.

[00:11:38] Yes.

[00:11:39] Do they work on this on the 3d version.

[00:11:42] I don't know that is actually a really good question that I could look into at some point.

[00:11:47] Yeah, yeah.

[00:11:49] Because the genus so I guess going into it this game was actually originally developed for the Genesis.

[00:11:55] It was yeah.

[00:11:58] But it came out on the Amiga first, which is kind of funny.

[00:12:02] Well, it's come out on a multitude of systems it's come out on the Amiga, the acorn Archimedes, the Genesis DOS, any CPC 9801 Super NES Sega CD FM Towns 3DO.

[00:12:19] CD I Atari Jaguar Mac OS iOS the Symbian, the Mamo Mimo.

[00:12:28] The dream cast switch PlayStation 4 Xbox one and now PS 5 and series X to backwards compatibility.

[00:12:37] And how does it think the dreamcast versions official.

[00:12:41] So I think it's kind of so fade.

[00:12:45] I think I think the way it worked is flashback is included in this game sequel fade to black is like a bonus.

[00:12:52] I think, and I fade the black was recently ported to Dreamcast.

[00:12:58] So, well, the dreamcast version, it says on this came out in 2017.

[00:13:03] And the person that fade to black was 2018.

[00:13:06] So, okay.

[00:13:07] No, but but if the original flashback is in fade to black is like a bonus, then it's technically on the PlayStation one as well.

[00:13:15] I might be pulling that out of my ass.

[00:13:16] So don't quote me on that.

[00:13:18] Well, I can say that I played the remake of this that came out in I think 2013, the PS 3 and the 360.

[00:13:27] And that does come with the original flashback in it as that might be what I'm thinking of.

[00:13:33] That might be what I'm thinking of.

[00:13:35] And while I played and beat the remake, which you clearly cannot see here, but that's what I beat the version that I be.

[00:13:43] And and I played a bit of the original like right after and it's probably the worst version of the original that I've played.

[00:13:50] I've played a handful of them now.

[00:13:52] So yeah, if you want to play the original version of this game, I highly recommend you have the switch version or on the PlayStation or the Xbox, like the 25th anniversary edition that helps a bit.

[00:14:06] Yeah, I'll save it for later but there's another version that's special in its own way.

[00:14:12] I'll save it when we talk about like some of the aspects of the game.

[00:14:17] So this game was developed well this game was developed by a Delphine software.

[00:14:24] They're a French company.

[00:14:27] They're known mostly for technically developing another world, but you want to be realistic.

[00:14:35] Another world was a one man team created by Eric.

[00:14:40] Hi, I think his name is pronounced.

[00:14:42] I think she hi sounds right.

[00:14:44] Hi. Yeah.

[00:14:45] He made the game single hand.

[00:14:48] Every week because he's French.

[00:14:50] Every week.

[00:14:51] Yes.

[00:14:52] He made the game single handedly.

[00:14:54] So technically it's more he made the game and Delphine just kind of put their name on it.

[00:14:59] But didn't he start working for them?

[00:15:01] He did because he also worked on their previous game, Future Wars.

[00:15:09] Future Wars, which is a point and click adventure game.

[00:15:13] Yeah, they've made quite a few point and click adventure games.

[00:15:16] Ed, you know what else Delphine software made?

[00:15:21] Why am I Tokyo?

[00:15:23] No, one of the most infamous games ever made.

[00:15:28] Shaq.

[00:15:29] You didn't get my reference.

[00:15:31] No, I didn't.

[00:15:32] Shaq's just randomly in Tokyo and Mike.

[00:15:36] Oh, fuck yeah.

[00:15:37] Yeah.

[00:15:38] And then he goes into the shop and the old guys like hey go in this like portal and save this kid.

[00:15:46] Shaq's like why he's like don't ask questions just fucking do it.

[00:15:49] And then you do and then you play a very average fighting game.

[00:15:52] Like if I can tangent real quick, I honestly don't think Shaq who is that bad.

[00:15:59] Like as a fighting game like it's not great.

[00:16:02] But when I played it on the Genesis, like I had a physical copy of it.

[00:16:06] I was like it's not as like it doesn't control as bad as everybody said it did.

[00:16:13] You know, but it's still not great.

[00:16:17] No, it's like it's in the same category as like assuming Ninja way of the warrior is just bad fighting games.

[00:16:24] Well, this is better way the warrior by the fucking mile.

[00:16:27] Because I can actually feel like I'm in control of my character while I'm doing this.

[00:16:32] And yeah, Shaq Fu has gained a reputation but like hell if you've played that Michael Jordan and Wendy City like fucking thing that that's way worse than this.

[00:16:42] Yeah, that that's a chaos in Wendy City.

[00:16:45] I wish that had a 3DO ports and we could talk about it.

[00:16:49] There's also Revolution X the Aerosmith rail shooter.

[00:16:54] They way Delphine made that.

[00:16:56] No, no, no, that's just a game.

[00:16:57] The Fed had random games with celebrities for no reason.

[00:17:01] Yeah.

[00:17:02] Oh yeah, apparently chaos in the Wendy City.

[00:17:04] It was supposed to get a Genesis port but it never happened.

[00:17:07] So unfortunately I cannot play it for the Genesis stream which that would have been a great thing.

[00:17:12] And the designer on that game is your favorite Miss Amy Henning.

[00:17:17] So one of the first things she did.

[00:17:20] Yeah, it was like her first game as a designer.

[00:17:26] You can only go up.

[00:17:27] I mean right after that she went to Legacy of Cain so yeah good for her.

[00:17:32] I mean Mark Cerny technically worked on Crash and Burn so he only went up from there.

[00:17:36] Yeah, boy.

[00:17:38] Just all these weird tangents you know and then and then Delphine started making the Moto Racer series.

[00:17:44] I'm sure you have some opinion on it.

[00:17:46] Believe it or not one of the few PlayStation racers I don't own.

[00:17:50] Man there's a handful of them too.

[00:17:53] Yeah, there's three anyways and a Game Boy Advance one.

[00:17:56] Oh is this one of the real pricey ones?

[00:18:00] Cause there's a handful of GBA racers that are like really pricey which says to me they were ones that um,

[00:18:08] what's his name?

[00:18:09] Metal Jesus really liked.

[00:18:11] Yeah.

[00:18:13] Cause he likes his racers which I respect but whenever he would like praise the shit out of a racer

[00:18:18] and then I'd look at the prize I'm like why is it so fucking expensive?

