Time Killers

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Time Killers

System(s): Sega Mega Drive

Publisher: Black Pearl Software

Developer: Black Pearl Software

Distributor: Ecofilmes (PT)

Licensor: Strata Games

Developer(s) of original games: Incredible Technologies

Peripherals supported: Six Button Control Pad

Genre: Action

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
US	1996-07^[1]^[2]	$54.9554.95^[3]	T-100046
EU	1996-09^[4]		T-100046-50
PT	1996		MDJHQ0277
UK	1996-09^[4]		T-100046-50

Non-Sega versions
Arcade

Time Killers is an versus fighting game for the Sega Mega Drive, released in 1996. It is a port of an arcade game originally released in 1992.

THQ were working on a port as early as 1993^[5], with a release originally planned for December^[6] and later January 1994.^[7] Though the game was reportedly complete by 1994,^[8] it was not released until 1996, near the end of the console's lifespan, when it was published by THQ subsidiary Black Pearl Software.

A Sega Game Gear version was seemingly planned for release in Spring 1994^[9], but was cancelled.

Story

Death has taken eight heroic warriors from different periods in human history and pitted them against each other for a chance at immortality.

Gameplay

Character select

Time Killers is a versus fighting game that takes inspiration from Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat. It is an early example of a weapon-based fighting game, predating Samurai Shodown, and it is known for its exaggerated violence. Rather than the standard layout of punches and kicks of various strengths, a specific button is used to attack with the corresponding body part: back arm, weapon arm, back leg, weapon leg, and the head. A stronger attack can be executed by pressing both limb buttons at the same time.

If enough damage is done to an arm, it is severed from the character's body, rendering it useless in combat. Both arms can be severed in the same round, forcing the character to fight with only legs and head and depriving them of the ability to block or use weapons. Damage can also be done to the legs, but they cannot be severed. Players can attempt a "Death Move" that cuts off the opponent's head and ends the round immediately. However, these moves can be blocked and only decapitate if they hit near the opponent's head. "Super Death Moves" are also possible, which chop off both arms and the head, but they can only be executed while near a stunned opponent. Severed limbs and heads are restored after each round. A character can win a round by knocking out the opponent, executing either type of Death Move, or having more health than the opponent when time runs out. The color of the health bars changes depending on which player has the advantage (red for the player closest to defeat and green for the other). Two victories out of three are required to win a match.

Characters move with or and crouch with . They jump with ; holding it for longer jumps for longer, but pressing it slightly results in a short hop. Using a Six Button Control Pad, characters attack using the back arm with , the weapon arm with , both arms with +, the back leg with , the weapon leg with , both legs with +, and the head with . They can defend by holding or by holding the D-Pad away from the opponent. The dedicated block button can be used to counter cross-up attacks. They can taunt by holding the D-Pad away from the opponent and pressing , which recovers a portion of health. Death Moves are performed by pressing +++; Super Death Moves are performed by pressing +++ while holding the D-Pad towards a stunned opponent.

Using a standard control pad, characters attack using the back arm with +, both arms with , the back leg with , both legs with +, and the head with . Notably, characters cannot attack with their weapon limbs alone when using a three-button control pad, limiting the number of moves available to them. They can defend by holding the D-Pad away from the opponent. They can taunt by holding the D-Pad away from the opponent and pressing , which recovers a portion of health. Death moves are performed by pressing ++; Super Death Moves are performed by pressing ++ while holding the D-Pad towards a stunned opponent.

The back limb attacks are quick but do light damage, essentially corresponding to the light attacks of other fighting games. Similarly, the both limb attacks are heavy but slow, while the weapon limb attacks are in between. Characters perform different attacks depending on whether they are close to or far from the opponent and whether they are standing, crouching, or jumping. Standing normal attacks also have variants that are performed by holding the D-Pad towards the opponent while attacking. Standing and crouching normal moves can be "flailed" by pressing the attack button rapidly, which repeats the move in place without the recovery animation. Characters have a brief moment of invulnerability after being attacked, making combos impossible. Most characters have special moves performed by combining a directional motion with an attack button.

Defending can be done by holding the D-Pad away from the opponent, which can be done while standing, crouching, or jumping. There are no low or high attacks, as in other fighting games, so any attack can be blocked while standing or crouching. Blocked attacks still inflict a small amount of damage. Blocking cancels the animation of being hit or knocked down, so it can also be used to recover faster from an attack. Characters are stunned for a duration if attacked repeatedly, and they can lose an arm if they suffer enough damage from weapon attacks. Losing the first arm deprives the character from being able to use the back arm and both arm attacks, while losing the second arm removes the weapon arm attacks and the ability to block.

Modes

There is a single-player mode where the player fights all eight warriors, then fights a final match against Death. The player may select any of the eight characters before each match, instead of having to play as the same character throughout the game. The game ends if the player loses a match and can only be continued a limited number of times (depending on the difficulty level). There is also a two-player mode where two players can choose any character and fight a single match against each other.

