Time Trax (SNES) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
233A playthrough of Malibu Games' 1994 license-based platformer for the Super Nintendo, Time Trax.
Played on the hard difficulty level.
It wasn't until years after Time Trax came out that I realized that the game was based on a television show from the early 1990s. It's premise shares a fair amount in common with other popular works of the time, like Quantum Leap or Time Cop, and the game seems to faithfully adhere to the show's premise. Judging by how long that enthusiastic intro runs, it really wants you to know it.
You play as Darren Lambert, a cop from the twenty-second century who is sent back 200 years to the 1990s to apprehend a couple of criminals who've been sent into the past by a mad-doctor sort.
In terms of gameplay, the setup is fairly standard fare. Most of the stages feel similar to the typical Amiga-based platformers of the time (this really reminds me a lot of Lethal Weapon!), though there are a couple of driving segments to help break things up.
The levels are fairly straightforward but are densely packed with hidden rooms and passages to reward thorough exploration, and though they're overrun with bad guys, you have your fists, a gun, and a nifty time-slowing mechanic to handle everything thrown at you. The game expects you to have reasonably nimble fingers, but the challenge is well balanced and fair - far moreso than most games of its type on the SNES.
It also looks and sounds great. The smallish sprites again remind a bit of the Amiga, but the smooth animation, nifty lighting and foreground effects (those cobwebs!), and the detailed backdrops (especially in the Smithsonian stage) are impressive. The music is sharp and energetic, and though I can't speak to how it compares to the show's music, it suits the game well.
For a long time I snubbed Time Trax. The name is about as lame as it gets (doesn't it sound like it should be a time trial mode from Stunt Race FX?), it was based on a show that I had never seen, and 2D action-platformers were getting to be long-in-the-tooth by 1994. After giving it some time with an open mind, though, I was amazed by how much I enjoyed it. It seems some genuine thought and effort went into the level design, the controls are tight, and the presentation is as good as I've ever seen in this style. I was blown away by how well the overall package exceeded my expectations.
Time Trax is pretty obscure, but if you ever find yourself looking for a really good game that hasn't shown up in every Top 10 list ever made, you'll likely be quite happy with this one.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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