Time Pilot (Arcade)

Time Pilot (c) 11/1982 Konami.

Time Pilot, the name says it all. Without knowing the story (there isn't one) you already know what it's about. As with a majority of the games made in the early 80's it was all about gameplay. And this game being made by Konami was no exception. The game was simple, one joystick, one button, shoot anything that flies. You start the game in the year 1910 trying to shoot down biplanes (wha-?) with your advanced fighter(Assume it is from the future). At the end of every board you have to shoot down the boss which takes about 10 shots. Then you go to the next board. In the next time era until finally getting to the future shooting down flying saucers. The game then starts over from 1910 again but this time a lot more harder. And what's with that guy in the parachute? He's in every stage except the last one. I don't see how flying into someone would rescue them but this was 1982. Who cares! Like I said it's all about the gameplay. The ease of control and shooting is outstanding. In the later stages dodging bullets gets insanely difficult. The graphics by todays standards would be considered horrible, But after playing this game you will realize that wont matter. The sound effects are pretty good. It satisfies the hunger of hearing something explode and knowing when you get a free guy (1up). Trying to beat that High score will keep you coming back. All the levels have a blue sky and clouds as the background except the last level, which has space and asteroids instead. The specific eras visited, the common enemies and the mother-ships are :
1. 1910 : Biplanes and a blimp
2. 1940 : WWII monoplanes and a B-25
3. 1970 : Helicopters
4. 1982/1983 : Jets and a B-52
5. 2001 : UFOs

Once all the eras have been visited, the levels start over again but are harder and faster.

Main CPU : Z80 (@ 3.072 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Z80 (@ 1.789772 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (2x) AY8910 (@ 1.789772 Mhz), (6x) RC (@ 1.789772 Mhz)

Screen orientation : Vertical
Video resolution : 224 x 256 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 32

Players : 2
Control : 8-way joystick
Buttons : 1

Licensed to Centuri for US manufacture and distribution (12/1982). Also licensed to Atari.

Yoshiki was told to design a driving game. When he learned of the game's concept, he balked at making it and started on Time Pilot. As development continued, Okamoto showed his boss design docs for the driving game, all the while working on Time Pilot. Although his boss told him to do the driving game instead, he tried to take the credit for Time Pilot. Okamoto decided not to disgrace his boss and let the episode go!!

The background moves in the opposite direction to the player's plane, rather than the other way around; the player's plane always remains in the center.

A bootleg of this game is known as "Space Pilot".

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• Time
• Pilot
• Atari
• Arcade
• shooter

[Just4Kix3]

where have all the good games gone !!!!!!

[classicgamevideos]

@Just4Kix3 YOU my good sir desrve many thumbs up!

[boshie06]

loved this game back in the 80s

[engleshen]

I used to play when i was a kid listening to Technotronic :D

[rosario508]

To bad you can't kill the guy with the parachute.

[EastCoastDude99]

This game is so badass. 80's classic.

[locuaslopez]

the sound is really amazing , a love this game :D

[neil54life]

this is a killer classic i remember playing this and time pilot84' back in the days when they played van halen in the arcades and judas priest

[lashutterbug]

LOVED this game. A pity it's been so overlooked since its prime.

[Pac1fic0]

2001? Those must have been Al-Qaeda flying saucers.

[joeyXDface]

I tell ya, I am a pro at Call of Duty, Battlefield and Halo, but this game takes pure SKILL!

[bjggjb]

@plainlake I guess that back in 1982, they didn't expect the 21st century to be such a technological disappointment.