[00:18:21] I'd be like oh it's probably because he was like dude this game's fucking sick.

[00:18:26] Yeah, Moto Racer Advance it's like $170 right now.

[00:18:31] Thanks guys.

[00:18:32] Thanks.

[00:18:33] Fuckers.

[00:18:35] I'm not mad at Metal Jesus.

[00:18:36] I'm mad at everybody else.

[00:18:37] Metal Jesus is such a nice guy.

[00:18:39] Like I don't get the hate he gets because of the stuff I do.

[00:18:41] Yeah.

[00:18:42] And I love every couple months he makes a video about how fat he is now.

[00:18:48] Yeah.

[00:18:49] It's like he's not even like that but he's just a little he's a little chubbier but nothing insane.

[00:18:55] My favorite is I just think it's funny he does that you know and it's like is he just scraping for content that week?

[00:19:02] My favorite is he used to work for Sierra and he actually played he was in one of the Sierra games as like a guitar player in a band.

[00:19:10] Yeah, yeah he does like to talk about working at Sierra a lot.

[00:19:15] I mean it's fascinating.

[00:19:16] Yeah, for sure.

[00:19:17] But he doesn't I don't know how much he's like talked about actually like working there.

[00:19:22] He just like referencing that he worked there but like what games did he work on when he was there?

[00:19:27] So I haven't listened and listened to it in a while because I really not a fan of creator in particular but he was on Pat Contres podcast where he interviews people and he did go into it pretty deep there.

[00:19:42] Yeah.

[00:19:43] I'm not a huge fan of Pat so I don't really listen to it frequently but I remember liking that interview.

[00:19:49] Yeah.

[00:19:50] What won't you like about Pat?

[00:19:52] See a little too abrasive.

[00:19:54] He just comes off as a smug asshole.

[00:19:57] Oh, absolutely.

[00:19:58] But I think it's because he's like a New Yorker.

[00:20:00] Yeah.

[00:20:01] I think they all just come off like that but I get it.

[00:20:04] I get it.

[00:20:05] Nothing against the guy personally I just never liked his content.

[00:20:07] Yeah, that's fair.

[00:20:09] I much prefer like Jeff Gertzman who can come off as a smug asshole but he remains entertaining the entire time.

[00:20:17] Yeah.

[00:20:18] You know, like another tangent.

[00:20:21] For some reason my YouTube rex was when he was still a giant bomb and they were talking about the links awakening remake and somebody and somebody was like oh the art style is polarizing and Jeff just like got pissed.

[00:20:33] He's like is this fucking Wind Waker all over again?

[00:20:36] He's like you idiots.

[00:20:37] Yeah.

[00:20:38] It was hilarious.

[00:20:40] So interesting thing about Flashback the game is so the game as the way to describe it is it's a cinematic platformer which is a style of platformer that doesn't really exist anymore kind of.

[00:20:58] Yeah.

[00:20:59] It feels like the last game to kind of do it was maybe like the original Tomb Raider.

[00:21:07] To a degree yeah I'd say I mean you can make a stretch and say like games like Uncharted are trying to also be a more modern take on a cinematic platformer.

[00:21:18] Kind of but like platforming isn't necessarily the big thing with Uncharted that's more you know like the climbing and that stuff you know which is different than platforming I think.

[00:21:30] It's a more realistic take on platforming I guess you could say.

[00:21:35] Sure sure.

[00:21:37] But yeah but when we say cinematic platformer we're referring to like the original Prince of Persia.

[00:21:43] Yes.

[00:21:44] Another world heart of darkness like the early Oddworld games Blackthorn.

[00:21:48] Blackthorn is an important one.

[00:21:50] Lester the unlikely.

[00:21:53] Lester the unlikely.

[00:21:55] I have a box copy of that.

[00:21:57] Those rotoscoped games because they all have like the rotoscope animation actually more proper maybe modern takes would be like limbo or inside.

[00:22:07] True.

[00:22:08] Those I think are closer to that but those games are doing something I think completely different but I could see the connection.

[00:22:14] But yeah those games that like prioritize that really nice like realistic animation of the characters like you know doing the very specific clock like jump up to a ledge and then climb up and that kind of stuff you know.

[00:22:28] Yeah, and I.

[00:22:32] I had seen someone describe these games as they're like they're kind of like platformers that you have to take a few minutes to figure out how to play and then once you figure it out.

[00:22:41] You can get it makes sense.

[00:22:44] Yeah, they're not pick up and play at all.

[00:22:47] No, it feels like but it feels like that they were never intended to be pick up and play like you have to.

[00:22:54] I think that's a really interesting thing.

[00:22:57] I think it's interesting to sort of meet the game halfway a little bit to sort of figure out what it is and what it's trying to do, like even like a friend of the show burger champ described it as they're more like kind of rhythm games.

[00:23:09] Yeah.

[00:23:11] And compared to another world slash out of this world depending on the version.

[00:23:17] Which I see the similarities particularly with the Genesis version and it's cinematic cut scenes that it went with.

[00:23:27] But honestly, in terms of gameplay this game is actually a lot more like Blackthorn.

[00:23:33] Yeah, yeah, I think I played Blackthorn, like once on like a 32 X emulator.

[00:23:40] And I think to describe like, like out of this world is very much about platforming and like dodging things. Yeah, another world is closer to the original Prince of Persia like both of those games are very similar to each other.

[00:23:53] Blackthorn on the other hand had more of an emphasis on like shooting, which is very present in flashback. Yeah, it's trying to be more action based I think is a bit of its detriment in the long run.

[00:24:08] And I've I've watched some people like play this, like YouTube playthroughs and it's pretty impressive how people are able to figure it out but at the same time even they're struggling with it, you know.

[00:24:21] So it's it's a game that like looks like once you master it. It's really fun to just kind of go through. But getting over that hump and like really figuring out the controls is not the easiest thing in the world.

[00:24:34] It's not like mastering say dragons layer or space ace, you know, because once you master that you can just you can play the game whenever kind of thing where it feels like flashback requires a certain type of reflex that you really have to like would shed to get it just right.

[00:24:51] Yeah, and even in playing the remake like the remake is much much more approachable. But even then it still keeps a lot of the spirit of the original game and it's kind of, I guess clunkiness, if I dare say.

[00:25:06] Yeah, rotoscoped games in general haven't aged.

