Blinx: The Time Sweeper

 Xbox
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 67 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 67
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 67
  3. Negative: 9 out of 67
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  1. KingPinkerton
    May 24, 2015
    8
    While glaringly flawed, BLiNX: The Time Sweeper is still a decent game with functional mechanics. The game looks great and the music is some of the best on the XBOX. The trial-&-error gameplay and odd difficulty spike may be an annoyance to some, but it is a mostly solid game and certainly the best platformer on the system. Fans of platformers will most likely enjoy this game, even if itWhile glaringly flawed, BLiNX: The Time Sweeper is still a decent game with functional mechanics. The game looks great and the music is some of the best on the XBOX. The trial-&-error gameplay and odd difficulty spike may be an annoyance to some, but it is a mostly solid game and certainly the best platformer on the system. Fans of platformers will most likely enjoy this game, even if it is nearly 13 years old.… Expand
  2. Seriously
    Nov 22, 2010
    6
    I really enjoyed the story and creativity of this quite original and untimely game. Due to the difficulty level (which cannot be changed) this video game takes quite a while to finish, and it does not have any cinematics between levels to fully keep you interested. The plot is overall a predictable one, but that doesn't make it any less a good one. The game opens in the Time Factory, whereI really enjoyed the story and creativity of this quite original and untimely game. Due to the difficulty level (which cannot be changed) this video game takes quite a while to finish, and it does not have any cinematics between levels to fully keep you interested. The plot is overall a predictable one, but that doesn't make it any less a good one. The game opens in the Time Factory, where they make and deliver time to different worlds/dimensions. Your character Blinx is a Time Sweeper and travels to different worlds to delete any glitches that may be occuring in time. The most common enemy are the time mosters, but the true villains are the Tom Tom Gang, the main antagonist. The Tom Toms steal the time in B1Q64 and cause a massive outbreak of time monsters while also kidnapping the princess. The variety in levels and these Blinx-only features of controlling time make it a very fun and unforgetable game. However, it's lack of multiplayer and other such content are it's downfall. Still, I recommend playing it for anyone who owns an Xbox.… Expand
  3. gryffn
    Dec 29, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This was the best game i have ever played as a kid, just because of its abstract game play style people down rate it and over look it. it is mostly in a an indie game like style but was made by an actual game company, but now its just abandon ware, but the game was incredible, the second one also had some negative reviews, because the final boss was a boss reused from another game, but when is that nothing, were different games use the same or similar enemies occasionally, but this game was my childhood!… Expand
  4. evolution98
    Jan 17, 2018
    8
    A very underrated game from the original Xbox.

    The graphics are very good and I like how each world is different. The music is good and diverse for every level. I like the enemy designs. The sound effects are really cool. The gameplay is so fun just killing enemies by sucking up items and shooting them and collecting different crystals to create time power ups and affect the way you    A very underrated game from the original Xbox.

    The graphics are very good and I like how each world is different. The music is good and diverse for every level. I like the enemy designs. The sound effects are really cool. The gameplay is so fun just killing enemies by sucking up items and shooting them and collecting different crystals to create time power ups and affect the way you play. I love this concept. The difficulty increases on each world and it makes the game more challenging. I love the trial and error challenge. Finding gold is a must to buy upgrades and life and it is very easy to find gold. The controls are solid and takes a bit of time to get used to.

