One of the great things about Xbox Live Arcade is that it really encourages developers to create games that appeal to the nostalgic gamer in all of us, and you don’t get much more classic than the side-scrolling shoot ‘em up. What separates “Sine Mora” from genre favorites like “Gradius” and “R-Type,” however, is the importance that time plays in the game. Not only can you control time by slowing it down in order to evade fire, but time also acts as your health. You lose a few seconds with each hit you take, gain some back with every enemy you kill, and if your timer runs out, you’re dead. There are also several power-ups you can collect throughout the game that add time to your clock, upgrade your primary weapon or provide a temporary shield.

The game’s distinctive features are only upstaged by its amazing art design, although you won’t have much time to appreciate the gorgeous backdrops because you’ll be too busy trying to dodge the overwhelming amount of enemy fire that fills the screen at any given time. But while “Sine Mora” is a visually stunning twist on the popular shoot ’em up genre, the fact that Suda51’s Grasshopper Manufacture is behind the game means that it’s also a bit bizarre. Starring a cast of “Star Fox”-like anthropomorphic pilots that speak Hungarian and discuss adult topics like murder and rape, the story jumps back and forth between locations, time periods and characters so often that it’s virtually incomprehensible.

“Sine Mora” would have been better off just axing the story altogether, because although the game can be a bit frustrating at times, it’s still a lot of fun to play; the multi-tiered boss battles are a particular highlight. Sadly, it all goes by too fast, with a campaign mode that barely lasts two hours on normal difficulty. Those looking for a bigger challenge will find one in the included Arcade mode – which lets you play each mission piecemeal without the story and introduces other abilities like rewinding time and a bullet-deflecting shield – but unless you’re a hardcore shoot ‘em up fan, it’s probably not worth spending $15 on such a niche game.