[00:25:10] Amazingly, like there's a few that have like another world has aged pretty well.

[00:25:15] Oh yeah, I think another world is fantastic. I fucking love another world.

[00:25:20] That was just a very well programmed game even for the time.

[00:25:24] I think because the game design is built around the animation.

[00:25:30] Yes, I don't think flashback is like kind of my biggest issue with flashback is it wants to be much more of a heavy action based game.

[00:25:40] But when you have all of these very specific animations and and trying to have it look a certain way, it's like clashing with the game design.

[00:25:50] And it can become more frustrating than fun. It's if any of you watched my Genesis stream and I was playing that James Bond game, it's kind of a similar feel.

[00:26:00] You know, but with James Bond, it you're not going in thinking it's going to be like a like a rotoscope type of animation.

[00:26:09] You know what I mean? You expect it to be more snappy with flashback.

[00:26:13] You know what you're getting into and the game design, it's definitely the more you play it and the more you acquaint yourself with it, you can figure it out.

[00:26:23] You definitely can't. It's it the puzzle is playing the game.

[00:26:28] Yeah. And speaking of puzzles, like traditionally with a rotoscope style of platformer puzzles are kind of a big part of the game play where there's kind of like one of the biggest parts of getting through these games.

[00:26:41] This game's levels is you kind of have to figure out how and that's kind of the puzzle of it in a way.

[00:26:48] Yeah, but it's very easy to get frustrated at these games, I think.

[00:26:53] At least it was for me because.

[00:26:56] No, God, I tried to I tried to beat Lester the unlikely I can understand because God dammit these games were not designed well are very frustrating.

[00:27:06] Yeah, like even beating another world which I did on switch quite a few years back like that game definitely had its frustrating moments.

[00:27:15] But I just think the design of that game is just much stronger and it doesn't feel as impenetrable as something like flashback can feel at times.

[00:27:26] To me, the biggest problem, the weakest aspect of this game is the combat.

[00:27:32] Oh, combat's fucking dog shit.

[00:27:34] Oh, it's so bad.

[00:27:36] It's like.

[00:27:38] And you only have like a few hit points.

[00:27:41] And there are like saves, but the 3D version I think like it has a password system.

[00:27:47] So it's like technically a level based game.

[00:27:50] The way this game saves is really weird.

[00:27:53] It doesn't have a traditional save system.

[00:27:55] It has passwords like the accent, but it also has kind of like quick saves within the levels where you'll reach a certain point and the game will be like saved here.

[00:28:05] It's basically a glorified checkpoint.

[00:28:07] Yeah, it stays active as long as the game is on the second you turn the game off though it's gone.

[00:28:13] Yeah, so it's definitely a game that it's so weird for a game that's trying to be cinematic and you can tell they they knew people weren't going to sit down and beat this in one sitting that they wouldn't try to fit a save system in this.

[00:28:29] I mean, I know even in the Genesis days having saves on cartridges weren't always the most feasible.

[00:28:36] The most feasible but even and Delphine probably weren't like the biggest company either but it felt like it would have helped the game like a long way like having a save system because of the remake has a very healthy like kind of modern checkpoint system.

[00:28:52] Yes, just about anything major you do the game just gives you a checkpoint which makes which makes the remake much more instantly playable from like a modern perspective.

[00:29:03] But it's my biggest issue with the remake is that it's trying too hard to be like hip with the kids as I say, rather than like embracing the sort of the style of the original, you know, because the remake is kind of but ugly.

[00:29:21] And is a bit of a and is a bit of a buggy buggy mess and like a lot of the dialogue rewrites are really dumb. Like you can tell this game is dated from the moments Conrad, who I believe is the name of our protagonist says awesome sauce.

[00:29:37] When I heard that come out of his mouth I knew what era we were in.

[00:29:41] So what's funny is this game was trying to be hip and trendy when it came out so it's actually kind of appropriate that the remake is equally as cringe.

[00:29:49] Yeah, I guess. But but but the thing is 92 flashback isn't cringe.

[00:29:55] No, but it's not like yeah it maybe is cringe if it's like oh you don't like looking at like early CD like 3D like polygonal stuff but there's like a charm to it.

[00:30:07] Well yeah it's it's a charming kind of cringe like that's cringes are the best word because it's not really bad it's just like it is very clearly of a certain era.

[00:30:16] Yeah, like what I like about the original flashback or what I like about going back to these type of games where you can tell they are pushing the medium forward like they're really trying to do something new in the video game genre.

[00:30:29] And I think that's great and I'm always willing to respect respect that and be like you know let's see what it is even if it looks goofy like a lot of the cut scenes saying another world like they look goofy as hell by today standards but I always give them a pass because at that time that was really cool.

[00:30:45] Whereas like flashback 2013 it's not pushing the medium forward in any way it's not anything groundbreaking. So I'm willing to give it any even though the original designer was working on the remake.

[00:30:59] It still, it doesn't help much you know. Yeah, you know what the best kind of description for the remake is like the best comparison I should say.

[00:31:11] It's a game that's lost now you can't play anymore but the TMNT for resheld. Yes, I remember resheld. Like the most like it tried but like at the same you played me like this is just kind of like it looks worse somehow and it's not as fun.

[00:31:29] TMNT reach Turtles in Time resheld is the ultimate way is the ultimate way of not doing a remake. And like I remember playing it I'm like yeah this is this is the same game, but it was, it was in that era and like 360 ps3 era where people just thought that the nicer graphics would just be enough.

[00:31:52] And like a lot of these remakes or a lot of games from this era just don't have any like good art direction. No, not at all. Yeah, they're just focused on like oh having like nice, like looking graphics and nice models but there's no like ideas as far as like oh what do we want this game to look like?

[00:32:12] You know it's almost like that kind of gears thing you know like flashback kind of looks like a gears game a little bit but gears gets away with it because it was kind of the first to do that and...

[00:32:26] That art style also fits the gears universe very well. Exactly, and if you go through the series it eventually like the color palette switches up and gears has like a really engrossing story with great characters and all of that stuff.

[00:32:41] So it's able to make up for that I think whereas the flashback remake really doesn't. So even though even though the original looks far worse, I much prefer its art style.

[00:32:53] Yeah, it's just like it's one of those things where it's like yeah you made it better but also not better at the same time.

[00:33:01] Exactly. Like I get wanting to modernize a game like this but in a way it almost does take away from what made the original so special in its day, you know?

