Reviewed by: Funkadelic
Rated:
Posted on: November 3, 2000

In 1991, something big hit arcades across America, something that was completely unlike other arcade games. That "something" was Hologram Time Traveler, the first holographic arcade game ever made. Created by the talented Rick Dyer (of Dragon's Lair fame) and released by Sega, Hologram Time Traveler featured real actors and a holographic display that thrust the interactive experience outside the confines of an arcade cabinet. For the first time in the history of gaming, players could interact with a game environment that appeared to exist outside the monitor.

Here's a picture of a Hologram Time Traveler arcade cabinet.

Hologram Time Traveler awed most everyone who saw it. In fact, it was very common to see people trying to touch the characters of the game; the clear video and holographic display brought the characters to life. Unfortunately for most, the game was more fun to watch than it was to play. Not only was its Dragon's Lair-style gameplay extremely difficult (it was far more difficult than anything in Dragon's Lair or Space Ace), but the awkward joystick was barely adequate. Perhaps the biggest drawback of the arcade game, though, was the cost of play: 75 cents per game. Add in the fact that many units did not function properly, and you have one of the biggest quarter-eaters of the early ’90s. Is it any wonder that this game was a small gold mine for arcade owners?

Thankfully, Digital Leisure has brought us the first home conversion of this popular arcade game, nearly a decade after its original release. By taking advantage of the DVD format, the company was able to include all the scenes from the arcade version, with some cool extras and features rounding out the package. Obviously, holographic televisions/monitors are not available at the local Best Buy or Circuit City, so Digital Leisure wisely included a 3D mode—complete with pack-in 3D glasses—to accompany the 2D version of the game. Although the 3D mode cannot hold a candle to the original arcade experience, visually speaking, it is a welcome addition nonetheless. Other extras include a Watch mode that lets users watch all the scenes in the game, except the final one; a History feature, which has six different video clips revolving around Rick Dyer and the Hologram Time Traveler arcade game; and full trailers of Dragon's Lair, Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp, Space Ace, and Kingdom II: Shadoan.

Because this is a DVD-Video, it is compatible with just about every DVD player on the market, including the recently released PlayStation2 console. For this review, I tested the game on a PS2 and DVD-ROM–equipped computer. Setting up the game was easy in both cases: Simply insert the disc, and you are ready to go. When playing on the PS2, you can use a basic game controller or a DVD remote to control all on-screen functions. When playing on a computer, you can use the mouse to make menu selections, but you must use your keyboard's arrow keys and Enter button during gameplay.

This is Princess Kyi-La, whom you must save.

Now that you know about the simple setup and everything included on the DVD, I'll explain the actual game. Playing as Marshal Gram, a cowboy armed with a trusty six-shooter and plenty of one-liners, it is your job to travel through time to rescue Kyi-La, princess of the Galactic Federation, from the evil renegade scientist Vulcor. Vulcor has kidnapped the beautiful princess and is planning to use his evil experiment to tear the fabric of time. Marshal's quest begins in 1873 and will take him all the way to 2552.

During the quest, Marshal will encounter many types of enemies, including cavemen, punks, zombies, ninjas, knights, and more. Each enemy is unique to his or her respective time period and setting, and many different dangers and traps are present on each level. While viewing the action, you must make the correct moves to Marshal's reactions. As in Dragon's Lair, you have a limited number of moves at your disposal—up, down, right, left, and shoot—although you will need to make several moves during many scenes. In fact, the huge number of moves during some scenes makes this game more difficult than Dragon's Lair.

A yellow diamond at the bottom-right of the screen will appear when it is time to make a move. If a yellow arrow or gun appears within the diamond, that means you have made the correct move. However, if a blue arrow or gun appears, that means you have made the wrong move, and Marshal will suffer a painful death. Even if you make the correct move, you will still die if you do not hit the button at the right moment. Luckily, the game usually gives you some advice after you lose a life.

Even other cowboys will interfere with Marshal's quest.

At some points during the game, you will need to look for blue flashes to know which move to make. For example, if you see a blue flash above Marshal's head, you must quickly press up. Once you have successfully cleared a time period, the Time Map will appear. This is where you can select your next destination of your long quest. Gameplay scenarios range from shooting rogue cowboys and Indians to escaping from a wild Amazon "woman" (a heavyset male actor actually portrays the Amazon woman), with plenty of other zany stuff in between.

Although you only have five tries to complete the game—and there are no continues or save options (remember, this is a DVD-Video)—Hologram Time Traveler does contain Time Reversal Cubes. A Time Reversal Cube lets Marshal briefly escape death, and it gives him another shot at defeating an enemy or clearing a deadly obstacle. To use a Time Reversal Cube, you must press the shoot button immediately after Marshal dies if you want another try. The game will rewind to the moment before Marshal perished, giving you an opportunity to redeem yourself. Naturally, Time Reversal Cubes are in short supply. You begin with one cube and must purchase more from the Trader between time periods (only one Time Reversal Cube per visit). Later in the game, you can play the Devil's slot machine at Hellgate for a chance to win (and lose) lives.

With a ton of randomized scenes, and a variety of humorous death sequences, Hologram Time Traveler has more replay value than other action-reaction games, such as Dragon's Lair and Space Ace. The difficulty level, too, is more challenging than those games. Therefore, even if you are a Dragon's Lair master, do not expect an easy ride. In fact, unless you mastered Hologram Time Traveler in the arcade, or you view the Watch mode to study Marshal's moves, it will take some time to beat this game. Like with any action-reaction game, quick reflexes are key to winning.

Time for some lovin'.

Sadly, pauses plague this interactive DVD-Video title. Unlike the laser disc–based arcade game, the DVD player pauses the action during moves. Depending on your DVD player, though, the pauses can be quick or painfully long. (Unfortunately the PS2's pauses are painfully long.) If you have a high-end DVD player, or a computer with a fast DVD-ROM drive, the pauses will be shorter. Still, no matter the length, the pauses do detract from the gameplay, especially since this type of game relies on quick-moving action. On a positive note, the Watch mode does not have any pauses.

Graphically, the home version of Hologram Time Traveler looks exactly like its arcade counterpart—minus the holographic display, of course. All the scenes from the arcade game, including the attract mode, are just as you remember them (even the odd geometrical shapes are in the background). The video is very crisp, and you can even see a neat reflection effect below the on-screen action. Although some minor lip-sync issues are present, you really have to look for them. Special effects are in abundance, and the 3D mode gives the game some extra depth. My favorite visual effect of the game occurs each time Marshal transports to another level. The effect is similar to the "telephone booth" transport scenes in the Bill & Ted movies. Costume design is also quite good, with each character donning the appropriate attire for the specific time period.

Everybody was kung-fu fighting.

Regarding audio, Hologram Time Traveler has great sound effects and good music. Although this DVD does not feature Dolby Surround sound, things sound decent enough. The acting, while a bit on the B-movie side, gets the job done. Some of Marshal's comments are quite funny. I especially found it amusing when he said, "Drugs can kill you, partner," after disposing of two druggies.

Overall, Hologram Time Traveler is a good buy for fans of the arcade game who cannot wait any longer for a home version. However, unless you have an ancient computer, you should wait for the upcoming CD-ROM or DVD-ROM version, both of which should be without pauses. And for those looking to pick this DVD up for the PS2, I recommend trying it first to see if you can tolerate the long pauses.