is a platform game developed by Sega and released as an arcade video game in May 1984. It was licensed to Bally Midway for distribution in the United States. In Flicky, the player controls the eponymous blue bird and must gather all the small birds called Chirps in each round and bring them safely to the exit. There are cat and lizard enemies which can disperse the Chirps and kill the player, but Flicky can use items on the playing field to protect herself and the Chirps from danger.

The idea for Flicky came from Sega senior leadership, who wanted to exceed the success of Namco's Mappy (1983). Yoji Ishii and Yoshiki Kawasaki developed Flicky at Sega over one year. Originally, the game simply had the player catch ambiguous dots in a maze. Taking inspiration from a popular song in a Japanese variety show, Kawasaki gave the game an urban theme and bird characters. The game was originally titled "Busty", then "Flippy", before finally settling on "Flicky".

Flicky was first ported to the SG-1000 in Japan, and then later to other Japanese home consoles. In 1991, Flicky was released in North America and Europe on the Sega Genesis. The character has made cameo appearances in other Sega games, most notably within the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

Gameplay

thumb|left|Flicky being followed by four Chirps on a platform above the exit door

Flicky is a platform game in which the player takes control of a flightless blue bird named Flicky. With only the ability to run side-to-side and jump, the player must collect all the small, yellow birds called "Chirps" and take them to the exit to clear each round. Ishii (who later designed Sega's Fantasy Zone) led the development team.

Flicky was developed over the course of one year and was designed by Yoji Ishii in collaboration with artist Yoshiki Kawasaki.

| rev1 = Mean Machines

| rev1Score = 92%

The Genesis port of Flicky was reviewed by multiple Western publications, most of which found the game to have highly addictive and enjoyable gameplay while criticizing it for having poor graphics and sound. Reviewers noted poor initial impressions based on appearance and sound, finding the sprites to be simple, the colors garish, and the music repetitive. However, when they began to play the game, they found that the simple appearance complemented the simple yet engaging gameplay.

Legacy

Numerous Sega video game compilations feature Flicky. A CD-enhanced version of the Genesis port was featured in Wondermega Collection, a compilation bundled with the Wondermega hybrid console in 1992. Wondermega Collection will be included as part of the Sega Mega Drive Mini 2 mini console in Japan, releasing in October 2022. The Genesis version was compiled into Game no Kanzume Vol. 1 (1994), a Sega CD compilation in Japan which featured CD quality remixes of the original soundtrack. The Genesis port was also featured in Sonic Mega Collection (2002), Sega Genesis Collection (2006), Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (2009), Sega Mega Drive Classic Collection (2010), and even Genesis-based plug and play devices. The arcade version has been released in Japan on the Sega Ages: Memorial Collection Vol. 1 (1996) for the Sega Saturn, and the Sega Memorial Selection (1998) for Windows. Flicky has also been ported to mobile devices. The first port was in 2001 for the Sega Ages line in Japan.

thumb|Flicky is on the arcade marquee for Bloxeed.

The Flicky character has made cameo appearances in several other Sega arcade games, effectively becoming a mascot for Sega's early arcade years. In Teddy Boy Blues (1985), she appears as a shooting target among other Sega mascots such as Pengo. In the puzzle game Bloxeed, she can be used as a special weapon to drop blocks on the playing field. She is also playable in SDI (1987) with the use of a cheat code. Flicky has a minor cameo appearance in Flash Point, where she will wish the player good luck before each round, and in the racing game Super Monaco GP (1989), where she appears on the racetrack banners and the game over screen. Flicky has also become an entire species and reoccurring minor character in the Sonic the Hedgehog series and is featured most prominently in Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (1996), the game mechanics of which were inspired by Flicky. Flicky has continued to have minor cameo appearances in other Sega titles, including Shenmue (1999), Gunstar Super Heroes (2005), and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (2007).

  • Flicky playable for free on the Internet Archive