    Overall, This is a fun game.    … Expand
  5. B-Bog
    Aug 7, 2021
    3
    Super-slow movement speed and horrible, clunky controls make this one of the worst 3D "platformers" I have ever played.
  6. WhisperingGhost
    Feb 24, 2020
    7
    Man I wish I could rate this higher!! This game has so much going for it, and I enjoyed it, but damn is it frustrating!! Impressive graphics and great concept, ultimately held back by aggravating difficulty, repetitive levels & cheap deaths/glitches. I hope this one gets a proper remake, I think it still has a lot of juice left in it. Worth a play if you love Platformers. BackwardsMan I wish I could rate this higher!! This game has so much going for it, and I enjoyed it, but damn is it frustrating!! Impressive graphics and great concept, ultimately held back by aggravating difficulty, repetitive levels & cheap deaths/glitches. I hope this one gets a proper remake, I think it still has a lot of juice left in it. Worth a play if you love Platformers. Backwards compatible for Xbox One!! Recommended for fans of Luigi’s Mansion, Spyro The Dragon, Banjo Kazooie, and the like.… Expand
  7. AnthonyA.
    Mar 30, 2003
    10
    The gane was dope but too short .
  8. BlueFalcon
    Feb 28, 2006
    2
    It's shocking just how bad this turned out considering the neat concept and big hype from e3.
  9. mkharris08
    Aug 8, 2017
    6
    The game was alright...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
  10. doodlerman
    Jul 2, 2012
    5
    I tried it years ago, found it to be frustrating and repetitive. The gameplay isn't really bad, but, since I was a kid back in 2002, it didn't take long before my interest ventured to other, more interesting games. I haven't tried it recently (or in just about a decade), but if I get the chance, maybe my opinion will change.
  11. GamecubeLover
    Jul 16, 2016
    9
    Blinx has an original plot with amazing gameplay! The controls is good and the mechanics are great. It is hard and short sometimes but there is replay value in this game and I'm glad for that. Blinx is awesome!
  12. ItsAllOgre5
    May 20, 2017
    8
    I remember playing this as a kid. I always liked all the different time-based powers, my favorites being Record and Pause. I replayed it last year and was reminded of the nice graphics, so-so music, and the game's biggest flaw, its trial-and-error level design. In one of the ice levels, for instance, you need a Rewind power to undo a falling bridge, but the game does not telegraph that.I remember playing this as a kid. I always liked all the different time-based powers, my favorites being Record and Pause. I replayed it last year and was reminded of the nice graphics, so-so music, and the game's biggest flaw, its trial-and-error level design. In one of the ice levels, for instance, you need a Rewind power to undo a falling bridge, but the game does not telegraph that. Sometimes, if you don't have the right power for the level, you will have to exit, go to another level, get the power, don't waste it, then return. It all takes time. Also, the camera can be pretty bad sometimes.

    Keep those in mind if you are planning on playing this. I still found it fun, though it is very challenging. I don't know how I beat this when I was a little kid; that endgame boss rush was annoying.    … Expand
  13. Unbackedtooth
    Nov 9, 2021
    0
    This game is all the proof you need to know that Yuji Naka is a criminal hack who was carried by Sega for his entire career and that Balan was the level of quality his games had after he formed his own company.

    Bad platforming, a health system that negates progress, a power-up system that frequently forces you to restart stages because they can run out and the most mind-numbing    This game is all the proof you need to know that Yuji Naka is a criminal hack who was carried by Sega for his entire career and that Balan was the level of quality his games had after he formed his own company.

    Bad platforming, a health system that negates progress, a power-up system that frequently forces you to restart stages because they can run out and the most mind-numbing soundtrack ever made.

