Often mistaken as a follow up to the just as stellar “Another World”, Flashback was one of the finest examples of why the Amiga was a true gamers dream.  Whilst yes it was released on multiple platforms over its lifetime, the consoles versions always lacked something.  Be it reduced sound quality, less crisp visuals or a reworked intro theme which still sits as one of the greatest sins of our time!  For whatever reason, gamers like myself who owned an Amiga were spoilt with one of the best games ever to be released.

The main thing that made Flashback so great was the way it looked, sounded and played.  It may not have been the first game to used the stunning rotoscope animation, or have fully hand drawn and animated backgrounds.  But it was one of the few to do it so well and for anyone who has not played it, the best example I can give is that it was the Uncharted of its time.  Coupled with the use of great looking cut scenes and the whole lost identity through amnesia story plot before it became stale, Flashback on the Amiga had the whole package.

The sequel did not do so well, using full 3D visuals in a fully 3D environment at a time when the tech still was young.  It made the game a whole lot slower, looked like it took less effort and just felt really clumsy in comparison to the last game.  Which had you running and jumping for your life at one point in a tower that was rigged to explode.  Most gamers will never forget that feeling of dread when they messed up or the sheer accomplishment when they finally got all the timing right.

Gushing aside, Flashback holds a special place in my childhood, as it was the first game to truly make me sit back and go wow!  It was also the best excuse I had to show all my friends up when they played it on their “superior” gaming systems.