Time Commando
| Time Commando | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Adeline Software International |
| Publisher(s) |
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| Director(s) | |
| Designer(s) |
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| Composer(s) |
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| Platform(s) | PC (DOS and Windows) PlayStation Sega Saturn |
| Release | PC PlayStation
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| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Time Commando is an action-adventure computer and video game developed by Adeline Software and published by Electronic Arts in Europe, Activision in America (United States and Brazil), and Virgin Interactive (PlayStation version) and Acclaim Entertainment (Sega Saturn version) in Japan. It was originally released for the PC on July 31, 1996 in Europe, United States and Brazil, and was later ported for PlayStation and released on September, 1996 in Europe, on September, 1996 in the United States and on November 15, 1996 in Japan. A Sega Saturn version of the game was also released in Japan on March 5, 1998.
Premise
The game takes place in the near future, and the military, with the help of a private corporation has created a computer capable of simulating any form of combat from any point in history. However, a programmer from a rival corporation infects the system with a virus(in the game introduction scene, is introduced as "Predator Virus") that creates a time-distortion vortex, which threatens to swallow the world if it is not destroyed. The player controls Stanley Opar, a S.A.V.E(Special Action for Virus Elimination) operative at the center who enters the vortex to try and stop the virus. In order to accomplish this, the player must combat various real-life enemies throughout different time periods. These eras include Prehistoric (featuring cavemen, saber tooth tigers, and cave bears), Roman Empire, Feudal Japan, Medieval, Conquistador, Wild West, Modern Wars (World War I and supposedly World War Three), Future, and finally, a showdown with the virus.
Control
As the player goes through each level, he/she collects various weapons exclusive to the time period. For example, the Prehistoric level features rocks and clubs, feudal Japan throwing stars and katanas, the Wild West pistols and rifles, and the Modern War levels has submachine guns and rocket launchers. Stanley has a small life bar that grows larger further into the game, when the player picks up life power-ups. Along the same lines, Stanley has multiple lives. As the player plays through a level, a time bar, which counts down time until the virus completely takes over and the player dies, slowly fills. This bar can be emptied by depositing computer chips collected throughout the levels in various "orb pools," which resemble the vortex Stanley first entered.
Weapons
In each time era, Stanley is able to use weapons unique to that era. Each era has 5 weapons:
- Prehistoric: Rocks*, bone knife, wood club, spear, giant wooden club
- Roman Empire: Dagger, gladius, sling*, trident with shield, battle-axe
- Feudal Japan: Fans*, throwing stars* or shurikens, katana, dao, fireball*
- Medieval: Morning Star, sword and shield, double-handed sword, crossbow*, parchment*
- Conquistador: Sabre, halberd, flintlock*, wooden club with obsidian blades, blowgun*
- Wild West: Revolver*, shotgun*, Winchester rifle*, dynamite*, dual-wielded revolvers*
- Modern Wars: Revolver*, Enfield bayonet*, AK-47*, hand grenade*, rocket launcher*
- Future: Laser pistol*, laser machine gun* (attached to Stanley's left arm), yo-yo, atomic grenades*, astronaut suit.
- Virus World: Crystal stars*
- * Denotes this weapon has a limited number of uses (i.e. until ammunition is depleted).
Bosses
In each era, there are enemies whose energy is four bars, the game's maximum. Stanley must defeat these bosses to continue on in some eras and advance onto the next in others.
- Prehistoric: A Megatherium with razor sharp claws on the edge of a cliff
- Roman Empire: A lion in the underground area of an arena and a bull in the arena itself
- Feudal Japan: A sumo fighter in a dohyo and a red dragon in a sumo thong with firebreathing ability
- Medieval: Skeleton warrior armed with a giant axe in a secret room, a wizard that harasses you at various points in the level who can teleport and launch fireballs, and a red winged demon that can launch fireballs
- Conquistador: A captain of a cruise ship armed with a fencing foil, and a Native American priest/astrologer
- Wild West: Town sheriff and a band of criminals
- Modern Wars: A Fokker Dr.I similar to the one flown by the Red Baron (this boss is the only one that stanley could walk right past without defeating), hitler look-a-like in a tank
- Future: A black alien and a brown alien with cybernetic parts
- Virus World: The Megatherium, the red demon, the alien, and a shark
Hidden rooms and bonuses
Bonuses
- Prehistoric 1: A knife behind of a bush, another knife in the cave of a sabretooth leopard, stones near the cave after of kill de leopard, stones in the rocks near of a caveman and another red cube in the stones near of the terminal.