    Microsoft has made a lot of mistakes but leaving this franchise to die was not one of them.    … Expand
  14. MVMOFFICIAL
    Apr 1, 2020
    9
    You're telling me that some company made a game... with a cat that shoots trashcans at monsters with a vacuum cleaner... uses time controls to manipulate the environment... while having to save a human princess from a gang of evil pigs... and was overlooked?!
    Seriously, this game was my childhood favourite. Still, one of my favourite games of all time. A concept so absurd even the mind of    You're telling me that some company made a game... with a cat that shoots trashcans at monsters with a vacuum cleaner... uses time controls to manipulate the environment... while having to save a human princess from a gang of evil pigs... and was overlooked?!
    Seriously, this game was my childhood favourite. Still, one of my favourite games of all time. A concept so absurd even the mind of some obscure indie developer could not conceive... if you have an Xbox One, try it, as it is available for retrocompatibility. Overwhelmingly underrated in my opinion. Wouldn't mind at all if some company took the IP and remastered it. Although i hate 3d platformers, this one actually isn't that bad in it. Mostly... it has charming areas, each one with a unique atmosphere and soundtrack. Oh boy the soundtrack... spectacular. So, what's the objective of this game? You play as a cat. You have a vacuum cleaner. Suck trashcans and barrels with it, shoot them at the monsters. Kill all enemies in a limited time to win. You can also use "Time Controls" as i mentioned earlier, which you can use to manipulate time at your will. You can pause it, rewind it, slow it, fast forward it... hell, you can even record a clone of yourself to do things for you! Character design is just great and full of personality. Each time monster is totally unique and has their special abilities, like turning into a spike ball and charge at you or eating the trash if you shoot at them from the front. Bosses also are mostly well designed and some are thrilling! The difficulty also skyrockets on late game! I still haven't managed to finish the game to this day, as the final boss is something out from Dark Souls's lost episode. It also has great graphics for a 2002 game! Like any game before the 2010s though, it has those collectathons. In this one, we have cat medals hidden in every level. Some are in plain sight, some are well hidden. The biggest flaw of this? Couldn't succeed on the market like other games. Mostly veterans will remember this game. It also got a terrible sequel. It just cannot reach the amounts of weirdness the first has. Can someone please make a petition to remake or remaster this lost pearl of a game? I has to be revived in some way...

    That's about it. Later.    … Expand
  15. storygamer
    Oct 21, 2020
    8
    The original Microsoft Xbox isn´t known for Jump´n Run games. This is unjustified, because Blinx: The Time Sweeper is a great game for all ages.Next to the real funny gameplay and plot, the graphics and style are just heavenly. And this game has many unique ideas like time-control. Even though Blinx is really difficult and some missions are repetitive, this game is worth a play. Not onlyThe original Microsoft Xbox isn´t known for Jump´n Run games. This is unjustified, because Blinx: The Time Sweeper is a great game for all ages.Next to the real funny gameplay and plot, the graphics and style are just heavenly. And this game has many unique ideas like time-control. Even though Blinx is really difficult and some missions are repetitive, this game is worth a play. Not only for cat lovers.… Expand
  16. Speedthe1
    Aug 16, 2020
    10
    This game truly is something special, it has it's flaws in game mechanics and it can get a little frustrating at times. However the concept is great and there is truly nothing else like it, it's a shame Microsoft left this franchise dormant, a third BLiNX game that would fix all of the flaws in the first two along with adding more would be great. Unfortunately, as the days go by, a newThis game truly is something special, it has it's flaws in game mechanics and it can get a little frustrating at times. However the concept is great and there is truly nothing else like it, it's a shame Microsoft left this franchise dormant, a third BLiNX game that would fix all of the flaws in the first two along with adding more would be great. Unfortunately, as the days go by, a new Blinx game is looking more and more unlikely, but who knows, maybe one day some one at Microsoft will feel how we do and a third game will be born. Overall, this game is almost 20 years old now and the fact that it still hold's up okay even with it's issues is quite amazing.… Expand
  17. [Anonymous]
    Oct 4, 2002
    8
    This game will be crazy.
  18. AdnyA.
    Oct 24, 2002
    10
    FINALLY a NEW idea, and not just a cookie-cutter generic platformer that plays off the genius, creativity and fun of the Mario and Sonic series. I admit that those two set certain high standards. And thankfully Blinx lands right there with originality, beauty, and fun to play. As of late, i've been begging for a game with some cool challenges where i dont find myself breezing through FINALLY a NEW idea, and not just a cookie-cutter generic platformer that plays off the genius, creativity and fun of the Mario and Sonic series. I admit that those two set certain high standards. And thankfully Blinx lands right there with originality, beauty, and fun to play. As of late, i've been begging for a game with some cool challenges where i dont find myself breezing through the stages just to catch up with the ending credits! I'm A BIG FAN of this type of gameplay music too, not since the Sonic Series or Nights have music been so creative and fun. I'm pleased to have such a great platformer in my collection and proud to be playing a game that brings me back to the challenges of yesteryear. BRAVO!… Expand
  19. Jonathan
    Feb 13, 2003
    10
    This is worth your money if the rating could go higher i would rate it 3000.
  20. RobertJ.
    Jun 17, 2003
    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 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?… Expand
  21. PaulS.
    Oct 10, 2002
    9
    Great game, totally different than others, time travel is awesome.
  22. GeorgeP.
    Jan 17, 2003
    10
    This game is one of the best games I played for Xbox. The only thing it was to short for my but besides the I loved it!
  23. CodyS.
    Jul 26, 2003
    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.
  24. ArmandilloD.
    Sep 7, 2005
    6
    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.
  25. SoomMachine
    Nov 27, 2002
    10
    Original, cool, challenging, what more can you want from a game? Not easy but very very addictive!
  26. iSnow96
    Dec 22, 2021
    9
    One of my childhood games definitely a classic can sometimes be too hard tho.
    sadly we are probably never going to see a third one :(
  27. MRPCTV764
    Jan 15, 2022
    9
    Blinx was supposed to be the Mascot of Xbox but since the Halo Sales was getting better than this game it was Master Chief that was the Mascot

