| Genre: | Arcade Game: Platform |
| Publisher: | Bug Byte |
| Cover Art Language: | English |
| Machine Compatibility: | Spectrum 48K, Spectrum 128K |
| Release: | Professionally released on Cassette |
| Available For: | Amstrad CPC464, Commodore 64, Sega Genesis, Spectravideo 328 & Spectrum 48K |
| Compatible Emulators: | ZXSpin (PC (Windows)) Nutria (PC (MS-DOS)) |
| Original Release Date: | 28th September 1987 |
| Original Release Price: | £1.99 |
| Market Valuation: | £2.50 (How Is This Calculated?) |
| Item Weight: | 64g |
| Box Type: | Cassette Single Plastic Clear |
| Author(s): | Binary Design Ltd |
Variant Items
There are 2 other items featuring this same game (that we know about!). Click any of them for their details.
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Computer Gamer
1st December 1986
Quite slow to play but it should appeal to those with devious minds who prefer to think a bit about their games. Read Review
Computer Gamer
1st June 1986
The game's graphics are impressive and feature an incredible amount of detail... They're completed by the atmospheric music that accompanies your valiant efforts. Read Review
Crash
1st November 1986
I felt that the game was instantly addictive but the appeal soon wore off after a few games. Read Review
Sinclair User
20th October 1987
Unoriginal, unexciting, unmotivating, unplayable and almost unbelievable junk. Hardly worth reviewing. Read Review
Sinclair User
8th July 1986
Well programmed, with a complex plot. The action tends to the predictable and repetitive though. Read Review
Your Sinclair
1st October 1986
Okay, the concept's a bit on the laughable side, so flippin' what! I think it's a good game, and anyone who says it isn't is lookin' for a rune up their nostril. Read Review
ZX Computing
1st December 1986
Not really suitable for those who want a simple shoot-'em-up, but if you found the Wally games a doddle and have a few millenia to spare, try Timetrax. Read Review
Full Instructions
Introduction
Ok, so the Holocaust wasn't so bad after all. You've got your own cellar, six candles, two tins of baked beans and running water. The beans are not your favourite brand, it's true and the water does run from the ceiling but, these days, it's still luxury.
In fact, the only thing ruining the decor is the tatty heap of torn cloth and bones squatting in the corner. Half an hour ago, that went by the name of Uriah Winterbottom M.Sc. physic researcher and aging loony. Now it's just cluttering up the only armchair left in Clapham, Uriah having departed these mortal coils. Presumably to higher things and, if what's left of him gets any higher, you're gonna have to go *outside* to dispose of it...
Silly old fool was babbling on for days. Ever since Bomb Day, in fact. Kept ranting on about how he only needed a few more hours and he could have stopped it. Put the mockers on the Dark One once and for all. Something about the Eight Minds and scattered Runes. Straight out of a Michael Moorcock.
Only thing was, the senile old nutter had proof, or what he called proof anyway. And looking at the Coordinate Table spread over the floor and the gold lettering in the Dark World books piled up around you, it all seems a lot more likely now than it would have done before the Bomb...
The Story
The story went like this:
Man has risen to the heights of civilisation several times throughout his history, only to blow it once apparently on the threshold of greater Things (Note the capital!!). According to Uriah, this is not accidental. Several millenia ago, Good lost the battle with Evil and the bad guys have had it pretty much their own way ever since. The most treasured possession of the Eight Minds - the most powerful psyches in Creation - have been stolen and seeded through Time, in such a way that the Minds have to Probe around to find them. In doing so they are keeping open the Portals in Time, through which the Dark Ones are pouring into Earth History.
Enough of them have arrived to make sure that no-one can collect the Runes and cast the spell that would close off the Portals, or even return the missing items to the Eight Minds in the first place; necessary if Time-Space is to be calmed once more and Mankinds next rise is to be unhindered by the bad guys...
From your luxury cellar beneath what was once London, all this sounds appealing really, doesn't it? All you have to do is search Time and Space, using the Portals, kill off any baddies in the way, find and return the eight Items and, as a finale, line up the correct four Runes to stitch up the fabric of Space.
So here you go. Consult the table to find the next Portal around here, dig out your old gun and hop in. Simple! Trouble is the Portal Table doesn't make much sense about where you'll come out except that the appearances are to a fixed cycle and always go to the same place. So you'll have to map them out as you go. Assuming you get that far.
