Flicky

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. According to game artist Yoshiki Kawasaki, Flicky is just a friend to the Chirps although some players may think she is a mother to them. The Chirps follow Flicky in a chain until they are collected at the exit.

Bonus points are awarded for bringing multiple Chirps back in a single chain. There are 48 total stages. Each stage takes place on a single wraparound screen that scrolls horizontally with Flicky always in the center. After all the stages are completed, the game loops infinitely on an increased difficulty mode.

The spark to develop Flicky came from Sega's desire to exceed Namco's Mappy (1983) which had become very popular in Japanese arcades. Sega game designer Yoji Ishii's boss wanted him to design a similar "dot eater" game but better. 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. The game evolved from a simple game that Kawasaki first envisioned where the player would catch dots in a maze. He took inspiration from a popular song about sparrows on power lines from a 1970s Japanese variety show, Migoro! Tabegoro!

In July 1984, Game Machine listed Flicky as being the second most popular table arcade unit in Japan during that period.

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. Computer and Video Games described Flicky as a guilty pleasure and discussed its cute appearance in positive light.

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.