Retro|Spective 079: Time Crisis

[Neon Ignition]

Duck behind cover, the red ring of death is closing in on you so reload for...





Mainline Entry 01 - Time Crisis
Formats: Arcade and Playstation
The Namco on rail light gun series began its life in arcades and stood apart from its nearest rival Virtua Cop by offering its cover based combat system operated by use of a foot pedal. Though home uses changed this to a button press function the experience remained the same with the only other real exception being that the arcade version featured physical recoil in the guns. An advantage to the home version however was an exclusive story mode that featured multiple paths. The game was an immediate success, holding its own against Sega's popular series.



Mainline Entry 02 - Time Crisis II
Formats: Arcade and Playstation 2
Bringing two player co-op to the series via linked machines, the next entry was mostly more of the same but the home version increased the visual quality. Once again the game was met favourably continuing its position as an arcade cornerstone especially as Virtua Cop began to fade away.



Spin Off Entry 01 - Crisis Zone
Formats: Arcade and Playstation 2
This spin-off changed things up from the main series games by swapping your handgun out for an automatic machine gun and replacing railed cover for a ballistic shield the player hid behind when using the pedal. The home version remade the visuals and added an additional mission to the original roster of three but the game wasn't as well received as its predecessor.



Spin Off Entry 02 - Time Crisis: Project Titan
Formats: Playstation
With a home port of the second game having been cancelled for PS1, the aging system instead received this belated spin-off that followed on as a direct narrative follow up to the original game and let players make use of multiple cover points. The game was, however, considered too dated when it arrived on the system as it didn't advance the design or visuals enough beyond the aging original game.



Mainline Entry 03 - Time Crisis 3
Formats: Arcade and Playstation 2
The third game introduced the mechanic of being able to change weapons on the fly and in the home conversion added a playable side story featuring one of the non-playable characters of the arcade incarnation. The game continued the mainline reputation for being well received even if interest in the genre was disappearing in the home market.



Mainline Entry 04 - Time Crisis 4
Formats: Arcade and Playstation 3
Three years later and hardware generations had shifted meaning that visually the third game was already falling behind the curve. Therefore Namco made sure to have a fourth entry hit the markets with a console version arriving the following year. The game brought back the multi-cover hiding system of the PS1 spin-off game and for home releases included compatibility with the PS Move controllers even though there was also support for an updated Guncon peripheral. The home version also included a free moving FPS mode but this failed to win over critics with a fairly average response meeting the game as it no longer met home expectations.



Mainline Entry 03 - Razing Storm
Formats: Arcade and Playstation 3
For this third spin-off the series took a bigger step into a future setting and was effectively another stab at the approach Crisis Zone had attempted with machine guns and a ballistic shield being back in play. With four levels to play through, the game emphasised player performance and in the home version again included a poorly received free moving FPS section.



Mainline Entry 05 - Time Crisis 5
Formats: Arcade
Over the intervening years there had been one or two mobile phone releases for the series but broadly the series remained quiet cornerstone of arcades until Namco decided to revisit the series with this 2015 sequel. The latest entry used two pedals instead of the previous one and received a later update that added the second half of the game which increased the stage count to six, the largest in the series. The other most notable feature is that this was the first time the series skipped on a home version but as an arcade release was well received where it remains the current incarnation until Namco decides to return to the franchise.



Share your thoughts and memories of Time Crisis

[Leon Retro]

I remember really liking Time Crisis 1 & 2. Then after that, I thought the two games(in a double pack) for the PS3 were really impressive. I might play the PS1 games again, now that I have a CRT.

[Asura]

You could emulate the arcade footpedal experience of Time Crisis on PS1 Plug in a second pad, and any button acts as the footpedal. Some friends and I had it and we each had a naff, £3 Logic-3 controller we placed on the floor and used as a pedal.

I'm of the opinion that Time Crisis II is my favourite arcade lightgun shooter. I just think it's fantastically well-paced and well-designed, and the two-player hook is wonderful. Great levels, great level of difficulty... I've finished it countless times. It's up there with only a few other arcade shooters I'll play whenever I see them (alongside Virtua Cop 1, Gunblade and the original Silent Scope).

[CMcK]

Time Crisis was the reason I bought a PlayStation. My brother and I really liked the arcade version so a cheap second hand console and peripherals saw us in our element.
I revisited the series a couple of year ago with the PS3 twin pack, which also includes the Deadstorm pirate thingy too, and found the series has moved on a bit yet still retains the core elements.
It’s a genre I really enjoy and feel it’s a shame we don’t get more games of that ilk these days.