Just as you make your leap into Time you remember something else the old man was raving about, something that scared him so much he never had the guts to try this himself... an unstoppable, unkillable Guardian which protects the Runes and hunts down those who try to collect them...
Ah well, the beans were probably off anyway...
The Aim Of The Game
Timetrax is the game of the Quest for peace in our Time. The aim is to shut off the invading Dark Ones and reset the fabric of the Universe. To do this you need to pacify the Eight Minds by returning their Character Items to them and then seal the Portals through Time by casting the correct spell.
Like all good Quests, this one is not easy. It is strongly recommended that you read right through the instructions before you get seriously involved. Don't make it any harder!
Good luck!
Game Controls
1. Movement of Figure
| Joystick Position | Action |
| Up | Jump Up or Climb Up |
| Down | Climb Down |
| Left | Walk Left |
| Right | Walk Right |
| Up + Left | Leap Left |
| Up + Right | Leap Right |
| Fire | Fire Weapon |
| Fire + Up | Move Into Screen (e.g. through door) |
| Fire + Down | Enter Options Mode |
Climbing is restricted to areas containing stairs, steps, ladders, hand holds, etc. Some features (e.g. Monoliths, Walls, Spear Traps) block left and right movement of the player but do not block missiles or movement of flying creatures. Other features (e.g. some small crates, boulders and giant mushrooms) may not be walked past, and must be jumped over. It is possible to land on one of these, and it is also possible, having jumped over one, to walk back in front of it.
Moving into a door or other opening will result in one of the following:-
- You enter a new screen in the same Time Zone;
- You meet a character (see appropriate section);
- Nothing happens. Try LOOKing for hidden items.
Note that each leap reduces your energy - it is possible to die through leaping if you are very weak.
2. Options Mode
Use joystick left and right to change options, and "fire" to select an option.
The following section describes each option and its uses.
| FLIP | Flips between option lists. |
| LOOK | Looks for objects hidden in any location behind the player figure. No other action is possible until the search is completed. |
| TAKE | Takes item currently in Visual Display. |
| HOLD | Holds game |
| QUIT | Quits game. |
| BACK | Goes back to game from Hold. |
| DROP | Lets you use joystick left/right to select a possession - "fire" drops it (see Item Replacement). |
| SWAP | Similar to DROP, but selecting an item causes it to become "in use" (i.e. status light green). |
| TEST | You must have 4 or more Rune Tiles for this to function. Use joystick left/right and "fire" to select a combination of 4 tiles (all different), which will appear in the Tile Test Area. When the fourth tile has been selected, the Eye Display will indicate how close the arrangement is to the Cosmic Pattern. Each of the four eyes correspond to one of the tiles (which are checked in a RANDOM order), as follows: 1. Eye Closed - one tile not in Cosmic Pattern. 2. Eye Half-Open - one tile is in Cosmic Pattern, but in a different position. 3. Eye Fully Open - one tile in correct position in pattern. Note that completing the correct pattern will end the game. |
| CAST | You must have 2 or more Rune Tiles for this to function. Use joystick left/right and "fire" to select 2 different tiles, which will appear in the Tile Test Area. When the second tile has been selected, either nothing happens (the combination possesses no magical qualities), or a Spell will be named in the Menu Window. Select YES to cast it (you will lose the tiles concerned), or NO to return. A list of Spells is given later. |
| "R" BUTTON | Whenever this is available for selection, it enables you to leave the Options mode and resume control of the figure. |
Energy
Zero energy results in DEATH and the end of the game.
Energy is GAINED by:
- Using a Potion.
- Casting a Restore Spell.
Energy is LOST by:
- Leaping.
- Touching a Flying Creature.
- Touching Sharp Stalagmites or Swampy Ground.
- Falling between floors (the further the fall, the greater the energy loss).
Ammunition And Weapons
| Bullet: | for Pistol. |
| Bolt: | for Crossbow. |
| Gem: | for Wand. |
Certain Weapons only operate in certain Time Zones. The number of shots remaining in a weapon IN USE is shown as RED boxes on the Ammunition Display. A weapon must be IN USE to Fire or Load it. A weapon cannot be fired if the player figure is either in contact with a flying creature, or is facing ahead. Once a weapon is DROPped, even if when trading with a character, it will become unloaded.
To load a weapon (i.e. give it its full 10 shots), you must have the weapon IN USE while you TAKE the appropriate ammunition.
Once taken from a location, ammunition will not be available again from that location until you have visited another Time Zone.
