“The aliens have broken through Earth's defence field and are attacking our cities.”
That's the Ovi Store line for this classically styled arcade game. The vertically scrolling shooter has been a stable of arcade games since the days of Galaxians and Galaga, and there are countless versions available in the Ovi Store. So where does Time Rider 2 fit into this mix?
Quite highly, to be honest. It is a java game, and the rule of thumb is that these are normally not fast enough to handle arcade gameplay. Normally. But Time Rider 2 handles the large numbers of on-screen enemies and bullets that you would expect - which is normally just a little bit more than you think you can handle. The good arcade game will give you that feeling of panic alongside the mastery of the space... and yes Time Rider does slide you into that gaming state of mind.
This is (currently) only available for 3rd Edition phones, which does mean that you'll be using physical buttons – and this is a good thing, because you are going to need lightning fast reactions to get through the ten levels. Unlike the arcade machines of old, you don't need to worry about breaking your phone through repeated bashing, as it's assumed that the “fire weapon” key is being constantly pressed by the game code – autofire is here.
Every scroller needs a tweak, something special, to make it stand out, and Time Rider 2 has this in the whirlpools that pop up during the main levels. Fly your craft into one of these and you'll be taken to a bonus section, powered by two other arcade standards as you attempt to navigate through an asteroid field. Depending on which you enter, you can temporarily switch to a sideways (right to left) scrolling field to navigate, or the more tricky '3d into the screen', which is technically very nice but lacking a touch in gameplay. Thankfully, these are only diversions, and nice though they are, they represent a chance to have a bit of a breather during any of the ten main levels.
The controls are a touch sluggish, but this is more down to the keypad on the device than the code of the game. Although you have up and down the screen, the majority of the game can be played using just left and right on the d-pad, which reduces the impact that the controls have on the game and making your contribution much more important.
It's also difficult. This game is not a walk in the park, holding your hand till you get to the end of the level. No, you're going to have to work at it. You will die. Lots. Even on the easy level. And while the youth of today might think that's a bad thing, I'm old school enough to think that there is sometimes an argument to making a game difficult and making the player work for their reward. Thanks, Time Rider 2, for delivering that.
Efusion X have done a great job here and I'd hold up Time Rider 2 as a showcase when people say that java is not up to the job. What they actually mean is that java programmers often aren't up to the job. The game covers all the basics that you would expect in this genre. There's no massive innovation in here, but it does give you a good arcade game on your handset at a low, low price. A solid entry in the category, and one that's good value from the Ovi store. I'd say this is a game for the arcade player in all of us.
-- Ewan Spence, Jan 2010.