[00:33:16] That's actually one thing that I feel like the 3DO version kind of doesn't do great is one of the things that makes that made this game so iconic was those cinematics from the Genesis and like the original versions.

[00:33:27] Yes. In the 3DO version it uses full motion video CGI cutscenes which look fine.

[00:33:34] They fit in better than you'd think. They do until you realize they're just cleaned up versions from the Sega CD version.

[00:33:43] Yeah. And then you find out when you play this 3DO game, aside from cleaning up the graphics, 3DO version really doesn't add anything that makes this version this worthwhile.

[00:33:57] Yeah, not really. It's definitely like if you want to play this game, like hell I'd probably recommend playing the Genesis version over this one, you know?

[00:34:07] Because probably playing the Genesis version has more of a that feeling of like oh this is the original, this is how it was meant to be played at the time kind of feel to it.

[00:34:18] You know what I mean? Like a game-

[00:34:20] It feels the best on a Genesis controller.

[00:34:21] Yeah, like a game made specifically for this like the four like playing a game on the platform it was meant to be like played on feels a lot different than playing like say a really good port.

[00:34:32] Even though I think we would both say like the modern versions on Switch, PlayStation all that are the ones is the one to play if you want to play this game.

[00:34:41] There is something about emulating the Genesis version and kind of getting that feel, you know?

[00:34:48] True.

[00:34:49] I will say I guess now is a good time to bring it up.

[00:34:52] The Sega CD version in particular is pretty noteworthy. It has, it's basically the Genesis version in terms of gameplay and like graphics.

[00:35:01] It has the CGI like full motion video cutscenes.

[00:35:05] The one defining thing about the Sega CD version and it's only in the Sega CD version.

[00:35:11] It has a full soundtrack like in music plays in every single level something that the no other version does.

[00:35:17] It's mostly how is the music on there?

[00:35:20] It's really good. Like it fully flushes out everything. It's like orchestral at times and like it because the one issue I have with this game in particular is the fact that the music kind of it's there but it dies out a lot in levels and you just get a lot of ambiance.

[00:35:39] Yeah, and the sound design in this game in this game. I don't think is very good.

[00:35:45] The Genesis version is the only version that got the sound design right?

[00:35:49] Yeah, because like 3D version it's just it's very blank.

[00:35:52] Yes.

[00:35:54] And like the little bit of like incidental noise you get isn't really all that interesting.

[00:35:58] Yeah, the Genesis is very harsh sound card really hit it out of the park in terms of this game's music especially the Genesis is use of bass.

[00:36:07] Oh yeah.

[00:36:08] Which was carried over to the CD version only now it's streaming like Red Book Audio which just sounds amazing and there's actual voice acting in gameplay levels.

[00:36:19] Thanks to the Sega CD.

[00:36:21] That's pretty cool.

[00:36:23] It's the Sega CD version is worth playing just for the added like goodies and like little like quality of life improvements that are only present in that version.

[00:36:31] It's bizarre to me that they did not carry any of that over to the 3DO version.

[00:36:34] Yeah.

[00:36:36] Is that in the I don't think it's in the newer versions either.

[00:36:40] No, it's because on like say when I got this on the Xbox I remember like you have an option of playing like a classic version and then like a more modern version which all it really does is like give you tutorial bits let you rewind when you mess up and have like more kind of modern like audio and music and all that.

[00:37:00] But if I want say the modern features but with like the old audio it won't let me do that as far as I know.

[00:37:07] You know, like it's kind of wonky in that way.

[00:37:10] Yeah, it's weird.

[00:37:12] That soundtrack is only in the CD version though which is just bizarre to me like.

[00:37:18] I'm gonna have to check that out.

[00:37:20] It's I mean it's not like it doesn't make that version worth like tracking down if like you're not if you don't have a Sega CD and or like the money to buy a copy of it.

[00:37:31] But if you're willing to emulate it, it's definitely worth checking out just for me.

[00:37:35] I mean, I wasn't gonna buy it.

[00:37:37] It's crazy here.

[00:37:39] True.

[00:37:41] I was talking more the general viewers if we have any collectors listening.

[00:37:44] Yeah, yeah.

[00:37:46] Um, yeah, that though like version wise like they're all basically the same game.

[00:37:54] Yeah.

[00:37:56] And the game itself is a very of its time cinematic platformer that's very frustrating to play.

[00:38:03] It's a game I have a ton of respect for for what it is, you know, and I can't and I can't deny it being a groundbreaking like influential game.

[00:38:15] Yeah.

[00:38:17] But at the same time, trying to play it nowadays with a modern perspective is is rather difficult to do which is why I kind of went for the remake because the remake is better to play.

[00:38:29] Albeit it is buggy as shit, which makes sense.

[00:38:32] Ubisoft published it.

[00:38:34] Yeah.

[00:38:36] Like it's kind of its own weird funky beasts in and of itself, but but it is much more easily playable for me, as I said, a modern perspective.

[00:38:48] And it is the same game.

[00:38:50] It's like the same story, same characters.

[00:38:52] There is some like extra stuff in there, but you know, it's nothing that's really going to like blow anybody away.

[00:38:58] And I know a lot of people did not care for this remake.

[00:39:01] And having beat it, I kind of get why it just it doesn't have the same.

[00:39:08] I hate to say the word soul, but it doesn't have that same sort of inspiration that the that the original had, you know, it's kind of missing that.

[00:39:18] Oh, we're trying to do something like really cool and unique.

[00:39:21] This just feels like a hey, remember flashback kind of game.

[00:39:25] That's what it feels like to me.

[00:39:27] It's a how are you? How are you doing, fellow kids?

[00:39:32] It's it's like.

[00:39:34] It's like you knew that one really like really cool dude in high school and then you you see him like 20 years later and you're like, oh, hey, how you been?

[00:39:42] You know, and then you're like, oh, we should and you do the whole like, oh, we should hang out.

[00:39:46] But like, you never really hang out with your old friends because if you do, then you realize like, oh, this is this is rough, man.

[00:39:53] Like just things change, you know.

[00:39:54] There's a reason why this game's sequel fade to black is not held in well regard or it's prequel flashback to.

[00:40:03] Yeah, that's new.

[00:40:05] Like that is a that came out last year.

[00:40:07] Yeah. And I haven't heard great things.

