Flipull (NES)

I did it again! I did many shooter games in consecutive. There's DXball in the middle of them but there's shooting power up in there so it's kind of moot. I don't want to be called crazed gunman therefore i change my pace by playing  Taito's Flipull (1989) on NES. 

"An exciting cube game" said the subtitle. What a bold claim indeed. Like Palamedes, i played this first time in Gameboy but the difference is i knew play Flipull, well most of it. I missed the important details though. The game has 2 mode: normal and advanced. Let's start with normal.    

 

You play as that fuzzy thing on ladder. I don't think it's Kiwi bird as there's Taito game that features Kiwi bird: New Zealand Story. Plus he doesn't have neither beak nor legs. Therefore, i think he's Kiwi fruit. Yup, i go with that. There's sentient kiwi fruit that bend on Erasing the cube/block everywhere he goes. If that sounds too violent, i'm sorry.

 

The control is as follows: up and down on d-pad to move the fuzzy fella along the stair, 'B' button to throw the cube/box that you currently hold to the left direction, and 'A' button...has the same function with 'B' button. There's no function on left and right button on d-pad. Such simplistic control. You goal is to guide our kiwi (fruit) friend there to erase the cubes on left stack to minimum number on Clear tab (in this case: it's 9). To make thing easy for you, you can quickly see the remaining block on block tab. To erase blocks you have to throw them with the matching color block that you hold/throw. But it's not as simple as that and that's all young me knows. You will exchange block with the block that has different color after erasing the same ones on first contact. Thus you're forced to think one or two steps ahead. Or even more. Of course, there's bonus score if you can erase more than 1 block on single throw. For example: i get 400 bonus scores for 2 blocks erased at once, here.

 

You got other option besides throw the box directly/horizontally at the stacks depends on the environment, you can throw it at ceiling and later it will drop down to the stack. There's arrow that points where the box will drop into. By considering this alternative, you can have different option to exchange your box although in my case here i can only get box with red dot in return.

 

I can get 900 bonus score by clearing those 3 'X' blocks. Medic_cheers01.wav

 

You can also erase the block without making trade in process like this. With this i clear all the green block and without next move. But i met the quota already so no problem.   

 

The Kiwi fruit guy jumps happily to celebrate his victory. He looks lively and elastic.    

 

Yaaay! I got another bonus score but i can't do next move. Everytime i have block that isn't matched with any available block, my block will be replaced with thunder block that can substitute any kind of block. It acts as "lives" in this game and also you get it freely in every beginning of the level.

 

Stage 4 introduces us with blockades. They're treated like ceiling. If you throw block at them, the block will drop. But your thrown block can pass through them vertically. If you look closely they're like Super Mario's pipe but white.

 

It was fine full-of-concentration playthrough until the game reminds me that i only have 30 seconds left to finish the level. At this point, i mostly panic and think less brilliant. I don't have time to think how i get that extra thunder block, my mind is focused on finishing the stage as soon as possible. Timed puzzle game isn't my forte, as usual.   

 

On 6th stage, the blocks change from simple picture (including Taito symbol) to fruits picture. I don't mind with Taito's obsession over fruits like in Bubble Bobble for example. It's healthy as there's no durian picture there. That fruit contain Cholesterol, you see.  

If you hit the block that doesn't match with the block you throw, the fuzzy guy will wiggle a bit upon re-receiving the block. He's adorable.

 

Engineer_specialcompleted01.wav. I manage to clear the stage with only blocks with the different type. No 2 or more block with the same type on the stack. Perfect victory, indeed! 

 

Watch this as i pull wicked trick of 3 blocks clearing that yield 1800 bonus score. Scout_award12.wav

 

Now i'm about to erase those 4 green block and i will get 1600 bonus score for it. It yields less bonus because i use thunder block, apparently.

 

This is funny, this wonderful trick of clearing 4 Taito Symbol blocks also gives me 1600 bonus score. Maybe the further level i'm in, the less bonus score i can get regardless of how many block in consecutive that i manage to erase. Or maybe 3 blocks in a row that yield the maximum score.   

 

Time is about to up, already? I already make misstep here and time's running up serves as icing on the cake [Certainly Sarcasm]

 

What? I miss, again? Soldier_negativevocalization06.wav

Finally, i made it! Hey! Where are you going, buddy?

 

There's bit of comedy cutscene like in Berlin Wall. The flipull guy throw the thunder block at the blockade and he gets the blockade...right on his head. Poor fella.

 

Well! I get hefty bonus of 2500 by clearing 5 blocks in a row here! Thing for sure is if your score gets to 50,000 or its multiplier, you will get 1 free thunder block. So raking scores is important.

 

If you pause the game, it censors all of the blocks so you can't plan ahead while pause. How elaborate! Also annoying.

Sniper_jeers08.wav. I'm out of substitution box. There goes my continue.

Although there's 3 more continues left, i reckon 13th stage is far enough. Let's check the advanced mode, instead!

 

In advanced mode, you start with straight one type of block instead of the thunder box. The stack is in mannerly arrangement so you can only finish the level with only one series of step. One wrong step and you can't win the level. But there's no time limit here also you have unlimited continue in this mode. Advanced mode is pretty much other word for arranged mode. This mode is more into my liking.

 

Is Taito's Flipull (1989) an exciting cube game? I can say "Yes" with just a bit of loud tone. With such simple control, the gameplay is quite engaging and easy to understand which mean the game is in correct direction for a puzzle game. But it gets repetitive after 6 levels. The time limit may serves as challenging factor but if you're not good with timed puzzle game like me, you can play the advanced mode instead. It more facilitates deep thinking than the normal (arcade) mode. There's like 4 soundtracks in this game and they're all quite catchy/distinctive. The graphic is fine but the backgrounds are either hypnotizing or damaging your eyes if stared for too long. My solution is: focus on the cubes/blocks/boxes instead because that's the game focus on as hinted by the subtitle. The protagonist looks lovable and cute.

 

Flipull (1989) is pretty good puzzle game especially for late 80's game. But as i mentioned before, the gameplay gets repetitive in quite short time. I can't offer you much hint to play this game well, except: be observant with the playfield, and plan a sustainable steps (including unlock blocks that will be useful in future). But i can't help you with those damn time limit. I just can't.