♦ Livestream of 2 MegaZeux worlds. ♦
♦ Stream Contents ♦
• (3:16) “Lochronotran” by ThDPro (2013) [https://www.digitalmzx.com/show.php?id=2024]
• (1:10:53) “Lochronotran 2” by ThDPro (2020) [https://www.digitalmzx.com/show.php?id=2491]
Two time-loop games that play unlike anything I've seen before! Lochronotran is a MZX game that I was told was one of the best of the best, and I find myself in agreement with that sentiment. It's a puzzle game on a short and strict timer of just two minutes to accomplish everything, made possible thanks to your own personal time machine which provides infinite resets.
You have just finished your invention when a future self arrives to warn you that something terrible is going to happen two minutes from now. You are then let loose into a small town adjacent to a restricted military base free to roam and figure out what exactly is going to happen, and what needs to be done in order to stop it. Pressing space at any time will reset you to the start of your two minutes, but the time travel mechanics go beyond a simple retry system.
When you go back in time, the previous yous are still there, replicating your previous attempts time and time again. As you reset more and more, your lab will burst open with a dozen smiley faces running off in multiple directions to prevent traffic fatalities, do a little shoplifting, mess with annoying townsfolk, and even combine efforts to perform tasks that one you isn't capable of!
Creative ideas are rewarded with "Time Token" trinkets which can unlock a little bonus engine at the end if you get them all, so it's worth trying anything you can think of. Just be sure not to be late for your 6:33 bridge lowering!
The game was a blast to play, features an incredible soundtrack, and truly plays like nothing else. IMO this is a real showcase world for MegaZeux that I can't recommend enough.
Oh, and it has a sequel.
The second game plays the same way, though this time the only one in danger is you, who for some undisclosed reason is about to be executed at the local prison. This time, you and yourselves need to rummage around a town gaining access to parts of the prison and finding a way to shut down the electric chair undetected. Admittedly, it's more of the same, which makes it not hit as hard just minutes after playing the first game, but with a seven year gap between the original and its sequel, I can see why folks were clamoring for more Lochronotran. Both games are excellent puzzle worlds that take a very simple concept (if very complex one to implement in code) and do some really impressive stuff with it. Don't miss out on these!
♦ Originally streamed on May 9th, 2025 ♦