[00:40:09] It was done by a Microids who are the company that did the flashback.

[00:40:14] The newest remaster as well.

[00:40:17] Also a French company and and the remake published by Ubisoft also a French company.

[00:40:24] They're there.

[00:40:25] And Ubisoft did turtles and time reshell that's all coming full circle.

[00:40:30] Oh, oh boy.

[00:40:32] Yeah. And my crates are they're weird.

[00:40:35] I don't know. Like whenever I see their logo in the corner, I'm like, hmm, I'm not sure how this is going to go.

[00:40:42] They published the Odd World collection on Switch.

[00:40:47] They did, which is fine.

[00:40:49] I know they let's see they've done like they did that like Alfred Hitchcock vertigo game that came out not too long ago beyond a steel sky, which I believe is a sequel to beneath the steel sky, which is like a really cool like point and click adventure game from like the PC era.

[00:41:07] They did that.

[00:41:09] They published that remake of 13.

[00:41:11] That was not good.

[00:41:13] Yeah.

[00:41:14] That that remake not being good really broke my heart because the original 13 is a fucking cool game.

[00:41:20] They've done like those like asterisks and obelix like XXL like like remasters from like the Gamecube era again, French French.

[00:41:30] I've been meaning to sit down and try those stuff.

[00:41:32] Good things about those games.

[00:41:35] Just a lot of weird stuff.

[00:41:37] They're just a weird company, you know.

[00:41:39] Speaking of other flashback things, there was actually a remake planned for the Game Boy Advance, but it was never released.

[00:41:47] But you can there is a ROM of it out there that's mostly done and it has the most garish color palette you'll ever see in a game.

[00:41:56] I need to see this.

[00:41:58] It is.

[00:42:00] Oh, is it Flashback Legend?

[00:42:02] Yeah, that was supposed to be the sequel to fade to black.

[00:42:05] It was going to be like a century flashback three.

[00:42:08] Yeah, it has the most garish color palette I've ever seen in it.

[00:42:13] Oh, this looks this looks weird man.

[00:42:17] Yeah, I took one look at that and went, I'm glad it didn't come out.

[00:42:22] It looks like they superimposed the original Conrad like rotoscope animation on this weird new GBA looking backgrounds and enemies.

[00:42:37] It looks funky as hell.

[00:42:39] Yeah, I'm kind of glad it didn't come out just because it doesn't look good.

[00:42:43] No, it doesn't look good at all.

[00:42:45] But I may I may give this a try.

[00:42:48] Yeah, you can find the ROM.

[00:42:51] It's basically.

[00:42:53] I mean, I am playing it.

[00:42:55] Well, it's not really a ROM hack, but I started playing.

[00:42:57] Have you heard of Sonic Triple Trouble 16 bit?

[00:43:01] Yes, I've been playing that and it's that's fucking good.

[00:43:05] Some good shit.

[00:43:07] Well, it's almost like you take some decent level designs and put them in a much more op-ed engine.

[00:43:11] And hey, it's a good game.

[00:43:12] Yeah, yeah.

[00:43:14] The original Triple Trouble it just kind of blend involves game gear, Sonic games.

[00:43:18] It's perfectly fine, you know, but they never none of them ever stuck out to me personally.

[00:43:23] But playing the 16 bit version, I'm like, oh, this is this is cool.

[00:43:27] I like this.

[00:43:29] It's like it had great level designs.

[00:43:31] It just like the 8 bit Sonic engine wasn't very good.

[00:43:35] No, no.

[00:43:37] And Sega didn't really prioritize handheld games the same way Nintendo did.

[00:43:43] Yeah. So so I never got flashback on the game gear.

[00:43:47] Could you imagine a game gear flashback?

[00:43:52] It would have been something that's for sure.

[00:43:55] It would have been something, man.

[00:43:57] So I guess going into reception for this game, unless you had anything else you want to talk about.

[00:44:03] It's weird how this game goes from like a jungle to like a space station to a game show to Earth.

[00:44:15] Yeah. And then and then it ends with you fighting essentially a mother brain, like a hive mind mother brain, because the game is about you like a race your memory and then you're trying to get it back.

[00:44:26] And then as you're like getting it back, you're trying to unravel some weird.

[00:44:32] Like I guess a conspiracy around this like weird like hive mind thing that's trying to like take over people or something because you kill like an auxiliary brain and then a master brain.

[00:44:43] Literally like a master brain, like mother brain kind of thing.

[00:44:47] I it's the story.

[00:44:51] It feels like there is something here, but you know storytelling and video games was not really at a great spot yet to 92, especially for what this game is trying to do.

[00:45:02] This story is very Blade Runner sci-fi.

[00:45:05] Yes, huge Blade Runner influence, which was of the style at the time as they say.

[00:45:12] It's not bad.

[00:45:14] Like it's like I said, it's like my it's that cheesy kind of like popcorn kind of cringe that I really like.

[00:45:22] Yeah. And I love and I love that your main character Conrad is always in like a brown jacket and blue jeans and he's like shooting these weird futuristic looking soldiers and like robots and shit.

[00:45:31] Yeah.

[00:45:32] So another fun thing too. I just noticed is the 3D version was rated 17.

[00:45:39] 3D is weird rating system.

[00:45:42] Really? Yeah, for by graphic violence and alcohol use others.

[00:45:48] Yeah, there's alcohol in the game, but like violence isn't like it's not like doom.

[00:45:55] But then the switch version is E 10 times change, man.

[00:46:00] Oh yeah, it's just funny to me.

[00:46:04] So reception wise, this game was critically acclaimed when it came out like.

[00:46:11] Oh, absolutely.

[00:46:12] Every single version had like highest like high ratings like the lowest rating I see is EGM gave the Sega CD version is 70 a 7.5 which is hilarious because that's arguably the best version.

[00:46:27] They didn't even rate the best like the Genesis version or 3DO.

[00:46:34] Hey, this is on CD and CD I gave it a 92.

[00:46:39] Good for them.

[00:46:40] I couldn't imagine playing this game on CD I couldn't either.

[00:46:44] I like how CD I rated their own game.

[00:46:47] It's great.

[00:46:49] Please buy our console we beg of you.

[00:46:52] It has Nintendo kind of.

[00:46:54] Yeah, kind of.

[00:46:57] Yeah, and it's it's one of those games that is very well remembered and people generally still seem to like it from what I've heard.

[00:47:06] I mean, I asked a lot of people.

