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Timeslip (video game)

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Timeslip
Developer(s)Jon Williams
Publisher(s)English Software,
Byte Back
Platform(s)Atari 8-bit, C16 / Plus/4
Release1985: C16, Plus/4
1986: Atari
Genre(s)Scrolling shooter

Timeslip is a horizontally scrolling shooter written by Jon Williams for the Commodore 16 / Commodore Plus/4 computers and published by English Software in 1985. A version for Atari 8-bit computers followed a year later.[1] The game was described by reviewers as "three versions of Scramble rolled into one".[2]

Gameplay

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Atari 8-bit screenshot

In Timeslip the player is presented with the screen divided into three sections or time zones. The top section is the planet surface with the player controlling a fighter, the middle section is set in underground cavers, and in the bottom section the player controls a mini-sub. The object of the game is to destroy 36 orbs placed within the three sections and synchronize the clocks in all three zones to 00.00 hours. If a player is hit, they receive a 30 minute penalty. In addition, if a player is hit five times, a "timeslip" occurs, which is a desynchronisation of all clocks. Sections are played one at a time and the player can switch zones at will, leaving the other two frozen in time.

Reception

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Timeslip received mostly positive reviews. Your Commodore reviewer summed up Timeslip as the best game he had seen on the C16, and he recommended it without hesitation.[3] The review in Computer and Video Games magazine was equally positive: "Timeslip's designer and programmer, Jon Williams, has come up with a nifty and exciting little game. C16 owners should raise three cheers for him "[4]

References

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  1. ^ Hague, James. "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers".
  2. ^ "Screen Scene". Commodore User: 31. August 1985.
  3. ^ "Software Spotlight". Your Commodore: 34. September 1985.
  4. ^ "Reviews". Computer & Video Games: 27. August 1985.
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