How to play Time Pilot online
- Turn your Timeship: arrow keys. The ship turns until it faces the direction you are pressing, and stops turning as soon as you let go.
- Fire: Space bar. A quick tap fires a short burst in the direction the ship is facing.
- Start a game: F12 (the console’s Reset switch)
- Choose skill level and number of players: F4 and F9 (the two difficulty switches), before you press Reset. See the table below.
- Player 2 (two-player game): T/F/G/H to turn, A to fire
- Save and load your progress: Ctrl + 0–9 saves to a slot, Alt + 0–9 loads it
The Select switch (F11) is not used. Instead, the two difficulty switches set both the skill level and the number of players.
| Setting | Left switch (F4) | Right switch (F9) |
|---|---|---|
| Skill 1, one player (easiest) | B | B |
| Skill 2, one player | B | A |
| Skill 3, one player (hardest) | A | B |
| Skill 3, two players | A | A |
Gameplay
Each era works the same way. Enemy aircraft of that period swarm around you and fire back. A row of small enemy icons at the bottom of the screen, the “Enemies Remaining” line, shrinks as you shoot them down. When it is empty, the era’s boss flies in, and hitting it sends you forward in time to the next era.
- 1910: biplanes, then a dirigible
- 1940: monoplanes, then a heavy bomber
- 1970: helicopters that fire missiles, then a double-prop helicopter
- 1983: jets, then a jet bomber
- 2001: flying saucers, then a giant saucer carrier
Every normal enemy plane or saucer is worth 100 points, and every boss is worth 3,000. You start with five Timeships. If you have lost at least one by the time you reach 10,000 points, you get a replacement. The game ends when all your ships are gone. In the two-player game, players take turns, and each turn lasts until that player loses a ship.
Tips
- Start on Skill 1. Leave both difficulty switches on B until you are used to the turning controls.
- Tap, don’t hold. The manual recommends tapping the button for short bursts, which is easier to aim than a long stream.
- Never skip the boss. One boss is worth as much as 30 ordinary planes, and it is the only way into the next era.
- Protect your ships early. The 10,000-point replacement only helps if you have already lost a ship, so it is your one safety net.
The story behind Time Pilot
The arcade Time Pilot was designed by Yoshiki Okamoto at Konami and appeared in Japan in late 1982, reaching other countries in early 1983. In the arcade, your plane stays in the middle of the screen while the sky moves around it in every direction. The game was a big hit, topping the US Play Meter earnings chart in February 1983. Coleco held the home licence and released a ColecoVision version in 1983 alongside this Atari 2600 cartridge. The 2600 version keeps the five eras, the enemies and the bosses of the arcade game, although the arcade’s fourth era is set in 1982 while the cartridge calls it 1983.
Similar games to play next
- Gyruss – another Konami arcade shooter, where you circle the edge of the screen
- Super Cobra – Konami’s scrolling helicopter shooter
- Snoopy and the Red Baron – more biplane dogfighting, with a cartoon twist
- Chopper Command – Activision’s fast helicopter shooter
- Mr. Do! – another Coleco arcade conversion for the 2600