Overview
Time Gal (タイムギャル, Taimu Gyaru) is Taito's third LaserDisc animation game, following Ninja Hayate and a Space Battleship Yamato game.
The game follows Reika, aka Time Gal, as she tracks down the villain Luda, who has robbed a time machine, while avoiding various accidents that occur in the era to which she is going.
In addition to the Space Battleship Yamato mentioned above, it is said to have been influenced by Space Ace, which is in the vein of Dragon's Lair (the influence can be seen in the near-future science fiction worldview, the way the mastermind of the enemy laughs when he makes mistakes, and the depiction of combat using a small space fighter. The battle scenes with small fighter planes in this game were partially appropriated from Yamato).
The basic game is all about timing to avoid accidents by inputting buttons and four-way levers, which appear throughout the animated video that progresses automatically, and selecting commands at time stops.
The various and comical animations that can be seen when the user fails to perform an operation also became popular, and this work gave birth to the rare phenomenon of making mistakes on purpose and having fun with it. In particular, the scene in which the player's buttocks is bitten and thier pants are ripped when they make a mistake became the talk of the town at the time (according to the creator, this was "the best part of the game").
The original theme song Jikuu wo Koete (Beyond the Time and Space), sung by Yuriko Yamamoto, who played the main character Reika, was even made for the Mega-CD version of the game.
For a time, Reika was also Taito's mascot character. For example, Reika was displayed after the PC Engine version of Puzznic's Expert Course was completed, a life-size cut-out of Reika created to promote and put next Top Landing at the arcade, and a campaign was held with companions dressed in Reika costumes.
In addition, the character Reika Kirishima, based on Reika's motif, appears as her own machine in Shikigami no Shiro III, the third installment in Alfa System's Shikigami no Shiro arcade shooting game series, which was marketed by Taito.
She is also available as free DLC for the PS3 download-only software Elevator Action Deluxe (This title has various gimmicks and enemies that are not easy to get through.).
Characters
Main Character
- Reika (CV: Yuriko Yamamoto) - The main heroine of the story, 18 years old. In the English version her name was Time Gal.
- Ruda - The mastermind of the game, 40 years old. He uses the time machine he stole to travel to all eras, setting traps to trap Reika. Whenever the player makes a mistake, he is always accompanied by a high pitched laugh.
Enemies of Each Period
- Dodzilla - Appeared in 7,000,000 BC. As its name suggests, it was based on a certain giant monster, and its cry is the same. It was a monster itself, emitting rays of light from its mouth, but in the end it sank into the lava.
Other
- Hayate - The protagonist of Ninja Hayate, the previous title in the Taito LaserDisc game series. In the scene where Reika is awarded after clearing the final stage, if you look closely at the people surrounding Reika, you will see him mixed in with them. This is a cameo appearance.
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