There are four difficulty levels (Cakeboy, Warrior, Hero, and Timekiller) and three game speeds (Arcade, Champion, and Turbo). There is also a setting for the amount of violence (No Blood, Blood, Dismember, Decapitate), which affects the gameplay since it can limit the ability to dismember fighters.

Characters

Note: Move lists assume that the character is facing right. When facing left, and should be reversed.

P	Any arm attack
LP	Back arm
MP	Weapon arm
HP	Both arms

K	Any leg attack
LK	Back leg
MK	Weapon leg
HK	Both legs

H

Head

Playable

Rancid

Origin:

New Chicago, U.S.A.

Time period:

2024 A.D.

Height:

6'6"

Weight:

261 lbs.

Weapon:

Chainsaw

A street vigilante who was wrongly accused of a series of murders.

Move list
Name	Command	Description
Chain Ride	HP	Rancid slides along the ground in a prone position while holding his chainsaw out.
In Air Ride	HP	Rancid dives through the air in a prone position while holding his chainsaw out.
Flying Knee	+ MK	Rancid leaps forward with a knee strike.
Jump Split Kick	+ HK	Rancid leaps forward with a split kick.
Head Dance	HK in midair	Rancid jumps forward. If he lands on his opponent's head, he stomps repeatedly.
Slide Trip	+ LK	Rancid slides forward with a sweep kick.
Flip Trip	+ HK	Rancid rolls forward, then trips his opponent with a kick.

Move list (Death moves)
Name	Command	Description
Head Shred	HP + HK	Rancid hops forward, then spins around while holding his chainsaw out.

Orion

Origin:

Alpha Outpost X9

Time period:

2885 A.D.

Height:

6'0"

Weight:

175 lbs.

Weapon:

Electro Saber

A space pilot born in a space station in a desolate sector. He returned from a flight one day to find the space station under attack by aliens and started to search space for the origin of the creatures.

Move list
Name	Command	Description
High Torpedo	HK	Orion jumps into the air, then does a dropkick.
Low Torpedo	+ HK	Orion then does a low dropkick.
Spinning Drill	MK in midair	Orion falls through the air while spinning his body like a drill.
Body Spear	H in midair	Orion shoots forward with a headbutt.
Gravity Throw	or after vertical jump	Orion curls into a ball and spins to the ground, then leaps forwards or backwards. This move can only be performed after a vertical jump, not a diagonal jump.
Roll Stab	+ HP	Orion rolls forward, then thrusts his saber.

Move list (Death moves)
Name	Command	Description
Satellite Slash	HP + HK	Orion leaps through the air while spinning his saber around.

Thugg

Origin:

Mesopotamia

Time period:

20,000 B.C.

Height:

6'9"

Weight:

325 lbs.

Weapon:

Stone axe

A savage caveman who freed humanity from the thrall of a reptilian alien race.

Move list
Name	Command	Description
Trog Hocker	H (slow) or H (fast)	Thugg spits a low projectile across the screen.
Flip	+ HK	Thugg flips forward. He can perform a P during the flip, but if no button is pressed, he kicks downward.
Body Launch	+ HK , then P	Thugg curls into a ball and rolls forward through the air. This move is performed by pressing a P button during the animation of the low kick. He rolls at a high angle with LP , a low angle with MP , and a lower angle with HP .
Running Headbutt	+H	Thugg runs ahead, then does a headbutt. While running, Thugg can stop running by pressing or slide into a crouch by pressing .
Body Roll Combo	+ HK	Thugg rolls forward along the ground. This move can be canceled into a crouching attack.
Ground Pound	+ MP	Thugg slams his axe into the ground. This move does heavy damage if it hits, but if it misses, it shakes the ground and causes the opponent to move forward slightly.

Move list (Death moves)
Name	Command	Description
Blood Chop	HP + HK	Thugg chops his axe back and forth in front of him.
Quick Blood Chop	+ HP + HK	Thugg quickly chops his axe in front of him. This move is quicker but has shorter range.

Lord Wulf

Origin:

Camelot, England

Time period:

1202 A.D.

Height:

6'2"

Weight:

226 lbs.

Weapon:

Broadsword

A courageous knight whose family was taken by a corrupt count.

Move list
Name	Command	Description
Energy Bolt	+H, then	Wulf shoots a lightning bolt from his sword. This move is performed out of his taunt.
Super Uppercut	+ LP (close)	Wulf does an uppercut that knocks his opponent into the air.
Quick Slide Uppercut	+ LP	Wulf slides forward, then does an uppercut that knocks his opponent into the air.
Slide Trip	+ LK	Wulf slides forward with a sweep kick.

Move list (Death moves)
Name	Command	Description
Flying Guillotine	HP + HK	Wulf leaps ahead while swinging his sword in a circle. This move can be done in midair.

Leif

Origin:

Harstad, Norway

Time period:

829 A.D.

Height:

6'7"

Weight:

284 lbs.

Weapon:

Battle axe

A fearless viking who defended Norway from the mysterious Black Army.

