The Flintstones (1994 Ocean Software video game)

{{Distinguish|text = the 1993 Genesis game by Taito also titled The Flintstones}}

{{Infobox video game

| title = The Flintstones

| image = Flintstones Ocean boxart.jpg

| alt = SNES box art

| caption = North American SNES box art

| developer = {{plainlist|

Ocean of America (SNES)
Twilight (Game Boy)}}

| publisher = Ocean Software

| series =

| platforms = {{plainlist|

Super NES
Game Boy}}

| released = Game Boy{{vgrelease|NA|December 1994|EU|1994}}SNES{{vgrelease|NA|February 1995|EU|April 1995}}

| genre = Platform game

| modes = Single-player

}}

The Flintstones is a 1994 video game adaptation of the live-action 1994 film The Flintstones. It was released on Super NES and Game Boy.

Gameplay

File:The_Flintstones_1994_SNES_Gameplay_Screenshot.png

The Flintstones is a 2D platforming game where the player controls Fred Flintstone who must rescue Pebbles, Bam-Bam, Barney, and Wilma from the evil Cliff Vandercave. All three versions feature different levels and enemies.{{cite magazine | title= The Flintstones| url = http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Consoles%20Plus/consoleplus_numero042/Consoles%20+%20042%20-%20Page%20156%20(1995-04).jpg| language = fr| magazine = {{Interlanguage link multi|Consoles +|fr|lt=Consoles +}}| publisher = {{Interlanguage link multi|EMAP France|fr}}| issue = 42| page = 156| issn = 1162-8669| date = April 1995| access-date = May 29, 2018}}{{cite magazine| title = Flintstones| url = https://total.bee-ware.ch/tests/snes/snes_Flinstones.jpg| language= de| magazine= Total! (German Edition)| publisher= MVL-Verlag| date= May 17, 1995| issn = 0944-534X| access-date = May 29, 2018}}

Development and release

The Flintstones is based on the live-action 1994 film adaptation of The Flintstones animated sitcom from Hanna-Barbera. UK-based Ocean Software, which had a penchant for releasing licensed games based on intellectual properties, acquired the rights to the game tie-in. Versions were developed for the SNES (by Ocean themselves), Game Boy (by Twilight), and Sega Genesis (at least partially by Foley Hi-Tech{{cite web|last=Foley|first=David|url=http://www.fht.com/david/davidresume.html|title=David Foley, Resume': Work Experience - 1983-Present Foley Hi-Tech (Founder)|work=David Foley, President|publisher=FHT Development Corporation|date=January 17, 1997|access-date=December 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970210021145/http://www.fht.com/david/davidresume.html|archive-date=February 10, 1997|url-status=live}}). Mark Rogers was the development manager and chief programmer for the 16-bit ports.{{cite magazine | author=Merrett, Steve | date=September 1994 | title=Cover Story: The Flintstones | url=https://archive.org/details/mean-machines-sega-magazine-23/page/n15/mode/2up | magazine=Mean Machines Sega | publisher=EMAP | issue=23 | pages=16–20 | issn=0967-9014}}{{cite magazine | author=Staff | date=November 1994 | title=Work in Progress: The Flintstones | url=https://archive.org/details/super-gamer-08/page/19/mode/1up | magazine=Super Gamer | publisher=Paragon Publishing | issue=8 | page=31}}{{cite magazine | author=Electronic Games staff | date=September 1994 | title=Summer CES Round Up | url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1994-09/page/n39/mode/1up | magazine=Electronic Games | publisher=Decker Publications | page=40 | volume=2 | issue=12 | issn=1063-8326}} Throughout the game's production the design team kept in close contact with the studio behind the film, United International Pictures (UIP), which provided them with the script, costume designs, and early showings. The developers were expected to match the character sprites with the movie's actors rather those of the original cartoon. Ocean sales manager Paul Patterson recalled The Flintstones was an example of why their products were sometimes delayed. He explained, "In the game we had Fred Flintstone walking away with his back to the screen. Unfortunately there was no artwork available from the studio because Fred Flintstones back was never seen on TV and this became a real problem getting it signed off."{{cite book | author1=Wilkins, Chris | author2=Kean, Roger M. | date=December 1, 2013 | title=The History of Ocean | url=https://archive.org/details/01OceanHistoryBook/page/63/mode/1up | page=63 | publisher=Fusion Retro Books |

