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Blinx: The Time Sweeper

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 36 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 20 votes
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Game Info
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Artoon
Genre(s): Action, Platform
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Release Date: October 8, 2002
Summary
Blinx is a cat on a mission to fix glitches in time. With the aid of his trusty and powerful Time Sweeper, Blinx recovers lost time crystals and fights Time Monsters in his attempt to rescue a kidnapped princess and return order to the world! [Microsoft]
Also On Metacritic
GAMES: Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central IGN Insider Guide
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Play Magazine
If this game doesn't make you smile then you probably don't have a mouth. [Dec 2002, p.68]
Yahoo! Games
Graphically excellent, easy to control, interesting and very long, Blinx is certainly the best platform game on Xbox so far.
Read Full Review >IGN
This one will take time and a real investment to master... A solid, challenging, and beautiful game, but it's also a significant step in the direction of the Xbox.
Read Full Review >Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)
Looks a bit rubbish at first, but scratch the surface and you'll find one of the strongest and most rewarding Xbox games yet. [GamesMaster]
Read Full Review >GameNow
Certainly should garner awards for technical achievement. [Dec 2002, p.58]
Armchair Empire
Instead of being the Mario challenger it could have been, the overall control, camera issues and the above-mentioned weak points of the game bring it down to good-but-not-good-enough status.
Read Full Review >netjak
It is visually impressive, has some decent audio features, and some great ideas. Too bad the crystal system became a pain and the game was so short.
Read Full Review >Electric Playground
In addition to the plot straight out of an LSD hallucination, it has unique game mechanics that really spice up the platform gaming scene.
Read Full Review >Total Video Games
Its obvious that the idea of time manipulation came whilst these guys were working on "Sonic CD," and its certainly been developed, but just not quite enough.
Read Full Review >Adrenaline Vault
Blending the time controls with standard platformer gameplay gives this title more than a twist; it's got an entire hook of its own.
Read Full Review >GameCritics
Truly taxing for the mind and the thumbs, its a game that only gets deeper, better and more challenging as it progresses.
Read Full Review >GamerWeb Xbox
When it comes down to it, no Xbox owner should go without at least trying the video game industry's very first four-dimensional product.
Read Full Review >GameZone
The time control elements are so unique and the corresponding graphic effects are so cool that you'd be a fool to miss out on them.
Read Full Review >GameShark
It combines a sort of Tetris feel with a platform shooter that is good with kids. If it doesn't teach kids shapes and how to aim a controller, I am not sure what will.
Read Full Review >Game Informer
Don't expect the thrills to last very long. Whether you finish it quickly, or tire of the routine, it just doesn't have the depth or drawing power to keep you hooked. [Nov 2002, p.136]
Team Xbox
A solid platform game that is fun to play, but it is not without its pitfalls that will leave you somewhat frustrated.
Read Full Review >Into Liquid Sky
The mechanics for shooting garbage and bombs seems inconsistent. Sometimes, you can shoot at a monster across the room and nail him, but other times, the garbage seems to get caught on something invisible. And when you're shooting bombs, this becomes extremely dangerous.
Read Full Review >Official Xbox Magazine
Add to this some of the game's camera problems and the smallish feel of each stage and Blinx is just slightly amiss of being the really creative, clever game it's premise hints at. [Dec 2002, p.96]
Gamer's Pulse
The good news is that Blinx has a lot of potential to become a quality game series, and future games can be great if those areas needing improvement are addressed.
Read Full Review >GamePro
A unique hybrid of a platform game and logic puzzle thats too unforgiving to be fun for too long.
Read Full Review >Gaming Maxx
The game fell short of what I was hoping for, but it still was some fun to play.
Read Full Review >TotalGames.net
Although Blinx has its flaws, it is innovative and unusual enough to make it a worthy purchase.
