Computer Times
Editors' Choice DS Game
Time Ace
(Nintendo DS)Reviewed by Angie Kibiloski
Time Ace (Retail $19.99), from Konami, is a flight simulator for the Nintendo DS, that takes you on a journey through time; past, present, and future. Play as Dr. Clock, a genius inventor, as he travels from World War I all the way to our future in space, in search of the evil Scythe who has stolen his time machine in order to wreak havoc throughout history.
In each time period you must master the controls and weapons of new aircraft, from the earliest WWI Biplane to the futuristic Space Fighter. In each level, you have a mission to complete, including various targets to take out with your on board artillery, such as machine guns or laser guns. The targets range from submarines, trains, bunkers full of supplies, etc. Your main weapon never runs out of ammo so you can pretty much hold the button down until you hit something, but your secondary weapon, which causes more damage and destroys your targets faster, has a limited supply. Luckily, extra ammo is hidden around the level, and also appears when you destroy certain lesser targets like enemy aircraft.
The controls are confusing at first, if you have never used a flight simulator program before. I found myself crashing into quite a few mountains my first time out, but they are easy to grow accustomed to with a little practice. The action takes place on the top screen, which also houses your Health Level, Score, Compass, Speed and Afterburner Level, and Life Count. The touch screen is used to fire any Power Up weapons you may have picked up, and also shows your radar screen, tracking any surrounding enemies with small dots.
The scenery, which you fly over, varies depending on the mission, from fields and valleys to vast oceans to outer space. Each level offers new and exciting things to look at and destroy. It is so much fun to discover new aircraft as you progress through the game as well. I would highly recommend this game, both for the simple entertainment of blowing things up and shooting down enemies, as well as the unique time traveling storyline. Time Ace is an ace in my book!