isbn=978-0-99-313151-6}}

Ocean published the Game Boy and SNES renditions in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Various magazines of the time projected the Genesis port for release between November 1994 and December 1995.{{cite magazine | author=Sega Visions staff | date=September 1995 | title=incoming | url=https://archive.org/details/Sega_Visions_Issue_25_September_1995/page/n99/mode/1up | magazine=Sega Visions | publisher=IDG | issue=25 | page=96 | oclc=794192137}}{{cite magazine | author=MegaZone staff | date=May 1995 | title=The ‘Coming Soon’ bit | url=https://archive.org/details/megazoneau51/page/n10/mode/1up | magazine=MegaZone | publisher=Mason Stewart Publishing | issue=51 | page=11 | issn=1321-8131}}{{cite magazine | author=CVG staff | date=April 1995 | title=Yabba Dabba Didn't | url=https://archive.org/details/computer-and-video-games-magazine/Computer%20and%20Video%20Games%20161/page/n7/mode/1up | magazine=Computer and Video Games | publisher=Future plc | issue=161 | page=8 | issn=0261-3697}} It never receiving a physical release, but was instead briefly distributed digitally, exclusively via the Sega Channel in North America in 1995.{{cite book | title=The Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Encyclopedia | first=Chris | last=Scullion | date=2021 | isbn=978-1-52674-6597 | publisher=Pen & Sword Books Limited | location=England | url={{Google Books | id=W-VVEAAAQBAJ | page=78 | plainurl=yes}} | page=78}} While the full Genesis version of the game is considered lost media, a prototype allegedly taken from an EPROM surfaced online in 2019, containing no sound and only two levels.{{cite web | date=December 31, 2019 | title=News/Holiday 2019 (Day 7) - Flintstones | url=https://hiddenpalace.org/News/Holiday_2019_(Day_7)_-_Flintstones | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241127123013/https://hiddenpalace.org/News/Holiday_2019_(Day_7)_-_Flintstones | archive-date=November 27, 2024 | website=HiddenPalace.org | accessdate=December 24, 2024}}

Reception

{{Video game reviews

| CP = 77% (GB){{cite magazine|url=http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Consoles%20Plus/consoleplus_numero042/Consoles%20+%20042%20-%20Page%20156%20(1995-04).jpg|title=The Flintstones|issue=42|date=April 1995|language=fr|magazine=Consoles +|page=156|accessdate=June 30, 2021}}

| EGM = 5.8/10 (SNES)

| GameFan = 82% (SNES)

| MF = 47% (SNES){{cite magazine|author=Markus|date=April 1995|url=https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File%3AMegaFun_DE_1995-04.pdf&page=29|title=The Flintstones|language=de|magazine=Mega Fun|page=29|accessdate=June 30, 2021}}

| NGen = {{rating|3|5}} (SNES)

| TOT = 50/100 (SNES){{cite magazine|author=Andy|url=https://archive.org/details/total-41-may-1995/page/50/mode/2up?q=%22super+turrican+2%22|title=The Flintstones|magazine=Total!|issue=41|date=May 1995|page=51|accessdate=June 30, 2021}}

| VGCE = 8/10 (SNES)

| VGS = 54% (SNES){{cite magazine|url=https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=13647|title=Flintstones|language=de|magazine=Video Games|date=April 1995|page=105|accessdate=June 30, 2021}}

| rev1 = GB Action

| rev1Score = 89% (GB){{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/gb-action-33/page/n23/mode/2up?q=%22The+Flintstones+%22+snes|title=The Flintstones|magazine=GB Action|issue=33|date=December 1994|pages=24–25|accessdate=June 30, 2021}}

}}

Next Generation reviewed the SNES version, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "the game (as the movie) could've used more innovation, but it looks good, and plays well".{{cite magazine|title=Finals - SNES: The Flintstones|magazine=Next Generation|issue=4|publisher=GP Publications|date=April 1995|page=100|issn=1078-9693|url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-004/page/n101/mode/2up}} GamePro praised its graphics, multi-layered parallax scrolling, and "solid" controls, calling it overall a "fun" and "lightweight" game.{{cite magazine|title =ProReview: The Flintstones |date =March 1995 |url =https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_068_March_1995 |magazine =GamePro |publisher =Infotainment World |author=Sarah Nade|issue =68 |page =66 |issn=1042-8658}} Electronic Gaming Monthly{{'}}s review crew gave it an average score of 5.8/10 from five reviewers, calling the game just a "routine sidescroller", and said that Taito's previous Flintstones games with graphics based on the cartoon were better, and that the graphics based on the movie "really [don't] work".{{cite magazine|title =Review Crew: Major Mike's Game Roundup - The Flintstones |date =March 1995 |url =https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_68/page/n33/mode/2up |magazine =Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher =Sendai Publishing Group |issue =68 |page =34|issn=1058-918X|author1=Ed Semrad|author2=Danyon Carpenter|author3=Al Manuel|author4=Sushi-X|author5=Mike Weigand}} VideoGames gave it an overall score of 8 out of 10, calling it a "solid" platformer with good replay value and particularly praising the "fluid" animations and "satisfying" sound effects.{{cite magazine|title =Super NES: The Flintstones |date =April 1995 |url =https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_The_Ultimate_Gaming_Magazine_Issue_75_April_1995/page/n61/mode/2up |magazine =VideoGames |publisher =L.F.P., Inc. |last1 =Hallock |first1 =Betty |last2 =Loftus |first2 =Jim |last3 =Soria |first3 =Gabe |issue =75 |page =63 |issn=1059-2938}} GameFan gave it an average score of 82% from three reviewers, who praised its difficulty and varied gameplay mechanics. All three reviewers heavily praised the graphics, with one comparing Fred's fluid animations to that of Prince of Persia (1989).{{cite magazine|title =Viewpoint: The Flintstones |date =February 1995 |url =https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_3_Issue_02/page/n21/mode/2up |magazine =GameFan|publisher =Die Hard Publishing |volume=3|issue =2 |page =22|author1=Skid|author2=Nick Rox |author3=Takahara|issn=1070-3020}}