Play Toki no Tabibito (Japan) Online

Toki no Tabibito, released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan, was developed by Kemco. It arrived during a period when many developers were experimenting with time travel and non-linear storytelling on the NES, offering a different kind of adventure from the straightforward platformers and RPGs of the time.

You control a young boy who must travel through various eras to restore the flow of time. The main objective involves navigating side-scrolling stages, solving environmental puzzles, and defeating enemies across different time periods. A key mechanic is the ability to switch between past and future versions of the same stage mid-level, which alters platforms, hazards, and item availability. You often dodge dinosaurs in the prehistoric era, then shift to the future to grab a key before it disappears. The pacing is deliberate, with some trial and error as you learn how actions in one era affect the other. It feels satisfying to finally execute a clean sequence of time jumps to overcome a tricky obstacle.