Games Computing
1st August 1984
Publisher: CBS Electronics
Machine: Coleco Vision Games System
Published in Games Computing #8
Time Pilot (CBS Electronics)
This game is slightly different to most pilot games as it includes enemy aircraft from the dawn of aviation to the jet age. You are caught in a time warp and you have to earn your wings battling through four different time periods.
Your Timeship first enters 1910 where you have to fight amongst hordes of bi-planes. Their hand bombs and bullets are crude, but deadly all the same.
In the middle of battle, a parachutist floats by - pass your Timeship over him to pick him up and you gain 1000 points. If you pick up two men you earn twice as many points and three earns three times the points.
As you destroy enemy planes the 'Enemies Remaining Indicator' decreases. When the indicator is empty the 'dirigible' flies into view. A dirigible, for those who do not know about such things (like me!) is a steerable object, in this case an airship. Your timeship must hit it five times before you can move into the year 1940.
Here you meet monoplanes and blue bombers. The monoplanes have to be shot at to shrink the 'Enemies Remaining Indicator' and the bombers have to be attacked to build up your score. To enter 1970, the Red Bomber has to be eliminated.
Buzzing helicopters then appear, together with their heat-seeking missiles. The double-prop chopper has to be hit five times to break out of this time warp.
Into the future next - 1985! High speed jets battle with your Timeship. They have the deadliest and fastest missiles in the game because they are infra-red, homing missiles. Eliminate the black jet bomber and you have earned your wings - I should think so too after all that work!
As usual there are four skill levels for one or two players and each player begins with five Timeships. Extra Timeships are awarded when your score reaches 10,000 points, 30,000 points and at every 20,000 points thereafter.
The graphics are fairly good, especially the clouds. Zaps and explosions can be heard throughout and an excellent piece of music introduces the action.
Time Pilot is for people who are interested in all kinds of flying aircraft and for those who are looking for an unusual concept in a game, although, overall it is quite easy to master and becomes rather repetitive.