Today's arcade game is an oddity brought to us by Kyugo. They're probably best known for Wrath of the Black Manta, which I've been trying to forget about for almost my entire life. Flashgal isn't as bad. In my opinion, it's not bad at all. Maybe it won't go down as an all-time arcade classic, but it's got everything that matters in a side-scrolling action game. You play the part of the Heroine. I have no idea what her name is and neither does the game, so whatever. Anyway, she's on a mission to stop a crime lord, but since this came out in the early/mid 80s, it's impossible for her to stop anyone. Rather, the game plays out over a series of sections which loop until you've exhausted Gal's stock of lives. Hm... Is Gal a good name? No... that reminds me too much of Gal Gadot. Ick... Well, let's just go with Linda.
Besides the aforementioned crime lord, Linda has a lot of enemies. Like, you know how Ryu Hayabusa has a serious bird problem? Linda is the complete opposite of a dog-person, and I don't mean she's a cat-person. Every canine wants her dead. Well, she also has difficulties with birds too, though I can't quite identify what kind they are. They're grey with red speckles in their feathers. They're slightly smaller than ostriches and wear little crowns. Jump-kicking is the best way to deal with them, I think. Dogs though, you'll want to stick with punches. I've tried crouching and kicking them, but it never seems to work. Also, for the love of everything, please don't take these previous sentences out of context.
Anyway, the bulk of Flashgal consists of moving left and right through auto-scrolling sections, knocking out would-be assailants with punches as well as kicks of both the crouching and jumping variety. You don't have to be a Kung Fu Master to grasp the basics, but it certainly couldn't hurt. Enemies attack in waves and from multiple directions. Linda's current position seems to influence where they approach from, so if she's standing in one corner, a bad guy is liable to appear in the opposite corner. In most cases, taking a hit isn't an instant KO, but it does drain power. Thankfully, lost power is quickly replenished by pounding or evading whatever you come across. The crime lord and/or a few of his associates will appear at the end of each section for a boss battle. Just stick to what you've learned from previous encounters, and you'll be okay.
There isn't a wide variety of enemies, but the constant loop of fight or evade is pretty entertaining. Each adversary tends to require a different move, and when they work in tandem, it leads to enjoyable scenarios that test one's skills. The red-clothed gangsters carry guns. If you aren't on the offensive, they can pin you down, leaving you at the mercy of the dogs. Finding a way out of this dreadful predicament without dying or losing a bunch of energy is a good time. Oh, and if you see a green bird, make every effort to bash it brutally. These feathered fiends drop the LUCKY gun. If you can grab it, Linda will be packing serious heat for the remainder of the section. Seriously, she can just blast everyone away and there's nothing they can do about it. I love whenever this happens, and I've no doubt that everyone who has ever played Flashgal feels the same way.
The game also has multiple vehicle-sections. Linda gets a motorbike, helicopter, or jet-ski to ride through a dangerous area. Flying in a helicopter and shooting enemies down might as well be something out of a shmup, and is a decent little diversion. The other two vehicles only get weapons that fire directly above them. Great for nailing airborne cretins, but not much else. Obstacles in the road or ocean must also be jumped over, leading to potential annoyances where you leap a barrel only to end up with a face full of bomb. One other thing, all mistakes are instantly fatal, so expect more frustration than usual. Still, these aren't even in the Top 1,000 worst vehicle-sections I've ever dealt with.
Flashgal is a good time. Working within its confines, it delivers section after section of fun kick-punch action. It doesn't take more than a minute to understand the controls and what moves work on which adversaries. Shame about Kyugo though. This is I believe their earliest work, yet it's easily my favorite. Later efforts like Crossfire on the Sega Genesis induce nothing but misery in me.
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| I probably should've mentioned the aliens. |
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