[00:47:08] A lot of old people that we know.

[00:47:11] I'm like, what do you guys think about flashback and most of them were like, like, yeah, it was cool at the time, but I can't imagine it's aged very well.

[00:47:19] That's what they basically they all said.

[00:47:21] And I think that's a fair assumption to make on this game.

[00:47:25] Like it's cool, but it hasn't really aged the best.

[00:47:28] Yeah, like it's it's one of those games that like inherently isn't bad.

[00:47:34] But when you compare it to like other games of its type that I think did it better like out of this world or like out of this world spiritual successor Heart of Darkness.

[00:47:45] Or even Prince of Persia do an agree.

[00:47:48] It's like they just kind of did it better.

[00:47:50] Yeah. Yeah, I think they just had a better idea of incorporating this sort of cinematic platformer thing with just level design that complements it better than say a flashback.

[00:48:03] But flashback I think was trying to make more of an action game.

[00:48:08] You know, and I can respect that flashback had much more of a defined like idea behind it.

[00:48:16] Like they're definitely they were trying to tell something here.

[00:48:18] Oh, absolutely.

[00:48:20] Which the difference between this and then say out of this world is like out of this world is a very much a it has a story but the story is very much kind of a you kind of experience it as you go kind of game.

[00:48:31] Yeah.

[00:48:33] This one is really trying to be like a story.

[00:48:36] And for the most part I think it does a good job like the story is interesting.

[00:48:41] It's just the game itself is kind of frustrating.

[00:48:46] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:48:49] I think if it's something that if we had like more time I probably could have like tried to figure it out but you know I just decided to play the the easier to understand remake because that was kind of an easier play through, you know.

[00:49:05] Yeah, like, like I've most reviews of this game that I've seen because I watched a couple of YouTube reviews just to get like different impressions on it.

[00:49:12] Most of the reviews all said like the game, once you figure out the controls is perfectly fun in a decent time.

[00:49:18] But it's for sure you have to get over that opening hurdle and I think that's kind of this game's biggest downfall.

[00:49:25] Yeah, I would agree.

[00:49:27] Like that opening jungle level isn't really the best level to sort of introduce what it's trying to do.

[00:49:34] You know, because once you get past that jungle level and you get into like the the space station area it's it becomes a lot easier to understand.

[00:49:44] Yeah, it's it's this game is very much a product of its time.

[00:49:50] It does that thing that a lot of games I think from this era did which is oh we're afraid of the retail market so we're going to make the first level like really hard for no reason.

[00:49:59] So that we're going to so that when you buy it and you eventually figure out how to get past that level, you can just then breeze through the rest of the game. No problem.

[00:50:08] Oh, actually just very common for the early 90s.

[00:50:13] I did just think of this one cool thing about flashback.

[00:50:17] It's only present in the Genesis and Sega CD versions of the game.

[00:50:21] But the the those games came packaged with a manual that actually had a like a storyline comic adaption that kind of was like an introduction to the games plot.

[00:50:36] Marvel actually did it so it's something that's cool.

[00:50:40] It was not it was not included with the 3DO version so.

[00:50:44] Yeah, and the remake has much more extensive cutscenes and I think they incorporate those comics like into the remake because there will be bits where it cuts away to more kind of like comic style drawings where they go more in depth on like the story and everything.

[00:51:00] So they might have thought about that while they were doing it you know.

[00:51:04] I didn't look into who the artist was but like looking at the art it looks very 90s Marvel so it was cool.

[00:51:10] Yeah, yeah.

[00:51:12] So cool stuff.

[00:51:15] So yeah I guess now going into.

[00:51:18] OK must play OK stay away.

[00:51:22] This one to me is very much like Alone in the Dark where it's a game that you can appreciate but I don't really think it's worth playing anymore.

[00:51:33] Are you trying to say stay away?

[00:51:35] Not stay away.

[00:51:36] I kind of want to say like this is kind of a game that I say like.

[00:51:41] I think for Alone in the Dark I said something like casually observe.

[00:51:47] Which I don't want to reuse that so I'm going to say.

[00:51:52] I'm going to say like.

[00:51:55] I'm not going to say play it I'm going to say.

[00:51:58] I'm going to say stay away but maybe watch like a walkthrough or something and just like see what was going on.

[00:52:07] I don't want to say stay away.

[00:52:09] I think I respect this game too much to say that.

[00:52:14] I would give it an OK.

[00:52:16] I think it is OK.

[00:52:18] If you want to if you want to try this game out I would say yeah get the Genesis or the Sega CD ROM and try it for your own.

[00:52:28] You know because who knows I get the sense that this game may click more with a very specific kind of person.

[00:52:36] Yeah and maybe that's not me you know like this game when I was playing the original this version of the game it felt like when you go on like a first date with somebody and when you're done you're like and we didn't really click you know and then and then later on they text you say.

[00:52:57] I don't think it's going to work out.

[00:52:59] You're like oh thank God I was thinking the same thing too.

[00:53:02] You know it feels like we mutually understand that we're probably not made for each other but that's OK.

[00:53:10] You know and I think this game is OK like again for it being something different and pushing the medium forward.

[00:53:18] I think it's for that I have a great amount of admiration for it.

[00:53:22] But as far as like the nitty gritty playing the game I don't really know if I can recommend it.

[00:53:28] I mean if you want to try more of a cinematic style platformer like I would recommend another world.

[00:53:33] I would recommend Heart of Darkness the original Prince of Persia.

[00:53:38] I mean heck limbo and inside if you want a more modern representation of that style but done through more of like oh how do we make something like this these days you know what I mean.

[00:53:50] I mean even Blackthorn would be an interesting one to do like the cinematic platformer genre like the few games that encompass it they're all kind of interesting.

[00:54:00] Yeah so and there's probably bound to be one that you like like hell just looking at it there's one called Weird Dreams which I've never heard of before but it was like a Commodore Amiga kind of game so that one's probably aged like milk but you know like most games from that era so.

[00:54:17] You know what I thought of a goopy one.

[00:54:20] I'm going to say this game is it's just okay and that's totally fine.

[00:54:25] Yeah sure.

[00:54:27] There we go.

[00:54:28] Oh yeah I hear it's a more modern game the way is a bit of a cinematic platformer kind of game.

[00:54:34] I have that on switch I have yet to play it.

[00:54:37] I think I have it too I've been meaning to play it.

