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Time Pilot
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<h2 id="gameplay">Gameplay</h2> <p>Players assume the role of a <a href="/facts/Aircraft_pilot/SJaN1UAJ">pilot</a> of a futuristic <a href="/facts/Fighter_aircraft/NuIvaGJg">fighter</a> <a href="/facts/Jet_aircraft/esXNnbbg">jet</a> trying to rescue fellow pilots trapped in different time eras. The player's jet remains in the center of the screen at all times, and the eight-direction joystick causes their jet to rotate to face in that direction, causing the screen to scroll in that direction to present forward motion. </p><p>In each level, players battle many enemy aircraft and the occasional stronger aircraft. After a fixed number of these aircraft are destroyed, as displayed on a bar at the bottom right of the screen, a mothership appears. Once the mothership is defeated, they move onto the next time period. Parachuting pilots will occasionally appear and award players points if collected. </p><p>There are five levels: 1910, 1940, 1970, 1982/1983<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> and 2001. After the fifth level is finished, the game repeats thereafter. </p><p>Extra lives are given at 10,000 points, and per 50,000 scored up to 960,000; thereafter, the game goes to "survival of the fittest" mode. </p><p>Fighters are destroyed if they collide into bullets, enemy ships, bombs or missiles. Game ends when their last fighter is destroyed. </p> <h2 id="development">Development</h2> <p>According to his account, Yoshiki Okamoto's proposal for <i>Time Pilot</i> was initially rejected by his boss at Konami, who assigned Okamoto to work on a driving game instead. Okamoto secretly gave instructions to his programmer to work on his idea, while pretending to be working on a driving game in front of his boss.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="reception">Reception</h2> <p>In Japan, the annual <i>Game Machine</i> chart listed <i>Time Pilot</i> as the fifth highest-grossing <a href="/facts/1982_in_video_games/RVb7N6fc">arcade video game of 1982</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> <i>Game Machine</i> later listed <i>Time Pilot</i> on their June 1, 1983 issue as being the eighteenth most popular arcade title of the month.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p><p>In the United States, the game topped the <i><a href="/facts/Play_Meter/j4epJLS1">Play Meter</a></i> arcade earnings chart in February 1983.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> The Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) later listed it among the thirteen highest-earning <a href="/facts/1983_in_video_games/QPeBx1lv">arcade games of 1983</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p><p><i><a href="/facts/Computer_and_Video_Games/qvjdugj0">Computer and Video Games</a></i> magazine gave the arcade game a generally favorable review upon release.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="legacy">Legacy</h2> <h3>Re-releases</h3> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Super_Famicom/uRT5Sa6s">Super Famicom</a> as a <i>Time Pilot '95</i> bonus game in <i>Ganbare Goemon Kirakira Douchuu: Boku ga Dancer ni Natta Wake</i>.</li> <li><a href="/facts/PlayStation_(console)/z1vlbrvo">PlayStation</a> in <i><a href="/facts/Konami_Arcade_Classics/ruF286VW">Konami Arcade Classics</a></i>, 1999.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Game_Boy_Advance/oRJksVAa">Game Boy Advance</a> as part of <i><a href="/facts/Konami_Collector%2527s_Series%3a_Arcade_Advanced/38MJyDAs">Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced</a></i> on March 18, 2002.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> This version includes a hidden sixth era, 1,000,000 BC, with pterodactyls.</li> <li><a href="/facts/PlayStation_2/gbFBT7AX">PlayStation 2</a> as part of the <i><a href="/facts/Oretachi_Geasen_Zoku_Sono/szPMGlmV">Oretachi Geasen Zoku Sono</a></i> series in 2005 in Japan.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Xbox_360/dYlE3mL5">Xbox 360</a> as part of <a href="/facts/Xbox_Live_Arcade/JGPgJ4Cn">Xbox Live Arcade</a> on August 30, 2006.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Nintendo_DS/4uVHPrnp">Nintendo DS</a> as part of <i><a href="/facts/Konami_Classics_Series%3a_Arcade_Hits/EpvMGC5k">Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits</a></i>.</li> <li><a href="/facts/I-mode/pLNzMYkP">i-mode</a> mobile phones in Japan, 2004.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Nintendo_Switch/UPy7Bcyu">Nintendo Switch</a> and <a href="/facts/PlayStation_4/wMtdFnoP">PlayStation 4</a> as part of <i>Arcade Archives</i> on 27 May 2021.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a></li></ul> <h3>Clones</h3> <p><i>Fury</i> is a 1983 clone from Computer Shack for the <a href="/facts/TRS-80_Color_Computer/KISXB65L">TRS-80 Color Computer</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> Two clones, both called <i>Space Pilot</i> but otherwise unrelated, were released in 1984 and 1986: from <a href="/facts/Kingsoft_GmbH/6VszaJ9H">Kingsoft</a> for the <a href="/facts/Commodore_16/m4Wp7HEj">Commodore 16</a> and <a href="/facts/Commodore_64/3TPcKDbb">Commodore 64</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> and <a href="/facts/Superior_Software/e92p0drX">Superior Software</a> for the <a href="/facts/BBC_Micro/YJxxPlIl">BBC Micro</a>. <i>Vector Pilot</i> is a 2011 hobbyist-written clone for the <a href="/facts/Vectrex/t5zaHqtG">Vectrex</a> console.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=10119"><i>Time Pilot</i></a> at the <a href="/facts/Killer_List_of_Videogames/Pq8BN7d2">Killer List of Videogames</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.arcade-history.com/?page=detail&id=2906"><i>Time Pilot</i></a> at the Arcade History database</li> <li><a href="http://www.centuri.net/timepilot.htm"><i>Time Pilot</i></a> entry at the <a href="/facts/Centuri/WhpkG4Rs">Centuri</a>.net Arcade Database</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Japanese: タイムパイロット, Hepburn: Taimu pairotto <a href="/wiki/Japanese_language" target="_blank">/wiki/Japanese_language</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Overseas Readers Column - Konami's Video "Time Pilot" Licensed To Century Of U.S.A.". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 203. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 December 1982. p. 30. <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%9E%E3%82%B7%E3%83%B3" target="_blank">https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%9E%E3%82%B7%E3%83%B3</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Industry News: Atari, Konami Announce Pact For 'Time Pilot'". Cash Box. Cash Box Pub. Co. 18 December 1982. p. 106. <a href="https://archive.org/details/cashbox44unse_27/page/n155" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/cashbox44unse_27/page/n155</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits - NDS - Review". GameZone. April 9, 2007. Archived from the original on 2011-08-09. Retrieved 2011-04-08. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110809142455/http://nds.gamezone.com/reviews/item/konami_classics_series_arcade_hits_nds_review" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110809142455/http://nds.gamezone.com/reviews/item/konami_classics_series_arcade_hits_nds_review</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"Konami Arcade Classics: Well, at least it's classic". IGN. January 7, 2000. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2011-04-08. <a href="http://psx.ign.com/articles/161/161714p1.html" target="_blank">http://psx.ign.com/articles/161/161714p1.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>As this level represents what was then the present day, all releases of Time Pilot produced after 1982 contain an updated version of the game that changes the year to 1983. <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Kent, Steven. "VideoGameSpot's Interview with Yoshiki Okamoto". Archived from the original on December 7, 1998. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/19981207033331/http://www.videogames.com/features/universal/okamoto/oktime.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/19981207033331/http://www.videogames.com/features/universal/okamoto/oktime.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>""Pole Position" No. 1 Video Game: Game Machine's "The Year's Best Three AM Machines" Survey Results" (PDF). Game Machine. No. 207. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 March 1983. p. 30. <a href="https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19830301p.pdf#page=16" target="_blank">https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19830301p.pdf#page=16</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 213. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 June 1983. p. 29. <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%9E%E3%82%B7%E3%83%B3" target="_blank">https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%9E%E3%82%B7%E3%83%B3</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"The Top 15 Arcade Games: February 15, 1983". Video Games. Vol. 1, no. 7. April 1983. p. 82. <a href="https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Volume_1_Number_07_1983-04_Pumpkin_Press_US/page/n81" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Volume_1_Number_07_1983-04_Pumpkin_Press_US/page/n81</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"AMOA Votes On Annual Game Awards". Cash Box. October 29, 1983. p. 60. <a href="https://archive.org/details/cashbox45unse_20/page/68" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/cashbox45unse_20/page/68</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"Arcade Action". Computer and Video Games. No. 19 (May 1983). 16 April 1983. pp. 30–1. <a href="https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/176/493" target="_blank">https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/176/493</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"GBA Gems: Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced". IGN. 8 March 2006. Archived from the original on 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2006-09-01. <a href="http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/694/694557p1.html" target="_blank">http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/694/694557p1.html</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"Time Pilot Flies Onto Xbox Live Marketplace". TeamXbox. IGN. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2006-09-01. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120205003151/http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/11668/Time-Pilot-Flies-Onto-Xbox-Live-Marketplace/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20120205003151/http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/11668/Time-Pilot-Flies-Onto-Xbox-Live-Marketplace/</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Hamster brings classic Time Pilot '84 to Nintendo Switch tomorrow as part of Arcade Archives <a href="https://nintendohill.com/2021/05/hamster-brings-classic-time-pilot-84-to-nintendo-switch-tomorrow-as-part-of-arcade-archives/" target="_blank">https://nintendohill.com/2021/05/hamster-brings-classic-time-pilot-84-to-nintendo-switch-tomorrow-as-part-of-arcade-archives/</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Boyle, L. Curtis. "Fury". The Tandy Color Computer Games List. <a href="http://www.lcurtisboyle.com/nitros9/fury.html" target="_blank">http://www.lcurtisboyle.com/nitros9/fury.html</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>"Space-Pilot". Lemon64. <a href="http://www.lemon64.com/?mainurl=http%3A//www.lemon64.com/games/details.php%3FID%3D2396" target="_blank">http://www.lemon64.com/?mainurl=http%3A//www.lemon64.com/games/details.php%3FID%3D2396</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Tuts, Kristof. "Vector Pilot". The Definitive Guide to Vectrex Collecting. <a href="https://tbone1892001.wixsite.com/vectrex-guide/vector-pilot" target="_blank">https://tbone1892001.wixsite.com/vectrex-guide/vector-pilot</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>