Time Gal
From Sega Retro
- For the Sega Saturn version, see Time Gal & Ninja Hayate.
Time Gal (タイムギャル) is a Sega Mega-CD full-motion video comedy adventure game developed by Wolf Team. First published in Japan by Wolf Team themselves in November 1992, the game is a port of the 1985 Taito arcade game Time Gal, an interactive movie produced by Japanese animation studio Toei Animation.
A Sega Mega LD port was later developed courtesy of HighTech Lab. Japan, published exclusively in Japan by Taito in 1995.
Contents
Story
The story is set in a fictional future where time travel is being perfected. Just before a televised unveiling of a new time machine, a criminal named Luda steals the time machine with intentions of altering the past to his desires. Reika (referred to as "Time Gal" in the Western manuals) must travel to the different time periods to track down Luda and thwart his plans.
Characters
Gameplay
The gameplay is that of an on-rails FMV action game with quick-time events as established by games such as Dragon's Lair. As the FMV rolls, the player has to react and press a button in time with what is happening. Pressing the D-Pad in any direction moves Reika in that direction, while , , or make her shoot her gun or use whatever weapon she has.
The player has to press the correct button as indicated by the reaction jewels on the border and an audible tone. When all the jewels flash simultaneously, the player must use Reika's weapon. If the player makes a bad move or takes too long to react, a death sequence plays and a life is lost. The harder the difficulty, the less time the player has to press the correct button; on Hard difficulty, the jewels do not flash, so the player must pay attention and see what object flashes in the FMV to make the correct move. At specific points in gameplay, Reika activates a "Time Stop". When this happens, the player is given three choices to make and has seven seconds to make a choice. If the wrong choice is made, the player loses a life. To raise the challenge, the FMV may sometimes be mirrored, reversing the directional inputs.
Scoring is based on how well the player performs as well as the difficulty level. The player scores points for successfully completing reactions. If a level is completed without making a single mistake, the player is awarded a greater bonus. An extra life is awarded at 100,000 points, with additional lives awarded every 200,000 points when playing on the Hard difficulty. When the game is completed, an "All Clear" bonus is awarded, along with an additional 50,000 points for each life remaining. Scores are not saved to the Mega-CD's backup RAM and are lost when the system is turned off.
The game also offers Visual Mode, where players can watch any of the scenes in the game using the passwords awarded after successful completion of each time period, with the ability to watch either the entire level uninterrupted or every possible failure sequence.
Levels
There are 16 levels in the game, each of them taking place in different time periods. The order in which the time periods are played through is different each time, though Reika always starts a new game in a B.C. period, and must work her way through to early A.D. and present day, and then back to the future. As a result of the random progression, the levels are listed here in chronological order.
B.C. 70,000,000 | |
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Password: BMCFXWRL (US/EU) / DODZILLA (JP) | |
B.C. 65,000,000 | |
Password: GJRPQVKS (US/EU) / DINOSAUR (JP) | |
B.C. 30,000 | |
Password: THMZCYFB (US/EU) / STONEAGE (JP) | |
B.C. 1600 | |
Password: RYFGSXDK (US/EU) / ELEPHANT (JP) | |
B.C. 44 | |
Password: FTGBDQPW (US/EU) / OSIRIIYA (JP) | |
A.D. 500 | |
Password: VSLCZKTJ (US/EU) / HARDWORK (JP) | |
A.D. 999 | |
Password: CYVZPBMG (US/EU) / DEATHOUL (JP) | |
This level is called A.D. 666 in the Japanese version. | |
A.D. 1588 | |
Password: DRXHTLQJ (US/EU) / SOUTHERN (JP) | |
A.D. 1941 | |
Password: WBMRJZVH (US/EU) / WORLDWAR (JP) | |
A.D. 1991 | |
Password: SHKXGJWF (US/EU) / LANDMINE (JP) | |
A.D. 2001 | |
Password: XPTMCSHD (US/EU) / RECKLESS (JP) | |
A.D. 2010 | |
Password: ZVYFLGQJ (US/EU) / ASTEROID (JP) | |
A.D. 3001 | |
Password: QWCDHRKT (US/EU) / MURDERER (JP) | |
A.D. 3999 | |
Password: PLQTVMXY (US/EU) / BRANCHER (JP) | |
A.D. 4000 | |
Password: LKDWBSYF (US/EU) / STARWARS (JP) | |
A.D. 4001 | |
Password: KVGPRZCW (US/EU) / THANKYOU (JP) | |
This time period is always last and concludes with Reika's showdown with Luda. |
History
Legacy
The game was bundled with Ninja Hayate in the Sega Saturn release Time Gal & Ninja Hayate.
Versions
The original arcade version was a LaserDisc game similar to Dragon's Lair. All of the animation frames were redrawn for the Mega-CD release to accommodate its limited color palette. Though other ports of the game are higher-resolution and more faithful to the original, the Mega-CD version remains the only version to be released in Western territories. The Western releases removed some failure sequences where Reika loses articles of clothing.
Production credits
Mega-CD version
Japanese version
- Producers: J.Asanuma, M.Uno
- Director: K.Iijima
- Planner: H.Suzuki, H.Ogawa
- Main Programming: S.Hirachi
- Mega‑CD Programing: C.Tokuhiro
- Visual Directors: T.Okano, T.Konishi
- Design Supervised by: K.Nagata
- Graphics by: T.Okano, K.Tazima, M.Matsushima, T.Hamada, M.Yasumori, H.Nakajima, M.Kaneda, Y.Nishitani, M.Kimura, K.Fujita, K.Tajiri, D.Moriyama, K.Ishiguro, M.Andou, Y.Inagaki
- Opening Theme:
- Music: S.Tamura
- Words: T.Nakajima
- Vocal: Y.Yamamoto
- Ending Music Composed by: M.Sakuraba
- Public Relations: K.Iijima, E.Kobayashi, T.Murakami, J.Basaki, A.Shiratori
- Thanks to: K.Gotou, M.Uchida, T.Kunimatsu, I.Kadowaki, S.Rokumoto, H.Nina, H.Hashimoto
- Special Thanks to: K.Fukushima
- Executive Producer: M.Akishino
- Licensed by: Taito Corp.