[00:54:39] I've heard good things like it's not amazing but it's fine.

[00:54:43] See when that game came out it was right around the same time as the goddamn you got into Knuckles meme so everyone was like it is the way and I was just like God.

[00:54:54] I was like exactly I was like fucking damn it.

[00:54:58] God we drove that meme into the fucking ground.

[00:55:02] Yes we did like most memes nowadays.

[00:55:05] Boy.

[00:55:07] Yeah because whenever like a good one comes out it just goes away like that that one like Weird Star Wars one where it was like that that like wasn't chilly or whatever where they incorporate the ads into like watching the movie or whatever and it's like that was funny and then people just tore that shit into the ground so after a week it was like that's not funny anymore.

[00:55:28] Yeah like most memes just nowadays don't last because they're just overused.

[00:55:34] Exactly exactly.

[00:55:37] So there you go.

[00:55:39] Yeah basically if you want to play cinematic platformer game if it says Eric Chahay on it just play that one.

[00:55:47] I will say this every time hard of darkness.

[00:55:50] Hard darkness is cool.

[00:55:52] I like harder darkness like it's a shame it doesn't have a 3DO version so we can't play it but it's a little too powerful for 3DO.

[00:55:59] Yeah but it's like a cool game.

[00:56:02] It's a hidden gem for sure I think.

[00:56:07] It's my favorite of this genre.

[00:56:09] Yeah and then I didn't realize this the game from Dust was also Eric Chahay like that weird God sim thing which I've never played but now that I know that he did it I kind of want to try it.

[00:56:21] I can't remember if it's backwards compatible or not but I'll have to find out.

[00:56:25] Because that game looks kind of neat.

[00:56:28] No 100%.

[00:56:30] This is a I hate when it's like a game that like isn't bad but like you're just kind of like now on it like.

[00:56:38] Yeah like I will always say like I respect it.

[00:56:42] You know it's a piece of it's a piece of video game history and I think that is important.

[00:56:47] But much like say trying to play the original pitfall.

[00:56:50] You know like you can respect it for being a very groundbreaking game and seeing where everything started.

[00:56:56] Even then even then I'd say pitfall is a much better game to play actually like it holds up better than you'd think.

[00:57:03] Hell even pitfall too pitfall too is fucking cool.

[00:57:07] Yeah.

[00:57:09] To me like the the out of all the games we played the one that I can think of that kind of best describes this one is probably the best.

[00:57:20] Probably alone in the dark where it's like yeah you can understand why they were acclaimed at the time but like now it is you also can see that they're they haven't held up as well.

[00:57:32] I would I would play flashback before alone in the dark.

[00:57:35] Yeah flashback has aged better than a load of the dark has but it's the same kind of principle.

[00:57:39] It's not like D where that game just aged badly and like there's no god play it.

[00:57:43] Yeah that game kind of aged like dirt.

[00:57:45] That's another one that's like I can kind of respect it for what it's trying to do but it's a game that was immediately outdated when Resident Evil came out.

[00:57:55] Yeah.

[00:57:56] So whereas flashback never had like that one game that completely killed its relevance like it never had that so.

[00:58:04] Yeah it was kind of just a genre that just died off.

[00:58:07] Yeah because it's a hard one to do right you know in like a 2D realm.

[00:58:11] Yeah.

[00:58:12] Yeah even like say considering limbo a cinematic platformer feels very like a consolation prize to the genre because you can tell it's really not going for that.

[00:58:23] It definitely has its own vibe but you know and I love limbo is great. Love that game.

[00:58:29] The art style in particular.

[00:58:30] Love it.

[00:58:31] And you can tell too that like in 3D these games just don't quite work the same way like.

[00:58:36] Yeah like this game in 3D would be like say the original Tomb Raider or you know if you wanted to make a straight line from this to say uncharted.

[00:58:45] I think you could make that line.

[00:58:48] You know what the best example of what this game would be like in 3D is?

[00:58:51] Prince of Persia 3D.

[00:58:54] Oh like Santa Time.

[00:58:55] No no no the original Prince of Persia 3D.

[00:58:59] Do you remember it was on Dreamcast under the name Arabian Knights.

[00:59:03] Yeah I never played that.

[00:59:05] I know of it.

[00:59:07] So the Dreamcast port is surprisingly better but still not great.

[00:59:11] The original PC version by Broderbund though is like oof.

[00:59:16] Yeah because I've played a bit of the original Prince of Persia and I thought it was neat you know.

[00:59:23] I had the same reaction to it I did when I looked at the solar eclipse.

[00:59:27] I went oh that's neat.

[00:59:29] Yeah.

[00:59:30] So because again Prince of Persia it's not really an action game.

[00:59:34] It's more of like a stealthy adventure kind of game.

[00:59:37] So I think in that regard the cinematic platformer style works far and away better.

[00:59:43] Yes.

[00:59:45] Honestly that's why when they did the Santa Time they made it like a flow based platformer rather than like a straight up platformer.

[00:59:51] Yeah I feel so bad because I feel like I missed the boat on Santa Time because I never played it when it was new.

[00:59:59] And by the time I got around to actually playing it like I was already into Assassin's Creed which is you know what Prince of Persia kind of molded into.

[01:00:09] And I've attempted Santa Time like two or three times and I recognize it's a very good game but it just it just doesn't click with me.

[01:00:20] And it could have just been I didn't play it at the right time.

[01:00:24] That's probably it because it's a great game but it definitely was.

[01:00:29] It was more it was more impressive at the time it came out than like yeah it is.

[01:00:35] Yeah because at the time people loved it and I knew people who were really into it and I think if I ever tried to say rent it for the game queue back in the day they didn't have it you know and then eventually they did Warrior within and two thrones and all that which take the series in a little bit of a different direction I'm told.

[01:00:54] Well the warrior within made it dark for no reason and then they it's the shadow of the hedgehog of that.

[01:01:00] Yeah, and then two thrones they did a really cool idea with like the to the print the dark side and light side princes which was a really nice way of fixing that and it's keeping it at the same time.

[01:01:11] But yeah the original game to me like it was like the first game that really introduced that like flow flow designed platform or we're like it's not so much about precision it's more about flow.

[01:01:20] Yeah.

[01:01:22] It's a style of platformer that doesn't really exist as much anymore but it still is here every now and then.