Scrolls And Potions
To use a scroll or potion, SWAP to it when it is already IN USE (i.e. its Status Light is GREEN).
Scroll: There are 10 Scrolls, all outwardly identical, each one holding the two Rune Tile combination of one of the 10 spells. The tiles will appear in the Visual Display. Note that the scrolls merely indicate which tiles are required for one unidentified spell - the player cannot cast this spell unless he owns the tiles involved.
Potion: Each Potion restores your Energy by up to half of its maximum value. Once used, a potion vanishes from play.
Chests And Keys
There are 4 chests, each with its own key. Each key is a different colour. Unless you have the appropriate key IN USE, you cannot LOOK, TAKE or DROP items from or into the chest.
Rune Tiles
There are 15 Rune Tiles, each with a different Rune on it, of which you may carry no more than 10 at a time.
Character Items
There are 8 Character Items, each one belonging to one of the 8 Minds. The items are:
- Dagger
- Helmet
- Skull
- Emerald Scarab
- Book
- Clay Doll
- Map
- Battle Axe
Spells
| WARP AHEAD | Travel one Time Zone into the FUTURE. |
| WARP BACK | Travel one Time Zone into the PAST. |
| TIMESTOP | Temporarily stops time for all but the player figure. |
| REVEAL | If player figure is in front of a Chest, its contents are shown in the Visual Display. If you are in a Meeting with a Character, their possessions are shown in the Visual Display. If neither of the above, no effect. Note that you CANNOT TAKE any revealed items. |
| RESTORE | Same effect as a Potion. |
| OPEN | If player figure is in front of a Chest, he may Look, Take and Drop into/from it until he leaves Option Mode. |
| CHARM | If player is in a Meeting, he may charm the character into trading any of his possessions for anything that the player offers. The spell is broken when the player goes AWAY. |
| BANISH | Banishes all creatures for approx. 30 secs. |
| CHARGE | Fully reloads any weapon IN USE. |
| ORACLE | Shows one of the 4 Cosmic Pattern Rune Tiles in the Visual Display (N.B. it cannot be Taken). |
Meeting Minds
Upon meeting one of the Eight Minds, the appropriate face will appear in the Visual Display, and the player figure will be removed. You are always in Option Mode in a meeting, and are restricted to the following special options:
| AWAY | Leave meeting, return control to player figure. |
| CAST | See "Options Mode." |
| SWAP | See "Options Mode." |
| KEEP | Do not exchange items with character. |
| DEAL | Exchange items with character (N.B. make sure you have space to store any items!) |
| DROP | When in a meeting, Drop causes the selected item to be offered to the character it is displayed in the Eye Display. If the character doesn't want the item, it will be returned immediately, otherwise the character will offer one of his two possessions in exchange. If you then choose to KEEP your own item, the character may offer you his other item. Items offered by the character are displayed in the Visual Display. Note that, if you offer the character his own Character Item, even if you refuse to trade for either of his possessions, he will use Cosmic Manipulation to force an exchange! All of the characters are consistent in their evaluation of offered items - they will only offer an item in exchange for a more valued one, unless they have been CHARMed. |
Time Portals
Each Portal lasts for approx. 7 seconds, and connects one Time Zone to another.
A Portal appears somewhere in time and space every ten seconds. You can only see Portals which open onto your current screen. To use a Portal, you must move to touch it, whilst keeping on the floor you will then be transported. You may not re-enter a Portal you have just come through. The Portals follow a fixed schedule which repeats every 10 minutes.
The proper use of Portals is essential to achieving your aims, and as it is very unlikely that you could stumble into a Portal by chance, let alone one which goes to the right time and place, you should always consult the TABLE. Whenever you use a new Portal, or see one on your screen, you should note its position so that, if you should wish to enter it again, you will know exactly where to wait for it! Unlike BR the Portals are always on time and never get diverted.
Time Zones
| Time Zone | Year | Minds Present |
| Wilderness | 2100 AD | Lazer Sky the Sand Rat |
| Holocaust | 2000 AD | None |
| Gothic | 1900 AD | Professor Wells Blackflay the Ghoul |
| Dark Ages | 1000 AD | Bella the Witch Drew the Hermit |
| Golden Age | 5000 BC | Ra Sheeba the High Priestess |
| Ice Age | 10000 BC | Stone Eye the Necromancer |
| Dawn of Man | 50000 BC | Grunt the Barbarian |
Performance Ratings
At the end of the game, you will be rated on a scale of nine grades. Your rating will be based on your success in each of the four following categories:
- The proportion of the Cosmic Pattern decoded.
