Super Time Force
From: ID@Xbox
For: Xbox One
Looking at the screen shot may be a bit confusing - yes this is a new Xbox One game and yes it does look like it should be on the original NES.
It's actually one of the first ID@Xbox games, a self-publishing program for independent developers - and it's great, old-school fun.
At first glance, Super Time Force may look like a run of the mill, 8-bit, side-scrolling shooter but under the retro exterior is a new twist.
It's a bit more cerebral than it looks ...
Usually, in a game, you shoot your way through the bad guys and try not to die, but in Super Time Force it doesn't really matter if you die - in fact it's almost compulsory.
Basically, you get 60 seconds to finish a level - speed is everything.
To accomplish this you not only have a choice of characters with a variety of weapons, but also the ability to manipulate time.
Stick with me here because it gets a bit complex ... If you get to a part of a level where you die, or need more than one character to get through, you can rewind VCR style, add in another player in the past, hit play, and catch yourself up, this time with backup.
If it sounds a bit chaotic, it is.
Despite the fact you've only got three characters - the brilliantly named Jean Rambois, Aimy McKillin and Shieldy Blockerson (you can probably guess their individual skill sets) - there are often times when you've got six or seven versions of yourself on screen at once, and I have to admit I lost track a few times before I got the hang of it.
This game has it's tongue firmly planted in its cheek.
If you're after a sensible game with a proper storyline then Super Time Force is not for you.
But if you want a genuinely original, clever, funny, completely incomprehensible blast, give this a go.
It's frustrating, some of it is genuinely tricky and it's not very long but it's a great gaming experience, and that, to me anyway, is all that matters.
- Simon Kemp
