Time Control

By Jason Carl

Some days, I just want to speed up time, so that I can play twice as many Xbox games in the same amount of time (or rewind some humiliating Xbox Live defeat to repair the horrific damage to my ego). The heroes of Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space have such awesome powers, and fortunately for the galaxy, they're far more responsible than I am.

Blinx 2 extends the premise of the original Blinx: You're a heroic feline Time Sweeper out to restore the smooth course of time itself.) But, it also introduces improvements that make this sequel a welcome addition to the Xbox action-platform family.

This article examines how developer Artoon has ensured that Blinx 2 realizes the full potential of the Time Sweeper's most important assets: the innovative Time Control features.

Crystal collection.

You and your temporal custodian cohorts have access to five Time Controls. Gameplay with the Time Controls is reassuringly intuitive, and the basic function of each feature should be familiar to anyone who's ever used a VCR. Select the corresponding Time Control symbol with the D-pad, and activate it by pressing the X button.

However, before you can activate a Time Control, you must gather three of the appropriate Time Crystals. These are the precious seconds of time that have congealed into crystalline shapes. Grab them from defeated creatures, collect them in any order, and store them for future use.

Fast Forward
Need a burst of extra speed? Choose Fast Forward to make time flow rapidly forward. Only you are affected by this Time Control; you can't use it to speed up other characters or objects. It comes in handy for getting up a head of steam before leaping over inconvenient walls or outrunning foes.

A bridge too rewound.

Rewind
Repair structural damage and reverse dangerous situations by choosing Rewind. This Time Control forces time to flow backward rapidly for everything and everyone nearby—except you! It's invaluable for fixing damaged bridges, preventing bombs from igniting, and sending falling debris right back where it came from, allowing you the chance to step out of harm's way.

Record
This Time Control allows you to be in two places at once. It records a few seconds of your actions and then replays them. During the playback, you'll see a copy of yourself repeating whatever you just did. Try using Record when you need to activate two switches simultaneously or when you're fighting a boss that just won't go down.

Slow
Time slows to a snail-like crawl for everything but you. This is handy for escaping tough enemies, reaching a destination ahead of an opponent, and dodging incoming ranged attacks.

He's slow. You're fast. You win!

Pause
The only way to raise a critical gate blocking your path is to expose four buttons, all submerged underwater, to air. How do you do it, without even getting your paws wet? Choose the Pause Time Control to change the consistency of the water from liquid to gelatinous goo. You can then clear the water off the buttons by plowing through the stiffened gunk. This also works great for dodging incoming cannon fire or high-speed monsters.

Time Control Combos
If you have the right kind of Time Sweeper, try combining two Time Controls to give yourself increased mastery over the flow of time.

Pause + Fast Forward
You move at double speed, while the world and enemies pause completely. This is a great combo for outrunning monsters.

Record + Slow
You get recorded and replayed at normal speed, while the world and your enemies move at half speed. When you need a helping hand, but you're playing solo, this combo effectively creates a duplicate of yourself. It's great for those punishing boss monsters!

Once you get the hang of using the different Time Controls, you'll quickly discover just how handy they are! You'll be avoiding enemy fire, crossing over bridges that only moments ago were so much rubble, and literally running circles around your enemies.