Read Full Review >Electronic Gaming Monthly
Note to developers: if your main character is a wacky time-travelling, vacuuming cat, you've got to milk the wacky angle! [Dec 2002, p.248]
GMR Magazine
This green-eyed feline can control the flow of time, but puzzles designed around that concept are lacking. Great idea, flawed execution. [Feb 2003, p.95]
Eurogamer
If youre close to a wall, Blinx regularly disappears, so youre left waddling around in first person mode, completely unable to judge distance or aim properly or in fact play the game properly.
Read Full Review >Xbox Nation Magazine
Even seasoned gamers will have to replay Blinx's tougher levels dozens of times before succeeding... but replaying Blinx's levels more than a few times is just plain boring. [Winter 2002, p.90]
G4 TV
With such excellent production values, it's a shame that Blinx is brought down by its difficulty and camera issues.
Read Full Review >Cheat Code Central
If Blinx didn't have enough to worry about, Artoon's camera work teeters on the brink of disaster and often just crashes and burns.
Game Revolution
Instead of an outstanding title, all we're left with is an average game highlighted by one outstanding feature.
Read Full Review >All Game Guide
A game with potential, but the developers need to change the scope of the worlds as well as offer more varied objectives for it to be grouped in the same litter as "Super Mario Sunshine" or "Jak and Daxter."
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
The cool concept can't sweep away the problems - a poor camera system, kitschy visuals, annoying music, and bland level design. [18 Oct 2002, p.1124]
GameSpy
One of the most tedious, poorly-conceived 3D platform games that I've had the displeasure of slogging through. That said, it doesn't screw up the technical stuff.
Read Full Review >Gamestyle
Unrewarding, derivative, insulting and just plain dull, and worse of all, shamefully ignorant of the huge leaps forward in level design, characterisation and game structure and in the last decade, and as such is best avoided.
Read Full Review >Gaming Age
Horrendous, horribly, horribly frustrating later level designs, which totally ruin any love I previously had for the game.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 20 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Blue Falcon gave it a2:
It's shocking just how bad this turned out considering the neat concept and big hype from e3.
Armandillo D. gave it a6:
This game was bit of disappointment... it wasnt a total crap, bit i didnt enjoy playing it. Blinx had some great ideas, but those wasnt used as good as possible rating is something between 6 and 7.
Cody S. gave it a 2:
This game lacks in almost everything besides creativity. I had this "game" a few weeks before I traded it in at my local video game store. I give this game a 2, for...um..creativity. Also, the princess story has been used up since super mario RPG, which was a very nice game. I give super mario RPG a 7-10.
Robert J. gave it a 7:
Blinx is one tough cat. That is to say this is a very difficult game. One hit kills abound and the levels are all timed. It becomes far too easy to mess up and keep dying over and over- for less skilled gamers, interpret that to say 'RENT FIRST'. However I still liked Blinx. Naoto Oshima created the orange bugger, and interestingly he also designed Sonic the Hedgehog. In fact the visual style throughout this game, from the design of menu's to the style of art throughout the game reminded me of classic Sega. The music was done by Wavemaster, which is also part of Sega, and the tunes kinda reminded me of the genesis era sonic tunes, except with meowing resonant filter sweeps from the lead synth. Heck, even the level design has a sega vibe to it. People can complain about this games difficulty, yet praise super mokey balls, and i don't get that... this game has a lot of interestingly designed levels, a great lead character, fun tunes, warped artistic direction. However what this game is not is a game like Jak and Daxter. Everything is timed and somewhat linear. The levels are all kind of small. But that plays in with the design approach... Perhaps Blinx is an anochronism, with no central hub, very little story etc., timed levels with one hit kills... But I still dig the game, what can I say?
Pamela gave it a 10:
I think that this is one of the best games ever. you should do Blinx gameII.
Anthony A. gave it a 10:
The gane was dope but too short .
Jonathan gave it a 10:
This is worth your money if the rating could go higher i would rate it 3000.
