Time Traveler (video Game)

Time Traveler (video Game)

Time Traveler or Hologram Time Traveler is a stereographic laserdisc FMV arcade game released in 1991 by Sega and designed by Dragon's Lair creator Rick Dyer. It is called the "World's First Holographic Video Game" because it uses a special arcade cabinet that projects the game's characters. The "holographic" effect is an optical illusion using a huge curved mirror and a CRT television set.

The game's premise is that American old west cowboy Marshal Graham is required to save the universe from scientist turned evil time lord Vulcor, who's found a way to manipulate and distort time itself; and to also rescue Princess Kyi-La of the Galactic Federation, whom Vulcor is holding prisoner in his quest to disrupt the flow of time. Basically the player needed to pursue a villain across time through the ages overcoming various obstacles along the way while undoing all the damage done by Vulcor. The game's action sequences were filmed in San Diego, California, with 40 actors and a small production crew of about 5 people headed by Producer/Director Mark E. Watson of Fallbrook California. The game takes place across many iconic settings from different time periods. All the game's footage was shot as if it were a live action movie. Few props were used during filming as the actors had to imagine fantastical locations while being filmed in front of a green screen stage. Some actors performed multiple roles, for example, the same actor played the obese "amazon queen" in the bonus DVD features and a chainsaw wielding character in the game. The game's special effects, music and character voices were later added at a special effects studio in Carlsbad, California.

In 2001, a non-stereographic version was published by Digital Leisure in PC CD-ROM and standard DVD format.