Finding inspiration I : Flashback (1992, Delphine Software).
Well, No, kiddos I didn't refer to the new 'Flash Back' from UbiSoft. But, the original one on the.. eh, almost every single system back in 1992. For me, I happened to played it first time on 3DO cd version. witch quite
fascinated me for the time.
And what it has to do with So Many Me? Indeed, it has some little deep influence on So Many Me. (And the design team might not notice this, Can't blame them. They're too young to know the game from early '90s)
The puzzle mechanic like pushing switch/sensor with object in 2D platformer existed just long before in Conrad's adventure 21 years ago! And comparing between Action/Puzzle, I'd say we both are on the same level,
So Many Me is way a bit more puzzle than the Flashback. I don't know what the design team, or programmer think about this "remenesione" with FlashBack. But, for me for the visual of levels that covered with jungle element and mixing a little with hard,cold metal surfaces. Is somehow in derived unconsciously from the first level of Flashback for sure.
I'm just turned it from pixelated beauty to a fluffy little bush thing in So Many Me.Thinking about that Jungle scene. That one thing that really amazed me back when I was a kid holding 3DO clunky controller. It's just something else from Mario or even Metroid tiled level, the Jungle really looks Organic! And that's the magic of pixel artist from the early days that fight with restricted sprite sheet, color palette soo hard in order to achieved that awesome result.
And now here's my rant, The new 'Flashback' Yeah. What can go wrong. They can even just re-skin it with some sort of next-gen mumbo-jumbo and tadah! easy money.. But, No! , one and only mistake that Ubi done with remaking Flashback was they modernize it too much. For example, adding clunky radial aim, throwing projectile, and pfft, mediocre voice acting.
Even the protagonist 'Conrad' had been badly face-lifted into some kind of Uncharted.. *cough* typical video gamey male character (Corky attitude, talkative guy with loads of funny one-liners. :P) not to mentions all those standard upgrade tree and exp system they had put in.
But, the worse of all is the 'pacing'. The new Flashback is faster, with closer and more dynamic camera. These force the game design to be less and less on puzzle element and more combat/action oriented.
In the original game camera is very static and show the puzzle element in
current area very clearly (in the Prince of Persia's manner) For me, the new camera is surely dynamic and gave player more feels into actions. But, at the same time the cinematic value of each location are reduced so much.
Not saying it's a bad game. The New Flashback still playable and somehow ehmm, enjoyable with a little patients.
The new on screen minimap and waypoint showing where Conrad need to go is something that make Flashback less reluctance to play and more 'friendly' with the new players.
Well, I think that pretty much it. For backward exploration of our inspiration, as for this blog maybe most of 'my' inspiration alone. Hope you enjoy and see you next time! when I'm back and dug up inspiration source that you might never heard of again.
It's your favorite Caven-pixel pusher, Somjade.