- Prehistoric 2: A life behind a bush and a huge club.
- Roman Empire 1: A red cube behind a pot, a stone thrower in a barrel and a red cube in the boxes of the sculptor's workshop.
- Roman Empire 2: A red cube in a barrel, a Stone Thrower near croks and a another red cube in a barrel near the terminal.
- Feudal Japan 1: A red cube near a statue, a Ninja Sword near a rock, a red cube near a wall and a japanese house and another red cube between a barn and lots of straw.
- Feudal Japan 2: A red cube near the house and a bush, a red cube in a umbrella, Fire in the Buddha's statue, a red cube in a Samurai Statue and another in the other samurai Statue.
- Medieval 1: Some chips in the barrels near to the door device and a red cube in the table. A red Cube near to the life and a Life y a chest in the Skull Warrior lair.
- Medieval 2: A red cube in a table, another red cube in a statue, other red cube in a bareel, a crossbow near to the stairs, a red cube in the bush, a red cube in the barrels near to the terminal, a blue bottle in the shelf, a fireball spell page near to the table, a red cube near to the books, another spell page in a table and another spell page in a service book.
- Conquistador 1: A red cube in the rudder, another red cube in the boxes, a chip in the table, a red cube in the canyon and a pistol in the canyon.
- Conquistador 2: A Blowgun in the crocks and a Wooden club, A red cube in other crocks and Spiders, another blowgun in crocks and a red cube. Another red cube between a table.
- Wild West 1: A red cube in a barrel outside the Saloon, another red cube near to a carriage, a life in some tires, a red cube on a barrel, a Winchester rifle on a barrels near to the barn.
- Wild West 2: A red cube near in a big plate and a Winchester rifle in a wooden box.
- Modern Wars 1: A red cube in a Carriage, Some chips behind the barn door and a red cube in a corner where are a life and a red cube in the bar rack.
- Modern Wars 2: A Machine Gun AK47 under of destroyed car, another machine gun in some sacks, a basooka in some sacks, a grenade near to the destroyed car after of exit the Train Station, a Machine gun in the same car, a red cube in rubbish pot, some chips in another rubbish pot near to the terminal, a red cube on a rubbish pot near beside the car and a Machine gun in some tyres.
- Future 1: A red cube in a table, a laser pistol in a table near to the door,
Rooms
- Roman Empire 1: A room where exits a Swordman, a workshop of a Sculptor.
- Roman Empire 2: A zone whre are the terminal and hidden bonuses.
- Feudal Japan 1: A barn near to the Sumo.
- Feudal Japan 2: A Hidden room behind the Buddha's Statue.
- Medieval 1: A hiden corner in front of the terminal, a hidden room where are the crossbow and the Skeleton Warrior Lair.
- Medieval 2: A Hidden room before the entrance.
- Conquistador 1: The mast of the ship and a hidden room in front of the mast.
- Conquistador 2: A secret and dangerous room before of the Aztecan Birds.
- Wild West 1: A secret zone behind the hotel.
- Wild West 2: A little stand of mining and a mine.
- Modern Wars 1: The inside of a fort, a barn and the back of a car.
- Modern Wars 2: The stand of the parking and a corner.
- Future 1: A corner near a dangerous abysm, a stand where are the terminal.
- Future 1: A room in the begining, a room where are the terminal and the astronaut suit and a little room where are the cyborg.
External links
- Time Commando at MobyGames
- Mickaël Pointier. "Defence-Force: Time Commando" (in both English and French). defence-force.org. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) Screen shots, development stories, and some gameplay hints - by one of the game's own developers