- The number of Character Items returned to their owners.
- The number of Spells cast.
- The number of Flying Creatures destroyed (NOT Banished).
The nine grades are listed in descending order below, along with the minimum requirements in each category. Note that, if the game ends through Death, your rating will be lowered one grade, and that, if you have completed the Cosmic Pattern, you will be guaranteed at least HERO status.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- | Grade Rating Pattern Items Spells Flyers | | Decoded Returned Cast Destroyed | | 1. DEMIGOD 8 8 10 96 | | 2. SUPERHERO 6 6 7 64 | | 3. HERO 4 5 4 48 | | 4. WARRIOR 3 4 2 32 | | 5. ADVENTURER 2 3 1 16 | | 6. TRAVELLER 1 2 0 8 | | 7. EARTHLING 0 1 0 6 | | 8. JESTER 0 0 0 4 | | 9. PUDDING 0 0 0 0 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hints
- Always turn to face AHEAD before entering Options Mode, to avoid accidental firing of a weapon.
- The Guardian of the Portals is indestructible.
- The PISTOL is always on your start screen.
- AMMUNITION will always be found in the same places. (Examples of where to look... Furniture, Doors, Alcoves, Containers, Bushes, Nests, Holes. There are others.
- CHARACTER ITEMS never start in the same Time Zone as their owner.
- At the START of the game, every screen contains at least ONE item, in addition to those in chests, held by characters, or ammunition. (Each screen has fewer than 10 possible item locations.)
- ITEM REPLACEMENT Rune Tiles lost through spell casting are redistributed in time and space, as will be any item that you DROP, unless you are in a Meeting.
Cosmic Coordinates Table
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | COSMIC COORDINATES TABLE | | | | The following table gives the Time and the 2 screens that each Portal | | connects, for each Portal in the 10 minute cycle. To read the table for any | | time on the game clock, just look up the last 3 digits (i.e. Minutes/units; | | Seconds/tens; Seconds/units). e.g. if the game clock reads 01:27:36, look | | up 7:36 on the table - 7:42 is the next Portal. There are 21 screens (3 per | | Time Zone). The clue to the identification of each screen is given in this | | Table. | | | | Time Screen Screen | | 0:02 | 18 THREE HUTS IN THE DAWN | 0 DOOR RIGHT IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 0:12 | 14 YELLOW IDOL IN THE AGE OF | 10 DEAD TREE IN THE DARK | | | GOLD | | | 0:22 | 8 GOTHIC HEADSTONE | 3 HOME IN THE HOLOCAUST | | 0:32 | 15 ICE AGE | 10 DEAD TREE IN THE DARK | | 0:42 | 10 DEAD TREE IN THE DARK | 5 YELLOW GREEN HOLOCAUST | | 0:52 | 8 GOTHIC HEADSTONE | 0 DOOR RIGHT IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 1:02 | 15 ICE AGE | 12 GOLDEN AGE ALTAR | | 1:12 | 16 ICE AGE GROTTO | 7 FIVE GOTHIC DOORS | | 1:22 | 20 TWO RED FERNS IN THE DAWN | 4 HOLOCAUST BINS | | 1:32 | 4 HOLOCAUST BINS | 1 DOOR RIGHT IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 1:42 | 16 ICE AGE GROTTO | 3 HOME IN THE HOLOCAUST | | 1:52 | 14 YELLOW IDOL IN THE AGE OF | 2 DEAD TREE IN THE | | | GOLD | WILDERNESS | | 2:02 | 18 THREE HUTS IN THE DAWN | 17 ICE AGE SHACK | | 2:12 | 13 GOLDEN AGE SYMMETRY | 7 FIVE GOTHIC DOORS | | 2:22 | 17 ICE AGE SHACK | 0 DOOR RIGHT IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 2:32 | 9 DARK