Time Pilot
1982 · Shooter · Arcade
Overview
Time Pilot is a 1982 multidirectional shooter video game developed and published by Konami for arcades. It was distributed in the United States by Centuri and by Atari in PAL regions. While engaging in aerial combat, the player-controlled jet flies across open airspace that scrolls indefinitely in all directions.
Deep Dive
Time Pilot is a 1982 multidirectional shooter video game developed and published by Konami for arcades. It was distributed in the United States by Centuri and by Atari in PAL regions. While engaging in aerial combat, the player-controlled jet flies across open airspace that scrolls indefinitely in all directions. Each level is themed to a different time period. Home ports for the Atari 2600, MSX, and ColecoVision were released in 1983 respectively by Konami and Coleco.
Developer Story
Time Pilot was designed by Yoshiki Okamoto at Konami in 1982. The game was Okamoto's first — he had been assigned to design a mahjong game but instead secretly built Time Pilot. Konami was initially furious but released the game when they saw its quality. Okamoto went on to design 1942, Street Fighter II, and other classics, becoming one of the most important figures in Konami's history.
Did You Know?
- Okamoto designed Time Pilot against his employer's explicit instructions — he was supposed to be making a mahjong game.
- The time travel mechanic — fighting enemies from WWI biplanes to UFOs across five historical eras — was a completely original concept.
- Konami released the game despite their initial anger, and it became a hit that justified Okamoto's defiance.
- The scrolling in all eight directions simultaneously was technically demanding for 1982 hardware.