[01:01:28] Well because it was like the first game to do kind of like the parkour system and you have like a rewind kind of you know there's a lot of things about it they're really cool for its time but but I remember like trying to play it from a modern perspective I'm like I don't know what the big deal is.

[01:01:46] Yeah, because we've had just better games in that style since exactly.

[01:01:50] And if if slash when that big old remake that they're making for it comes out, I will play it because I because I want to see like if they can take the original Santa time and modernize it I think it'd be really cool.

[01:02:06] But who knows what the state of that remake is in at the moment.

[01:02:09] Yeah, considering Ubisoft and like games like.

[01:02:13] I don't think they've given up on it, but I know when they first put it out.

[01:02:17] I think they were hoping it would just be kind of a whatever release and then the fan backlash was so strong that they're like okay we need to do this properly.

[01:02:27] Yeah, we will do it properly.

[01:02:29] Especially because that new Prince of Persia like 2D game came out and was very well received from what I've heard.

[01:02:35] I need to play that I've heard really good things.

[01:02:38] Now there's even more like hype behind it though so I'm like okay they got to definitely do it right.

[01:02:43] Yeah, and I've heard I've heard a rumor that a new Prince of Persia is going to get announced this year like more like a rogue like Prince of Persia game so.

[01:02:50] That's interesting.

[01:02:51] Yeah, so it says to me that Ubisoft maybe they're looking at their original IP and going we should do more with this stuff.

[01:02:59] You know, maybe we'll get a new Raymond.

[01:03:01] Yeah, maybe they're taking influence from when EA recently did the whole like oh we're not going to license IPs as much.

[01:03:08] We're just going to use our original stuff.

[01:03:11] Maybe that'll cause them to dig through their back catalog and be like what can we bring out of here?

[01:03:17] You know, because I know why EA did that with the licensing thing because they don't have to pay FIFA anymore.

[01:03:25] And their EA Sports FC club sold just as well as any other FIFA did.

[01:03:30] Yeah, but they didn't have to pay that licensing fee so they made a lot more fucking money off of it.

[01:03:36] So yeah, and they can still release shitty Madden games because the Madden fans will still buy them.

[01:03:41] That's the thing if they if they didn't have the NFL license and were just called like Madden football.

[01:03:46] I think it would take a game or two for casual people to realize they're not NFL games.

[01:03:52] Like I swear to God, people would notice it right away.

[01:03:55] Yeah, so but that's a whole other can of worms.

[01:03:59] But hey, but hey if that causes EA to dig through and we get to say the Dead Space to remake.

[01:04:06] Please please can we have that?

[01:04:09] Maybe new mercenaries please please pre please because EA has a lot of cool licenses or a lot of cool original IPs I'd like to see come back and same with Ubisoft.

[01:04:20] You know who knows maybe they'll actually finish Beyond Good and Evil 2.

[01:04:23] Yeah, then Michelle is up with that game.

[01:04:27] What Michelle and Michelle and sell is like one of the most like he's almost as bad as the guy from fucking 3D realms with like how particular Randy Pitchford.

[01:04:38] No, that was Gearbox wasn't it?

[01:04:41] Yeah, well he's also an asshole.

[01:04:43] I can't remember 3D realms guy George Brassard.

[01:04:46] I believe Brassard.

[01:04:48] Yes, yes Brassard.

[01:04:50] Yes, such a perfect where he's such a fucking perfectionist that it takes fucking forever to make a game.

[01:04:53] Yeah, because if beyond like if beyond good and evil 2 had come out already people would probably like it.

[01:05:02] But I think at this point if it comes out it's going to get dog piled on but I imagine it will be a better end product than Duke Nukem Forever.

[01:05:11] True.

[01:05:13] I mean I still say Duke Nukem Forever.

[01:05:15] If you think of it as a game that should have come out in 1996 it's great.

[01:05:18] But if you think in a context that it did not come out in 1996 it shows.

[01:05:25] If it came out, what was that big like the Vegas trailer?

[01:05:29] 2001.

[01:05:31] Yep, the 2001.

[01:05:33] If it came out then it would have been fine.

[01:05:35] I am happy that the guy who pre-ordered it did get his copy.

[01:05:38] That's amazing.

[01:05:40] I love that.

[01:05:42] Gearbox hooked him up so respect.

[01:05:44] Yeah.

[01:05:46] So yeah, I guess final thoughts because this game doesn't save it all there's no memory manager so but you don't need it so you're fine.

[01:05:55] Exactly.

[01:05:57] For next week we're not going to get into our next game just yet.

[01:06:02] We're actually thinking about doing kind of a fun episode where we're going to...

[01:06:07] I don't know if we agreed on doing this yet we kind of played with the idea but we were thinking about splitting the episode in half.

[01:06:12] Having the first half be Doom story time and then the second half be Family Feud just because.

[01:06:19] Sure why not?

[01:06:21] We'll knock out two games at once so I can tell the hilarious story of Doom on 3DO and then we can talk about Family Feud.

[01:06:28] Yeah, I can talk about the great game show game.

[01:06:31] Alright yeah so we'll do that for next week as a little breather episode while we plan our next game because we had a few ideas we wanted to throw around.

[01:06:40] Yes, there is one special one we want to do a very special one but I think we may need to do a little planning before we do it.

[01:06:49] Yes, exactly.

[01:06:52] But yeah until next time though guys thanks for joining us on the 3DO experience.

[01:06:57] 3DO experience can be found on all the major podcast and platforms particularly Apple Podcast and Spotify.

[01:07:03] You can find all of our links at linktree slash thebarberhoo.com and you can find the podcast now on YouTube with a video version that also will come out.

[01:07:10] You'll see me disappear this time. Hi guys.

[01:07:14] And you can join the GNC Podcast Network Discord server to find all things GNC, video experience, geek addicts, talk gaming, anime and all sorts of crazy stuff.

[01:07:25] And tonight Thrac will be streaming so be sure to check that out as well.

[01:07:29] Yes I'll be streaming at 7pm Eastern Standard Time twitch.tv slash Thrac94 we are going through the Sega Genesis catalog so it's been a lot of fun and we're going to keep doing it till I get sick of it.

[01:07:43] Yeah I'll try to pop in I'm sure KC will pop in all the guys from the Superpod Discord will probably be there.

[01:07:49] Oh yeah a lot of fun times on there.

[01:07:51] Yeah so should be a good time and with that every buck we will see you all later.

[01:07:58] Bye bye.

[01:08:21] you