No angry birds here
Although Flicky looks completely rubbish, all you need to do is spend five minutes with it and you'll soon see why Sega ruled the roost back in the day. It's got pretty ropey visuals but the gameplay is just so utterly compelling and addictive, with near perfect design, that you just can't help but fall in love with it. On the surface, it's a bit like a basic Lemmings-style platformer with a faster pace where you control a blue bird, the titular Flicky, who must collect her chicks and then return them to the safety of the nest. Making this task harder are the cats who are roaming around looking for a meal but to even the odds a little, there are several items dotted around each level that you can collect. These include watering cans, hammers, and cups to throw at those mean old cats in order to scare them off. Once you get all your chicks to safety, it all begins again on another sideways scrolling level with a new design. Flicky really is a classic little number that is just so adorable it's hard not to fall in love with it. The concept is simplicity itself and needs almost no explanation in order to understand it. However, it's this simplicity which works in the game's favor and after just a few moments of play, you'll have a great big cheesy grin on your face. The controls are pitch perfect, being wonderfully responsive, while there's something just utterly compelling about running around grabbing little birds and getting them to safety. The visuals are fairly ropey but that's easily forgiven when the gameplay is this much fun so if you love old-school hits like Pac Man, then this is a must-play.
