Flamingo Drive!

Flamingo Drive! was recovered from the golden age of browser games and has been catalogued under athletic reenactment. Attribution on the original paperwork reads “Chris Hilgert.” The specimen was preserved by the Internet Archive and is emulated here in its original form — no installation, no account, no explanation required.

Assessment: suitable for waiting rooms of all kinds. Known side effects include unearned confidence. This file circulates quietly — consider yourself among the few.

Original label: This game, set in Africa, involves using a flamingo as a golf club to hit a penguin. The angle is set by clicking while an arrow points at various angles, and power is set by clicking while a bar moves up and down. You have five shots per game. There are many game elements that will affect the final score, such as giraffes, which will catch the penguin in their mouths and throw it further if the penguin flies near their heads; Elephants and acacias that block low shots; Vultures that catch the penguin, bring it lower and drop it, if it flies too high; and snakes that bounce the penguin higher if it hits them. There is always the same pattern of animals and trees: A giraffe at 0, an acacia at 1000, and a giraffe at 2000, for example. The pattern can be used to help determine the best angle

Curator’s note: this specimen bites. Approach with both hands on the keyboard.

Filed under: Sports, Arcade