AGE ALTAR | 6 GOTHIC LABORATORY | | 2:42 | 19 DAWN OF THE TOTEM POLE | 9 DARK AGE ALTAR | | 2:52 | 9 DARK AGE ALTAR | 2 DEAD TREE IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 3:02 | 14 YELLOW IDOL IN THE AGE OF | 5 YELLOW GREEN HOLOCAUST | | | GOLD | | | 3:12 | 18 THREE HUTS IN THE DAWN | 14 YELLOW IDOL IN THE AGE OF | | | | GOLD | | 3:22 | 19 DAWN OF THE TOTEM POLE | 6 GOTHIC LABORATORY | | 3:32 | 12 GOLDEN AGE ALTAR | 1 NO SAND IN THE WILDERNESS | | 3:42 | 11 DARK AGES | 8 GOTHIC HEADSTONE | | 3:52 | 9 DARK AGE ALTAR | 4 HOLOCAUST BINS | | 4:02 | 13 GOLDEN AGE SYMMETRY | 4 HOLOCAUST BINS | | 4:12 | 17 ICE AGE SHACK | 9 DARK AGE ALTAR | | 4:22 | 12 GOLDEN AGE ALTAR | 6 GOTHIC LABORATORY | | 4:32 | 19 DAWN OF THE TOTEM POLE | 5 YELLOW GREEN HOLOCAUST | | 4:42 | 10 DEAD TREE IN THE DARK | 0 DOOR RIGHT IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 4:52 | 6 GOTHIC LABORATORY | 4 HOLOCAUST BINS | | 5:02 | 20 TWO RED FERNS IN THE DAWN | 1 DOOR RIGHT IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 5:12 | 6 GOTHIC LABORATORY | 1 DOOR RIGHT IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 5:22 | 10 DEAD TREE IN THE DARK | 7 FIVE GOTHIC DOORS | | 5:32 | 16 ICE AGE GROTTO | 13 GOLDEN AGE SYMMETRY | | 5:42 | 20 TWO RED FERNS IN THE DAWN | 13 GOLDEN AGE SYMMETRY | | 5:52 | 16 ICE AGE GROTTO | 2 DEAD TREE IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 6:02 | 5 YELLOW GREEN HOLOCAUST | 0 DOOR RIGHT IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 6:12 | 18 THREE HUTS IN THE DAWN | 7 FIVE GOTHIC DOORS | | 6:22 | 17 ICE AGE SHACK | 4 HOLOCAUST BINS | | 6:32 | 12 GOLDEN AGE ALTAR | 11 DARK AGE | | 6:42 | 20 TWO RED FERNS IN THE DAWN | 10 DEAD TREE IN THE DARK | | 6:52 | 15 ICE AGE | 6 GOTHIC LABORATORY | | 7:02 | 19 DAWN OF THE TOTEM POLE | 16 ICE AGE GROTTO | | 7:12 | 12 GOLDEN AGE ALTAR | 3 HOME IN THE HOLOCAUST | | 7:22 | 17 ICE AGE SHACK | 14 YELLOW IDOL IN THE AGE OF | | | | GOLD | | 7:32 | 15 ICE AGE | 1 NO SAND IN THE WILDERNESS | | 7:42 | 18 THREE HUTS IN THE DAWN | 11 DARK AGE | | 7:52 | 14 YELLOW IDOL IN THE AGE OF | 8 GOTHIC HEADSTONE | | | GOLD | | | 8:02 | 3 HOME IN THE HOLOCAUST | 2 DEAD TREE IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 8:12 | 19 DAWN OF THE TOTEM POLE | 2 DEAD TREE IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 8:22 | 13 GOLDEN AGE SYMMETRY | 9 DARK AGE ALTAR | | 8:32 | 18 THREE HUTS IN THE DAWN | 3 HOME IN THE HOLOCAUST | | 8:42 | 11 DARK AGE | 3 HOME IN THE HOLOCAUST | | 8:52 | 7 FIVE GOTHIC DOORS | 5 YELLOW GREEN HOLOCAUST | | 9:02 | 20 TWO RED FERNS IN THE DAWN | 8 GOTHIC HEADSTONE | | 9:12 | 7 FIVE GOTHIC DOORS | 2 DEAD TREE IN THE | | | | WILDERNESS | | 9:22 | 19 DAWN OF THE TOTEM POLE | 12 GOLDEN AGE ALTAR | | 9:32 | 17 ICE AGE SHACK | 8 GOTHIC HEADSTONE | | 9:42 | 11 DARK AGE | 1 NO SAND IN THE WILDERNESS | | 9:52 | 16 ICE AGE GROTTO | 11 DARK AGE | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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A digital version of this item can be downloaded right here at Everygamegoing (All our downloads are in .zip format).
| Download | What It Contains |
|---|---|
 | A digital version of Time Trax suitable for ZXSpin (PC (Windows)), Nutria (PC (MS-DOS)) |
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