Move list
Name	Command	Description
Rotoslice	+ HP	Leif kneels and spins his axe in front of him. He continues spinning the axe if the player rolls the D-Pad in 360° rotations.
Flying Rotoslice	D-Pad in a 360° rotation, then HP in midair	Leif spins his axe in front of him while in the air.
Axe Pole Vault	HK , then LP or MP	Leif uses his axe to vault into the air. He can follow up with LP or HP for axe blows, but if no button is pressed, he kicks with both legs.
Running Headbutt	+H	Leif runs ahead, then does a headbutt. While running, Leif can stop running by pressing or slide into a crouch by pressing .

Move list (Death moves)
Name	Command	Description
Berserker	HP + HK	Leif swings his axe in front of him.
Quick Berserker	+ HP + HK	Leif quickly swings his axe in front of him. This move is quicker but has shorter range.

Musashi

Origin:

Nagashima, Japan

Time period:

1455 A.D.

Height:

5'11"

Weight:

167 lbs.

Weapon:

Katana, Daito

A samurai who led an army that was undefeated in battle until it was destroyed by a dragon. He wields a daito in his back hand and a katana in his weapon hand.

Move list
Name	Command	Description
Off the Wall	D-Pad in the opposite direction when jumping onto the edge of the screen	Musashi can jump off the edges of the screen.
Lightning Slice	+ LP LP LP LP LP	Musashi slices repeatedly in front of him with his daito.
Flip to Head	HK	Musashi somersaults through the air, unrolling with a dropkick.
Back Slam	+ HK	Musashi rolls forward, then unrolls while kicking downward with both legs.
Flip Double Lunge Kick	HK in midair	Musashi drops from the air while holding both legs out in a kick.

Move list (Death moves)
Name	Command	Description
Dragon's Bite	HP + HK	Musashi hops forward and dices his blades repeatedly. This move can be done in midair.

Mantazz

Origin:

Unknown

Time period:

4002 A.D.

Height:

7'2"

Weight:

187 lbs.

Weapon:

Serrated forearms

The queen of a species of insect-like creature. It is unknown if the Mantazz race invaded Earth from another planet or evolved in a remote and radioactive place, but after the disappearance of their queen, the Mantazz came to peacefully coexist with mankind for generations.

Move list
Name	Command	Description
Fly	or in midair	Mantazz flies in a direction using her wings.
Eye Beam	H (slow) or H (fast)	Mantazz shoots laser beams across the screen from her eyes while standing.
Low Eye Beam	H	Mantazz shoots laser beams across the screen from her eyes while crouched.
Elbow Spinning Double Kick	+ HK (close)	Mantazz does an elbow strike, followed by a jumping kick.
Super Spin Trip	+ MK MK MK MK MK	Mantazz turns to the side and does a sweep kick. If the button is pressed repeatedly, she keeps moving forward and repeating the sweep kick.

Move list (Death moves)
Name	Command	Description
Secare Slice	HP + HK	Mantazz spins her blades like a buzzsaw, then hops forward.
Helicopter Secare	+ HP +H	Mantazz spins her blades like a buzzsaw, then jumps high in the air.
Airplane Secare	MP	Mantazz spins her blades like a buzzsaw, then hovers into the air and charges through the air.

Matrix

Origin:

Mars Colony A-7

Time period:

3297 A.D.

Height:

5'10"

Weight:

133 lbs.

Weapon:

Photon blade

A cyber soldier from the future. After the robotic servants on Mars were reprogrammed, they started a war on humans. Matrix was injured in battle and given a bionic hand that can extend in length.

Move list
Name	Command	Description
Flying Super Butt	MP + LK +H	Matrix flies forward while landing with her butt.
Eat My Feet	+ HK	Matrix leaps forward while kicking with both legs.
Short Leg Spin	MK MK MK MK MK	Matrix stands on one leg and rotates while kicking with the other leg.
Long Leg Spin	HK	Matrix falls diagonally downwards while rotating and kicking with one leg.
Super Uppercut	+ LP (close)	Matrix does an uppercut that knocks her opponent into the air.
Leg Launch	+ LK	Matrix does a high kick that knocks her opponent into the air.
Super Slide Kick	+ LK	Matrix slides forward with a sweep kick.

Move list (Death moves)
Name	Command	Description
Photon Fury	HP + HK	Matrix jumps forward while swinging her photon blade downward. This move can be done in midair.

Bosses

Death

The personification of death, who has orchestrated the tournament, pitting time's greatest warriors against each other. He is the final boss of the game and grants immortality to the warrior that defeats him. He can only be defeated in the final round using a Death Move; otherwise, he regenerates all of his health instead. He can be played in the single-player mode using a cheat code.

Move list
Name	Command	Description
Teleport	Automatically performed when cornered	Death teleports to the other side of the screen when cornered.
Death Dive	LP or HP in midair	Death dives forward with a burning scythe. If the player holds or while performing the move, Death flies in a direction.
Flame Charge	HK or H in midair	Death dives forward while engulfed in flames.

Move list (Death moves)
Name	Command	Description
Death Slash	HP + HK	Death spins forward while swinging his scythe.

Stages

Every character has his or her own stage where matches take place in the single-player mode. The final fight with Death takes place in a random stage. In two-player games, the match takes place in the first player's stage.