Bud Redhead - The Time Chase Demo

Time travel is an overused concept in movies, video games and books, although it is almost never properly explained to avoid paradoxes. However, you can work around these explanations by making time jumps many years into the past or the future, so your interference won’t have too much effect on historical events. Thus, you are in the clear if you travel back to the dinosaur age, so to speak.

Bud Redhead - The Time Chase is a retro platformer designed to be enjoyed by those who do not mind 2D graphics and sprites, although the game is not as simple as you might think. One of its defining characteristics is the fact that the levels are nonlinear, which means that you can explore in whichever direction you like, as long as there isn’t a wall stopping you from going forward.

The story is nothing special, unfortunately, although the writers try to be funny and provide the audience with a relaxed adventure. As such, you play the role of Bud Redhead, a guy who’s about to tell his crush that he’s in love with her while strolling in the park. However, a green alien comes out of nowhere and kidnaps her, only to be followed by two friendly aliens trying to catch him. One thing leads to another and Bud is required to through time in order to keep up with the green alien and retrieve his future girlfriend.

Most of your time throughout the game is spent trying to collect all sorts of tiny gems and coins, which provide you with additional points. The exit portal opens up when you manage to raise a certain score, although you are free to stick around for as long as you want. As mentioned earlier, the levels are nonlinear, and you have the freedom to go anywhere you like, as long as you avoid the enemies and the traps that are there to stop you.

The gameplay mechanics are quite smooth and responsive, although you may have to get used to the controls in the beginning. Some jumps are a bit more tricky than they appear, and you may not always reach the other side of the gap. Thankfully, there are plenty checkpoints to go back to, although you have a limited number of lives you can lose before the game over screen is displayed.

All things considered, Bud Redhead - The Time Chase is quite the decent platformer, especially if you consider the fact that it bundles so many levels and different worlds to explore. Thus, if you do not mind the 2D engine and the demanding gameplay, you are in for a lot of fun.