Blinx: The Time Sweeper
Blinx: The Time Sweeper is a platform game developed by Artoon and published by Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for the Xbox. Advertised as "The World's First 4D Action Game", "Blinx: The Time Sweeper" focuses on the titular character, an anthropomorphic cat called Blinx, who's on a mission to prevent the end of World B1Q64 and rescue its princess from the evil Tom-Tom Gang. Blinx is outfitted with the TS-1000 Vacuum Cleaner, with which he can exert control over time itself through five unique "Time Controls": slowing time down, speeding time up, recording a  moment in time, reversing time, and stopping time entirely. A sequel, "", was released in 2004. Plot. When a gang of evil pigs known as the Tom-Tom Gang begin stealing time from World B1Q64, it becomes temporally unstable to the extent that the Time Sweepers decide that it is safer for all worlds if the supply of time to World B1Q64 be halted, suspending it and its inhabitants indefinitely. When Blinx receives a message from a young princess trapped within the doomed world, Blinx proceeds to the room in which the portal leading to World B1Q64 is kept. Although the  rest of the Time Factory staff are against it, Blinx dives into the portal moments before it closes. He then travels to several parts of the world, fighting the time monsters, and recovering the resulting crystals in a desperate attempt to save World B1Q64. After a long journey, he manages to catch up with the Tom-Toms and the princess in Momentopolis. He follows them towards the stadium, which is surrounded by a large number time crystals. Suddenly, light emerges in the centre of the stadium's platform, causing the Tom-Tom Gang and the Princess to freeze, and circle  the light, along with the rest of the time crystals. The combination of time crystals, Princess, and Tom-Toms creates the final time monster: the Chronohorn, which can use Time Controls as well. Before Blinx can fight it, the Chronohorn rewinds time, and forces Blinx to fight four previous bosses (all of which are the ameliorated versions of the ones that you fight in rounds 1, 2, 3 and 5). After he defeats them all again, he fights the Chronohorn, wins and saves the sleeping princess while letting the Tom-Toms escape. With the Tom-Toms gone, and time beginning  to flow in World B1Q64 again, Blinx is content that his mission is complete. As the princess wakes up on the bench she was placed on, Blinx reluctantly says goodbye and leaves. The princess tries to follow him, but he jumps into a portal and ends up back in the Time Factory to be welcomed by applause from the other Time Sweepers. An announcement from the Mother Computer explains that World B1Q64 will not be cut off from the Time Factory, and Blinx is congratulated by the CEO, the Operator and the Third Administrator of the Time Factory. After the  credits roll, the player sees a message written by the princess (her real name, Princess Lena, is revealed at this point). The message says that Lena has the time crystals that Blinx collected, and that she will use them for the most important thing of all. Using the time crystals, she rewinds time to when Blinx is about to leave. Before he jumps in the portal again, she wakes up, gives Blinx a hug, and thanks him. Reception. "Blinx: The Time Sweeper" received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. GameSpy included the game in its "Most Overrated  Games Ever" feature. Although the graphics were generally praised, the game's execution, notably the control method, was considered to have resulted in the game being too difficult. Saleswise, by 2003, 156,000 copies were sold. In 2003, "Blinx" also entered the Platinum Hits range (as part of the all-age Platinum Family Hits). GameSpot editor Greg Kasavin gave it a score of 6.3 out of 10, noting that players get a sense of relief from completing a level, rather than enjoyment or satisfaction. It was a runner-up for "GameSpot"s annual "Most Disappointing Game on Xbox" award, which went to  ToeJam & Earl III. "Electronic Gaming Monthly" gave it 7.5/5.5/8: the second reviewer found the game to be tedious and repetitive, but the third believed that "issues aside, the unique style and play mechanics make [it] stand out". In Japan, "Famitsu" gave it a score of 31 out of 40. GameSpy suggested that Blinx was proposed as a possible mascot for the Xbox system, rivaling Nintendo's Mario, Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog, and since the main character of "" (Master Chief) was considered too violent (and also lacking in identity behind a visor), and the officials wanted a "friendly, furry face  to lead the sales among the younger clientele. Due to the game's unpopularity, it never achieved the suggested goal and Master Chief is unofficially seen as the mascot, though Blinx was in fact proposed as the mascot for the Xbox in Japan for a while.