Overview
Blinx: The Time Sweeper is a platform video game developed by Artoon in partnership with Microsoft Game Studios Japan and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox console. Released in North America on October 8 2002, with subsequent releases in Australia (October 16 2002), Europe (November 8 2002), and Japan (December 12 2002), the game was marketed as “the world’s first 4‑D action game.”
Gameplay
The player controls Blinx, an anthropomorphic cat equipped with the TS‑1000 Vacuum Cleaner, a device that manipulates time. The game’s core mechanics revolve around five time controls:
- Reverse (REW) – rewinds gameplay.
- Fast‑forward (FF) – speeds up time.
- Slow (SLOW) – slows the flow of time.
- Pause (PAUSE) – freezes time.
- Record (REC) – records the player’s movements to create a temporal clone.
These controls affect the environment and enemies but not Blinx himself, allowing strategic navigation of levels. Players collect gold, “trash,” cat medals, and time crystals; accumulating sets of time crystals grants additional time‑control abilities. Each stage must be completed within a ten‑minute timer, and retries are earned by collecting red hearts.
Plot
The narrative is set in the fictional World B1Q64, where the Tom‑Tom Gang—a group of evil pigs—has stolen time, destabilizing the world. Blinx receives a message from a trapped princess and enters a portal to World B1Q64. Throughout the game, he battles time‑based monsters, recovers time crystals, and ultimately confronts the Chronohorn, a final boss formed from the combined power of time crystals, the princess, and the Tom‑Tom Gang. After defeating the Chronohorn and rescuing the princess, time flow is restored.
Development and Presentation
Directed by Naoto Ohshima, the game featured contributions from producer Katsunori Yamaji and Earnest Yuen, programmer Takuya Matsumoto, artist Masamichi Harada, writer Soshi Kawasaki, and composers Mariko Nanba and Keiichi Sugiyama. The cover art and promotional material highlighted the game’s time‑control mechanics and 4‑D branding.
Reception
Critical response was mixed. Reviewers praised the innovative time‑manipulation mechanics and the novelty of the concept, but criticism centered on camera issues, level design inconsistencies, and a steep learning curve for mastering the time controls. The game’s sales were modest, and while it achieved a degree of cult status, it did not establish Blinx as a lasting mascot for Microsoft.
Legacy and Sequel
A sequel, Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space, was released in 2004, expanding upon the time‑control system and narrative. Despite the sequel, the series did not continue beyond the second installment. The original title remains notable for its early exploration of time‑based gameplay mechanics on consoles and is occasionally referenced in discussions of innovative platformers from the early 2000s.