C&VG


Time Pilot

Publisher: CBS Electronics
Machine: Coleco Vision Games System

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #35

Time Pilot Grounded

Time Pilot is one of those games that was a minor hit in the arcades and which a couple of years later is beginning to appear as a home version for various home systems.

Anirog recently launched one for the 64 and now here come Coleco Vision with a version for their home system.

I really can't think why they bothered. The arcade game itself was no great shakes and neither is this cartridge.

Time Pilot

The game is basically a dog fight style shoot out in which you control a futuristic jet fighter under attack.

The various levels of this game unfold like a video game history of aviation.

The game begins with your craft under attack from a squadron of biplanes, circa 1910.

If you down all of these and then blast the air ship, which makes a very easy target as it floats across screen, you will go on to level two.

We have now moved on 30 years and our enemies fly planes of World War II sophistication – with heavier fire power. From 1940, we progress to choppers in the 70s equipped with heat seeking missiles and then on to super-duper jets representing 1985.

Despite these theoretical differences between levels, there is not really that much difference in difficulty.

Even the difficulty options don't really add much extra challenge either - merely adding more enemy planes to be downed before allowing you onto the next level.

The graphics in this game are not the best I've seen on the Coleco Vision – which is a shame because with a game of this type that could be at least one positive thing that you could say about it. Time Pilot is available now at £29.95.

The Verdict

As a video game, Time Pilot would make a very good door stop.