Flicky

Flicky is a side-scrolling platform game where you control a flightless blue bird rescuing her lost chicks, called "Chirps". In each round, you must collect all yellow Chirps scattered across the level and guide them safely to the exit door. The Chirps follow Flicky in a chain, with bonus points for bringing multiple back at once. Two enemy types appear: house cats called "Tiger" and green iguanas called "Iggy". If an enemy touches the Chirp chain, they disperse and must be retrieved. To defend yourself, you can pick up and throw items like telephones, flower pots, cups, and hammers. There are 48 standard rounds on horizontally scrolling screens that wrap around. Bonus rounds offer a chance to catch falling Chirps with a net. After all stages, the game loops with increased difficulty.

Arcade

Released in May 1984 in Japan and later in North America by Bally Midway, Flicky was developed by Sega with design by Yoji Ishii and art by Yoshiki Kawasaki. The concept was inspired by a desire to surpass Namco's Mappy. Originally titled "Busty" then "Flippy" before settling on Flicky, it runs on Sega System 1 hardware with a Z80 CPU and SN76496 sound chips. The horizontal display offers 256x224 resolution with up to 1536 colors. Controls use a two-way joystick and a single jump/throw button. Two arcade versions exist: 64k and 128k. The Flicky character has become a recurring cameo in other Sega games, most notably as the "Flickies" rescued by Sonic in Sonic 3D Blast. With charming visuals, catchy music, and addictive gameplay, Flicky remains a hidden gem of Sega's arcade library.