Developer: Wolf Team Publisher: Renovation Release: 1993 Genre: FMV
To this day I question why Sega of America focused their marketing of the Sega CD around FMV games so heavily. The system was woefully inadequate at presenting those games properly with its muddy video quality due to the limited color palette. The games in that genre that I do enjoy are in spite of the platform. Most developers were content to slap the game on a disc with minimal effort to balance around the system’s weaknesses. The few that did were able to produce better results. Time Gal is one such case and is one of my favorite FMV games of all time with the Sega CD game being a respectable version of the title.
In the future time travel is a reality. In the year 3001 A.D. a thief named Luda steals a time travel device to rule the world by changing history. A scientist named Reika, the titular Time Gal, pursues him using her own time travel device to save history.
Time Gal was originally a Japanese arcade game released in 1985, long after the FMV game bubble ran its course. Unlike the majority of such titles in the US that followed in the wake of Dragon’s Lair Time Gal featured original animation from Toei rather than scenes cut from popular movies haphazardly. Between its high quality animation, time travel theme, and slightly greater interactivity it stood out. Sadly it did not hit the West until the Sega CD release. While far from the best version it is still worth checking out.
Time Gal follows along the same lines as every FMV games. As you watch each scene play out you must follow the appropriate button prompts to avoid an untimely death. It is simple yet somehow complex at the same time. The game will trick you by delaying the prompt or it flashes quickly to catch you unaware. The action quotient is higher than most similar titles and overall more interactive. Nearly every time period has one or two instances where Reika will stop time. You have seven seconds to pick among three choices with one being the correct course of action. While it can be frustrating if you choose wrong at least you get to see one of many goofy death scenes.
The game excels thanks to its variety. Time travel was present in other FMV games like Dragon’s Lair II. However Time Gal visits more time periods overall. There are 15 different eras, from the prehistoric period to modern day to the distant future past Reika’s timeline. With each era come unique scenarios even if they are only a few decades removed. In 2001 A.D. you face a Mohawk gang on hover bikes. 9 years later in 2010 A.D. Reika boards a space station in the middle of a meteor shower. You fight pirates and sea creatures in the 1500s and the undead in the year 666. What else makes the game replayable is that the order is random every time with the year 4001 being the final destination. It also mirrors inputs randomly to throw you off. I appreciate the effort to give a unique experience every time.
Beyond the various settings Reika is a very likable character. She is chatty and full of personality. Shi is a bit of a klutz yet still heroic when necessary. While she comes across as in over her head in the clutch she will get the job done. A lot of her personality comes through in the numerous funny death scenes. To avoid being too serious Reika becomes super deformed and it is played for laughs regardless of the situation. If you miss a prompt an alien might bite her behind or she will suffer an electric shock. The more violent ones will show a slash or cut away. It is a lot like Dragon’s Lair in this regard, violent yet somehow playful.
Rather than playing back an ugly dithered version of the original Laserdic footage Wolfteam have instead redrawn all of the game’s graphics. The results turn out far better than you expect. There is a significant loss in detail as it is using sprites rather than cel animation. But you still get all of the exact same scenes with a more vibrant appearance than the other FMV games plaguing the system. To make it possible the video is smaller with a massive UI border but the tradeoff is worth it. There are only select time periods where the video is muddy and hard to follow. But most time periods are so short you will not have to deal with it long. Overall this approach is the right choice and one more of these titles should have followed.
In Closing
I like Time Gal and use any excuse to make a quick run through the game. These titles do not generally have much replay value. But the random order of each play through makes it feel fresh every time. I followed this one extensively in EGM and Gamepro and am glad my anticipation was rewarded with a good game. This is not the first Sega CD game I would recommend but still think it deserves a place in your library.
