The dual screens of Nintendo's handheld have been used for many things;
displaying a map, inventory, statistics, menus, extra buttons, drawing,
mini games, main control, extending the screen etc.. Enter Chronos Twins,
an interesting DS game that make a truly unique, mind numbing use of
the DS' dual screens. And there's no touching involved either.
Chronos
Twins originally began as a GBA game, and it shows in it's graphics.
Nothing technically impressive for the DS, and decent for the GBA, and
it's all done in a pretty generic sci-fi style. Some elements of
backdrops also seem to be taken from some Capcom games. The colours are
good and bright, however, and the soundtrack has some pretty nice tunes
in there, although nothing is too memorable.
The story is
simple, the planet is under attack by an evil alien called Twime, which
can exist in two times at once, making it quite the hassle to get rid
of. Eventually, a group of people build a dual time machine, which
allows you to be in two times at once. They pick a soldier to head out
and destroy Twime, and wouldn't you know it? You're that soldier. The
translation isn't the best thing ever, and the font itself flat out
sucks, but it's no Zero Wing.
When you actually start to play
the game, you'll wonder how in the world they were thinking of getting
this game to work on the single screen of the GBA. The story sets up
for the unique gameplay mechanic that separates Chronos Twins from
other games on the system. You'll control your one soldier, in two
times, at the same time. The top screen displays the present time, and
the bottom screen displays the past. You'll use the D-Pad to move
around, and the face buttons to jump and shoot. Pressing the D-Pad to
move and pressing the jump button will cause you to preform the action
on both screens at the same time. Shooting, however, is handled
separately between times, and you can't shoot in both times at the same
time. One button will shoot on the top screen, while one button will
shoot on the bottom screen.
This all sounds somewhat
simple at first, but the real kicker is that level designs differ on
each screen. On the top screen, there could be a ledge with no way
across, while on the bottom screen, a nice set of blocks is in place
for you to jump your way across. Of course, you'd be hesitant to make
that jump, because logically, you'd die on the top screen... or maybe
not. As long as you are standing on something in one screen, you'll be
standing on the other screen, weather you're in the air or not, so you
can safely make your way across seemingly dangerous terrain on one
screen, as long as the other screen has a way across.
There's
also a time freeze aspect. You'll be able to "split time" so you're
only controlling one time. This is used in some puzzles, such as
pushing a block so it's in the right spot in both times. It's also used
to get certain powerups because there may be no way to get around in
one time, but a nice little gap to go through in another.
The
game demands good hand eye co-ordination and reflexes, as enemies may
be on one screen, and you'll have to make a tricky timed jump on the
other, but you're in danger of landing on that one enemy on the other
screen. Or maybe you're running from an enemy on one screen, while
avoiding fireballs and shooting enemies on your way along both screens,
quickly looking back and forth to see what jumps you have to make. A
warning siren and notice flashes when there is danger nearby on one of
the screens. At first, it doesn't sound like much, but it can be
something of a waking call if you're not paying attention.
It
all sounds hard and confusing, and that's because it is. Concentrating
on both screens is no easy task, and it takes a while to get used to
it. If this game had to be compared to another game on the DS
difficulty wise, it would be Contra 4, except that Chronos Twins is
difficult for different reasons. While Contra simply throws rediculous
amounts bullets and foes at you from all directions, Chronos Twins has
some downright evil challenges thanks to the dual screen aspect of the
game.
The level design is good though, and combined with the
dual screen aspect, provide some good challenges not seen anywhere else
on the DS. There are fifteen levels in the game, and all are devilishly
challenging
There's a checkpoint system in the game. Every once
in a while you'll pass a checkpoint. Die, you'll restart at the
checkpoint. Loose all your lives, and you'll restart at the beginning
of the level. You can take a total of three hits across the past and
present before you die, and you only have three lives. The game saves
progress when you beat a level, but the problem is you never really
know when you actually beat a level, because there is no indication
whatsoever that you've actually gone on to the next level, or if it's a
continuation of a level you just beat. Another small annoyance is that
whenever you're hit by an enemy, the game will stop for about a second
or two, and then continue on.
Apart from the main game, there
isn't much else to do. You can play again, but it doesn't keep track of
any kind of records. There's a lot of challenge to be had here, so if
you like a hard game, you'll probably like this one. It pushes
concentration and reflexes more than many other games in the genre, and
can at time frustrate, but if enjoy a good challenge, and take the time
out to get used to the dual screen mechanic, you'll find Chronos Twins
rewarding, as it's truly one of the best uses of the DS' dual screens
yet. It just needs a bit more fleshing out.
Chronos Twins plays
old school, but it's a game that can only be done right on the DS, and
I'd love to see the developers make another game like this ground up
for the DS.
