On my occasional trips to that most awesome of retro arcades Robot City Games in Binghamton, New York, I have several go-to arcade cabinets. That is to say, despite the large selection of classic arcade games they offer, I tend to gravitate to certain ones first and foremost. And of course, these choices most often reflect favorites from "back in the day". Since I already discussed my affinity for the 1981 arcade classic Gorf from Midway (as well as the excellent Atari 2600 port Gorf Arcade from Champ Games), I'd now like to focus on another favorite from the decade of decadence.
Time Pilot is a multi-directional arcade shooter developed and released by Konami in 1982. In the game you control a fighter jet stationed in the middle of the screen and engaged in aerial combat starting in the year 1910. After destroying enough enemies and a tougher "mother ship", your plane is transported to the year 1940, followed by 1970, 1983, and finally 2001. And for extremely skilled players, these levels are then repeated with increased difficulty. The background for all levels / years (except the outer-space themed 2001) is clouds and skies, but the action is intense right from the start, with enemies firing a barrage of bullets and missiles aimed at destroying your ship. Points are earned by destroying enemy combatants and rescuing the occasional fellow fighter jet pilots who parachute through the sky.
Time Pilot is an arcade game that I found highly addictive from the very first play. This is because you're immediately thrown into the frantic action the second it starts. And it requires learning the distinct feel of the eight-direction joystick movement as you go along, as well as getting used to how the direction of your ship "moves the landscape". This second aspect is not something common to all games, and it takes some getting used to. But once one gets a feel for these "movement" aspects, it can be very satisfying to blast away enemies at a rapid pace and advance through the levels. And conversely, the attack from the enemies moves so fast (seemingly right from the start), that it's just as easy to temporarily lose control of your ship due to erratic joystick movement, which usually leads to getting blown up. This is something that I always find frustrating, that is until I'm able to get back on a roll again.
Additionally, Time Pilot has excellent graphics and sounds. The aircraft are all nicely detailed, including distinct looks for the different "mother ships" which reflect the various time periods (evidently they assumed that in 2001 there would be UFO-style spacecraft). And the sounds complement the frantic pace, with an underlying roaring of engines and jarring explosion sounds when planes bite the dust (including yours). All of this combines to keep the adrenaline running and keep one engaged in the game.
In 1983 Time Pilot was ported by Coleco to both their own ColecoVision system and the Atari 2600. While somehow being unaware of the 2600 version back in the day, I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was upon playing it recently. While there are the obvious graphical and sound differences between this port and the arcade version (due of course to the inherent limitations of the 2600), the overall broad scope and feel of the game remains. This is due first and foremost to the fact that all five levels / years are intact, with only the parachuting pilots missing. And the aforementioned movement aspects are virtually the same, making it imperative here too that one maintain control of the ship in the face of the frantic attack by the enemies.
In terms of graphics, the background clouds and sky look fine. And while the various aircraft do not have the fine detail of the arcade version, they have just enough to distinguish the different types of enemies from year to year. Similarly, the mother ships look different enough from the common enemy fighters so that you'll know when they've arrived. The explosions still pack a sonic punch and help keep the frenetic feel of the game going, although there is the limitation (like in other Atari 2600 games) of having to wait until your shot connects or goes off the screen before firing again. This takes some getting used to in comparison to the arcade version. In general though, this version of the game is a fun, faithful adaption of an arcade classic.
If you're lucky enough to live near a true retro arcade and they have this cabinet, I'd highly recommend dropping in a few quarters (or tokens). And for those who own an Atari 2600 or compatible system, or perhaps play via emulation, the home version is also a winner. And perhaps it's time for a company like Champ Games to think about an updated version with some future years added. Who knows what types of strange enemy aircraft we would encounter?