Time Lord

Time Lord

Overview & History

Released by Rare and published by Tradewest in September 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Time Lord is an ambitious, highly experimental side-scrolling action title that predates popular time-travel tropes in gaming. The storyline casts the player as an unnamed, red-suited hero summoned in the year 2999 by the mystical Blue Council. Earth is on the brink of total annihilation following an invasion by the dreaded Space Aliens. To alter history and save humanity, you must traverse five distinct historical eras—ranging from 1700s Pirate-infested islands and the Wild West to 1930s gangster-ridden Chicago, a medieval fortress, and finally an alien mothership—to retrieve five lost pieces of an atomic bomb.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard linear platformers, Time Lord operates on a strict, relentless countdown timer. Defeating enemies drops "Orb" energy, which the player must rapidly collect to add crucial seconds back to the clock and power up weapon states. The gameplay shifts perspectives dynamically: while most stages involve standard platforming and close-quarters melee combat against historical foes, reaching the end of each era triggers a pseudo-3D, first-person shooting boss battle. The protagonist is armed with a standard punch that upgrades into lethal swords, laser guns, and magical projectiles upon picking up specific era-appropriate power-ups. Mastery of the game requires memorizing enemy spawn patterns and carefully managing health bars, as touching hazards results in instant death and rapid loss of precious temporal energy.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move
• Action Keys: Attack / Jump
• Enter: Start / Pause