Blinx 2 screenshots   The Final Say! Gameplay 9.0 Graphics 9.5 Sound 8.8 Value 9.1 Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space  Review Date: December 2004 Review Score: 9.1/10  Distributed By: Microsoft

The year of 2004 has been dominated by a plethora of first person shooters and if that's not enough for you to shy away from games because of originality than thankfully there was a dozen new sport and car games to keep you entertained *record scratch* Don't get me wrong... 2004 was a great year for games but unfortunately its been dominated by games with better graphics and not much better gameplay. I mean... a gamer can only save the world so many times and what this reviewer really craved for was a good old fashioned 3D arcade platformer and thankfully, Microsoft has broken the drought with the anticipated release of Blinx 2! Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space is the latest sequel to this entertaining arcade legacy that was created by Japanese developer Artoon who really injected a much needed boost into the XBox gaming world. US arcade game are great but when it comes to quirkiness or something different, the Japanese really know how to do it. The story once again reunites players with the wonderful Blinx who must now save the known universe from the diabolical Tom Tom Gang, a gang of pigs who wish to recover the pieces of the Time Crystal, a time device that can virtually change the face of reality. Fortunately for Blinx, he is reunited with his feline cohorts for some of the most entertaining arcade action to hit the XBox in 2004. The interesting thing about Blinx 2 is that players don't actually get to play as Blinx 2 but rather they create their own feline hero from looks to clothes. To keep things unique, players must customize not only one but four characters per side of both the cats and the pigs. This is where things get a little sticky because the Blinx's Time Factory heroes get to manipulate the forces of time while the Tom Tom Gang get to control the forces of space which really makes for some interesting dynamics in the game. As in the original game, Blinx and his friends get to control and manipulate time which allows them to pause time, go back in time and even fast forward time. This makes for some very cool "Matrix" style manoeuvres that allows the cats to dodge, jump and run through time like Keanu Reeve's Neo. On the other hand, the Tom Tom Gang have the ability to perform a variety of Star Trek style physics such as access space warps and space bubbles. It does take a little time getting use to the pigs special abilities but I must commend Artoon for their awesome special effects in the game. By playing as both sides, this really helps break up the monotony of arcade gaming by keeping everything fresh and unique. Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space also features a variety of puzzles and challenges that will easily be solved by the older game but will give young gamers a run for their money. As like the original game, many of these puzzles must be solved by using the powers of time and space. In order to assist the younger generation of gamers (provided they are playing on easy mode), a member of your crew sometimes turns up to offer assistance to your character.

As with all good arcade games, Blinx 2 also has a variety of other classic arcade archetypes such as fights with henchmen and boss type characters and also jumps, ducks and some very interesting cutscenes to help get the story flowing.

When it comes to multiplayer, Artoon have included a variety of different gaming options such as a two-player co-op mode and even a four player mayhem fest battle mode that is quite simply havoc, especially when you have a room full of kids playing this addictive and competitive game.

Graphically, Blinx 2 is a very impressive looking title that features a variety of special effects that really go hand-in-hand with the gaming environment. All the characters have been professionally designed and look like they have been taken straight out of a cartoon series and match that with some extremely lush backgrounds and gaming environment and this is probably one of the best arcade games of 2004. As mentioned earlier in the review, the best part of the game are the special effects of manipulating time and space which features some awesome particle and reflection effects to really help immerse the gamer into this futuristic world of cats and pigs.

The musical score of Blinx 2 features a very addictive Japanese sounding soundtrack that one cannot help but bop along too. There is also a variety of sound effects in the game that really make for some memorable moments, especially when the pigs manipulate space. As with the previous instalment, Blinx 2 also contains some very cheesy voice acting that really suits this title perfectly. The humour of the title has been vastly improved since its predecessor and it's actually quite funny this time around.

In conclusion, Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space does come a long way from the original  game but unfortunately this current instalment was aimed at the younger generation of gamers. Although there is nothing wrong with that, it may alienate some older gamers from what is a really impressive game. With awesome graphics, a very amusing storyline and some sturdy gameplay, it would be hard to find a game out at the moment that is better than Blinx 2.

- Andrew B