Super Time Force Ultra takes 90's action movie bravado, adds some classic 2D shooter gameplay, and blends them into an action packed whole. It then sprinkles in a little time manipulation to create something that is a smarter than you would ever expect.

Time cops

Super Time Force Ultra is stuffed full of 16-bit style, precision platform-shooter gameplay, and action-hero humor. Plus it is also hard, old-school hard, with enemies happily soaking up your bullets while repeatedly killing you with a single shot. Don’t worry though because, with the power of time manipulation, you and your team of badass heroes can even the playing field.

You start with a squad of three characters, each with their own abilities: a standard gunner, the sniper with ricochet shots, and a chap with a shield to reflect incoming fire. The goal is then to make it through the level - avoiding incoming fire and taking out enemies – within its seemingly tight time limit.

Paradoxes make my head hurt

What makes Super Time Force Ultra more than just a clone of games like Contra, is the ability to rewind time so you can utilize other characters or previous lives to help you move forward. This can have a range of entertaining effects, but most interestingly it means that one character can die, only for you to rewind time and rescue them by slaying their killer, allowing them to return to the fight.

With more characters being added to your squad as you jump through time, you slowly gain access to a greater range of powers. In later levels these open up even more possibilities as you try to solve each action-focused, time-continuum conundrum.

This really comes to a head during boss battles. Here the time mechanics are not just a handy addition, they are essential. You must run multiple characters at these enemy behemoths to try and take them down in under 60 seconds.

No time to thing

Super Time Force Ultra is a packed with frantic shooting fun, while also demanding fast paced thinking. However, if you ever get frustrated when you don’t feel you have time to plan then it certainly isn’t for you.