- All Produced by: Wolf Team
Overseas version
- Producers: J.Asanuma, M.Uno
- Director: K.Iijima
- Planner: H.Suzuki, H.Ogawa
- Main Programming: S.Hirachi
- Sega CD Programing: C.Tokuhiro
- Visual Directors: T.Okano, T.Konishi
- Design Supervised by: K.Nagata
- Graphics by: T.Okano, K.Tazima, M.Matsushima, T.Hamada, M.Yasumori, H.Nakajima, M.Kaneda, Y.Nishitani, M.Kimura, K.Fujita, K.Tajiri, D.Moriyama, K.Ishiguro, M.Andou, Y.Inagaki
- Opening Music Composed by: S.Tamura
- Ending Music Composed by: M.Sakuraba
- Public Relations: Karen Safran, Mitch Kampf, Kenji Goshima
- U.S. R&D: Kenji Goshima, Corey Tresidder
- Manual Text: Corey Tresidder
- Packaging: Modre Pricedesign
- Translator: Rie Yamada
- Thanks to: K.Gotou, M.Uchida, T.Kunimatsu, I.Kadowaki, S.Rokumoto, H.Nina, H.Hashimoto
- Special Thanks to: K.Fukushima
- © 1993 Renovation Products
- © Taito America Corp.
- Licensed by: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Mega LD version
- Game Design by: Hidehiro Fujiwara
- Soft Program by: Takashi Kuriyama
- Gal Created by: Hiroaki Satoh, Toshiyuki Nishimura
- Sound Director: Yosio Imamura
- Director: Tetsuo Imazawa
- Character Designer: Hiroshi Wagatsuma
- Sound Effect: Yukio Fukushima
- Film Produced by: Toei Video Co., Ltd.
- Presented by: Taito Corporation
Magazine articles
- Main article: Time Gal/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
Physical scans
Mega-CD version
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Mega LD version
Mega LD, JP |
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Technical information
- Main article: Time Gal/Technical information.
References
- ↑ File:TimeGal MCD JP Title.png
- ↑ File:TimeGal MCD EU Title.png
- ↑ File:TimeGal MLD US title.jpg
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mcd/soft_licensee.html (Wayback Machine: 2019-06-10 17:56)
- ↑ LA Express, "Vol. 14" (JP; 1996-02), page 4
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 GamePro, "July 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 65
- ↑ https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video.sega/c/_LT0HolZKZI/m/OSsf8WHncJMJ
- ↑ File:TimeGal SCES1993 MCD US Flyer.jpg
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Sega Power, "August 1993" (UK; 1993-07-01), page 50
- ↑ Mega Power, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-20), page 81
- ↑ Select Round, "Septembre 1993" (FR; 1993-xx-xx), page 2
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Sega Magazin, "September/Oktober 1993" (DE; 1993-09-01), page 32
- ↑ File:TimeGal MCD JP SSEnding.pdf
- ↑ File:Time Gal MCD US credits.pdf
- ↑ File:Time Gal MLD credits.pdf
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 243
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "November 1992" (JP; 1992-10-08), page 29
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "April 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 30
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 126
- ↑ Famitsu, "1992-11-13,20" (JP; 1992-10-30), page 1
- ↑ GameFan, "Volume 1, Issue 2: December 1992" (US; 1992-xx-xx), page 9
- ↑ Game Power, "Ottobre 1993" (IT; 1993-xx-xx), page 60
- ↑ GamePro, "July 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 66
- ↑ Game Informer, "September/October 1993" (US; 1993-0x-xx), page 62
- ↑ Hippon Super, "November 1992" (JP; 1992-10-03), page 45
- ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "March 1993" (JP; 1993-02-xx), page 59
- ↑ Mega, "February 1993" (UK; 1993-01-21), page 42
- ↑ Mega Action, "August 1993" (UK; 1993-07-15), page 32
- ↑ Mega Force, "Mega-CD Force: Le Supplément Spécial Mega-CD" (FR; 1993-xx-xx), page 30
- ↑ Mega Fun, "09/93" (DE; 1993-08-18), page 40
- ↑ MegaTech, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 60
- ↑ Marukatsu Mega Drive, "November 1992" (JP; 1992-10-xx), page 107
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "July 1993" (UK; 1993-05-25), page 52
- ↑ Power Up!, "Saturday, August 21, 1993" (UK; 1993-08-21), page 1
- ↑ ProGames, "Agosto 1993" (BR; 1993-0x-xx), page 30
- ↑ Sega Pro, "February 1993" (UK; 1993-01-14), page 62
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 74
- ↑ Sega Force, "March 1993" (UK; 1993-02-04), page 60
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
- ↑ Sonic the Comic, "10th July 1993" (UK; 1993-07-10), page 11
- ↑ Supergame, "Maio 1993" (BR; 1993-05-xx), page 30
- ↑ Todo Sega, "Noviembre 1993" (ES; 1993-1x-xx), page 76
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 268
- ↑ Video Games, "9/93" (DE; 1993-08-25), page 39
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