    But I like Blinx because it one of my first Xbox Games (same goes with Halo)
  28. BeemoNeemo
    Apr 23, 2022
    10
    Probably one of the best games I’ve ever played. It might not seem like much, but it’s much more than the “mediocre mascot” label content creators put on it. It has a really good difficulty curve and level design doesn’t waste your time usually (something the second game doesn’t do as much). You can play it on any Xbox console (though I would suggest avoiding playing on 360 as it can runProbably one of the best games I’ve ever played. It might not seem like much, but it’s much more than the “mediocre mascot” label content creators put on it. It has a really good difficulty curve and level design doesn’t waste your time usually (something the second game doesn’t do as much). You can play it on any Xbox console (though I would suggest avoiding playing on 360 as it can run poorly at times) and it’s well worth the purchase. Some reviewers point out how it’s difficulty can be a downside, and I can see that being true for some but if you can handle some occasionally challenging puzzles then this is a great game. Blinx is also a very lovable protagonist!… Expand
  29. allovafenoglio
    Apr 28, 2022
    1
    Worst game in the world. Auto lock that makes you miss the target, **** movements, random enemy patterns, awful collisions. STAY AWAY FROM THIS GAME
  30. BlinxLover
    Jun 29, 2023
    10
    Changed my life, Perfect. The game features fun 3-Dimensional Platforming, an interesting spin on combat, and beautiful graphics, all packaged onto the the XBOX console.
  31. Blinx3
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    BLiNX: the Time Sweeper is the best game ever made. Please make a third game already Mr. Microsoft, this masterpiece of a franchise doesn't deserve to be dead. I really liked the part where Blinx shot a Chronoblob in the face with some trash he found in the first level. Using time controls to break the flow of time is pretty fun, especially when they glitch out and do stuff like duplicateBLiNX: the Time Sweeper is the best game ever made. Please make a third game already Mr. Microsoft, this masterpiece of a franchise doesn't deserve to be dead. I really liked the part where Blinx shot a Chronoblob in the face with some trash he found in the first level. Using time controls to break the flow of time is pretty fun, especially when they glitch out and do stuff like duplicate spawned in gold from bosses because you died after defeating them during REC.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Best Xbox Game of 2002
4
#4 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2002
6
#6 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2002

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 36
  3. Negative: 2 out of 36
  1. GMR Magazine
    70
    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]
  2. Xbox Nation Magazine
    60
    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]
  3. Eurogamer
    60
    If you’re close to a wall, Blinx regularly disappears, so you’re 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
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