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Let�s say you really like Mega Man, but you�re like, �Meh, looking at one screen
is for ***. And I am not a ***. Also, it needs more time travel.� Well, Great
Scott, you excessively masculine maniac of multi-dimensional multitasking.
Do I have a game for you!
By the way, don�t talk sh*t on Mega Man.
If you followed the Wii closely, you might be familiar with Chronos Twins. The game released
to WiiWare back in 2010, and just a week later, it came to DSiWare. This is that one. This
is Chronos Twins for the Nintendo DSi, and if you liked it on Wii?
It�s even better on the go.
Chronos Twins is interesting in that...its an incredibly interesting game, despite core
mechanics that aren�t all that interesting. It�s basically a 2D action platformer, similar
to Mega Man and all the classics so many of us grew up with. Jump, shoot, platform�in
terms of what you�re doing, this is all stuff you�ve done before.
But chances are...you've never done it quite like this.
See, in Chronos Twins, you�re not just controlling one character. And really, you�re not just
playing one game. You�re playing two games, and you�re controlling two characters. Who
are actually the same character.
Geez, this is heavy.
So the story isn�t terribly interesting, but the basic idea is...you�re playing as
a guy who exists in two different time periods simultaneously. So as you walk, you�re walking
in the present and the past. Which is, like...the space-time continuum basically, just, threw
up all over itself.
The entire game revolves around that single concept. And it presents really unique gameplay
opportunities, because you�re essentially playing two games at once. You constantly
have to watch both screens, so even something as simple as shooting a couple enemies can
be a real challenge in Chronos Twins.
Where the game really makes its mark is its puzzles. Unlike the classic games it�s inspired
by, Chronos Twins is more of an action puzzler. Eventually, you can actually freeze time in
one period, so you can move in the other, and change things in both periods, which then
lets the frozen guy cross a gap.
It�s, like, 12-dimensional thinking or something. I don�t know. I lost count.
But you know, the game�s clever when you�re not solving cross-dimensional time puzzles.
Even basic platforming is unique in Chronos Twins, because the platforms exist between
the two times, as well. So if it looks like there�s nowhere to go in the present, check
out the past. There might actually be a platform there, which then supports both characters.
I mean, it really is a platformer unlike any other.
You can get Chronos Twins on both DSiWare and WiiWare, but again...I prefer the handheld
version. Obviously, a system with two screens is just a natural fit for a game like this.
But also...the game looks better on DSiWare. On WiiWare, there�s a lot of 3D work, and
not only are the 2D sprites better looking, they�re also a better fit for the gameplay.
It�s true that part of this game�s challenge is in the inherent difficulty of looking at
two things at once. And maybe that�s more of an inconvenience than a clever gameplay
mechanic. But either way, it�s an absolute blast in practice. Chronos Twins takes the
games you loved as a kid, smartens them up a bit and splits them in two.
If you�re looking for something new? Look to the old.
Just...make sure you look at them both.