Play Toki no Tabibito (Japan) Online

Toki no Tabibito (Time Traveler) is one of those NES games that makes you wonder why it never made it outside Japan. You play as this kid who stumbles into time travel, hopping between eras—dinosaurs one minute, flying cars the next—and the whole thing has this weirdly cozy, slightly janky Famicom vibe.

The time-hopping isn’t just for show, either. Some levels force you to switch eras mid-jump to avoid spikes or grab items that only exist in certain timelines. It’s the kind of game where you’ll accidentally trap yourself in the past because you forgot to hit a switch in the future first. Frustrating? Sometimes. But also weirdly satisfying when it clicks.

The pixel art’s bright and full of little details (love the cavemen just vibing in the background), and the music’s got that classic upbeat chiptune energy. It’s not the hardest platformer out there, but it’s got enough charm and clever ideas to make up for the occasional clunky moment. Definitely a cult favorite for a reason.