[Arashikage]

I found that the later incarnations of Time Crisis got far too complicated and veered away from the pure simplicity of the first two. I mean the fifth one has two pedals, weapon choice and multi screen battles...that's far too much going on for what should be a simple lightgun shooter. It's a case of improving beyond the scope of it's mechanics.

The first game is still great however, it's a lean game without any of the later bloat.

[fuse]

I've 1CC'd the original and used to love it just as much at home as I did in the arcades, but I spent far more time with TC2 which I could clear much more reliably - including a few no-miss clears - and still know like the back of my hand. This is mainly as it was set up at my student union bar, so between lectures (and with a pint at my side) a buddy and I were playing on an almost daily basis, entirely dominating the score board. Happy memories. One day they upgraded to TC3, and although we carried on playing, one of my biggest gaming regrets was never crossing the finish line on it. Annoyingly, my buddy did it one time solo, whereas I've made it to the final boss a couple of times, but no cigar

4 didn't appeal so much, and although 5 seems a lot better, I've just not found the chance to really get stuck into it.

[Brad]

Loved razing storm but even better was the deadstorm pirates game that came with it

[Anpanman]

I found that the later incarnations of Time Crisis got far too complicated and veered away from the pure simplicity of the first two. I mean the fifth one has two pedals, weapon choice and multi screen battles...that's far too much going on for what should be a simple lightgun shooter. It's a case of improving beyond the scope of it's mechanics.

The first game is still great however, it's a lean game without any of the later bloat.

The first one was ace, got it first on a silver in Brunei which I I preferred to use with the Gun from the original I bought over here.

I've also got the PS3 game but I agree with you that they are now over complicated, Deadstorm Pirates is the pick of the bunch but doesn't hold a candle to the first one.

[teddymeow]

Played 2 loads when I was younger at the local bowling alley and 4 loads when I bought it in Tokyo back in 2008 because it was on offer in Bic Camera (like £20).

[Cepp]

Playing the first Time Crisis with a mate on the Playstation was a god like experience for me. I'd never even played the arcade version up until that point, I didn't even know it existed. I think my experience with lightgun games went along the lines of Duck Hunt, some digitised tat (Area 51?) and then Time Crisis

Opposite to that I only ever played Time Crisis 2 in the arcades. I still prefer the first one but this was really good as well.

Never been interested in any of the others though, I pretty much fell off after 2.

[Asura]

Playing the first Time Crisis with a mate on the Playstation was a god like experience for me. I'd never even played the arcade version up until that point, I didn't even know it existed. I think my experience with lightgun games went along the lines of Duck Hunt, some digitised tat (Area 51?) and then Time Crisis

Both Time Crisis and Virtua Cop were a real watershed for lightgun games. I'll be honest, whilst I put a fair few coins into Operation Wolf as a kid, I never really thought much of them. But the way Time Crisis and Virtua Cop move, and the way their enemies work, just made for some wonderful gameplay.

[Neon Ignition]

Time Crisis, the original on PS1, is my main memory of the series. I've definitely played TC2, 3 and 4 but it's in quick goes in the arcade. The original is the only one with extended play and I remember it's Speed sounding soundtrack well too. Always used a controller to play the game which hobbles lightgun games but it was good fun.


Looking to 080: Yes, no clue this time as we hit another milestone rounded figured thread total. Instead the outlook is that the next thread will be a developer focused special once again and for the threads that take us through the 80's of the series, I want to keep a stronger focus on the retro element with series that steer a little further away from featuring more modern 3D focused entries.

[wakka]

Always used a controller to play the game which hobbles lightgun games but it was good fun.

No words.

I love Time Crisis. The first two are brilliant games, 3 and 4 didn't have quite the same magic, but 5 is an excellent return for the series. More complex and lengthier but still preserving the fast instinct and reaction based gameplay, it's a very strong entry that for me is only hamstrung by the fact that it's bloody expensive to play and to practice. At my current level of skill it's costing me a fortune every time I play, and I've yet to clear it due to the cost.

It's the second game that's my favourite, by far. As Asura says above, the pacing of it and the feel of the gameplay is simply brilliant. I've cleared it so many times and it never fails to be fun.

Back in the day I had the PS2 port and two G-Con 2s, and it was actually a terrific home package. Multiple minigames like Quick 'n' Crash, and a fun novelty 'dual wielding' mode if you owned two of the guns! I played a lot of lightgun ports on the PS2, and it was simply lightyears ahead of other efforts like Vampire Night and Ninja Assault.

The only lightgun game that comes close for me (apart from TC1 and 5), is probably GHOST Squad, which is also brilliantly paced, has the right level of difficulty, and is consistently fun to replay.

I'm fortunate in that a barcade near my house has a TC2 cab which is only 25p per credit. I've cleared it many, many times on there since they installed it about 18 months ago