Mechanic · time & pacing

Time limit

A countdown in which the player must finish a level or a task, after which they lose a life or the attempt.

stubAlso: timer, level timer, countdown, clock, hurry up, escape timerUpdated 2026-10-23
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A time limit pushes the player along. The clock counts in units that need not be seconds, often warns near the end, and costs a life when it runs out.

  • Per levelFelix the Cat (1992). A three-digit timer drops every 60 frames, and the clear counts what's left.1,2

See also

Games

GameYearHowNote
Felix the Cat1992Per levela three-digit timer drops every 60 frames, and the clear counts what's left
Every claim about this mechanic, by game (3)
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels 1986Fireballs, the level timer and the stage objects (ProcFireballs through VineObjectHandler) are Super Mario Bros.'s with these changes: RunGameTimer tests the player's height with BPL instead of BCS and points at the timer digits' new place; WarpZoneObject no longer counts up WarpZoneControl; FlagpoleRoutine gives a life for the new sixth flagpole score; JumpspringHandler launches with the green springs' force on world numbers 2, 3 and 7; VineObjectHandler erases the vine and its metatiles once it goes off the left of the screen. ProcFireballs and ProcessWhirlpools differ only in their addresses, and SetupVine is byte for byte the same.Code
Felix the Cat 1992Once the clear flag is up, the game counts the timer down one unit a frame, and the stage index moves on 162 frames after the timer's count, so the wait after a clear is the timer's reading plus 162 frames. With the power level above 0, the power's remaining units ($03C0) are counted first, about 15 frames each.Verified
The timer is three digit tiles at $03A9-$03AB (tile $10 is 0). During play in a stage's main area ($0411 = 0) it drops by 1 every 60 frames, counted at $03AC, and at 000 without a clear the game sets $03FA, time over.Code

References

  1. ^The timer is three digit tiles at $03A9-$03AB (tile $10 is 0). During play in a stage's main area ($0411 = 0) it drops by 1 every 60 frames, counted at $03AC, and at 000 without a clear the game sets $03FA, time over.Code“Felix the Cat (USA)”
    How we know

    In the cartridge (“Felix the Cat (USA)”): fixed bank $F7B2-$F7FC: skip unless $0411 is 0; INC $03AC; below $3C stop; else reset it and take 1 from $03AB, borrowing from $03AA and $03A9; fixed bank $F934-$F947: at 000 with $03B7 clear and $0411 at 0, $03FA = 1. We don't reproduce the bytes.

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-25.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

    In the claim ledger

  2. ^Once the clear flag is up, the game counts the timer down one unit a frame, and the stage index moves on 162 frames after the timer's count, so the wait after a clear is the timer's reading plus 162 frames. With the power level above 0, the power's remaining units ($03C0) are counted first, about 15 frames each.Verified“Felix the Cat (USA)” · 1625M, replayed in FCEUX
    How we know

    In the cartridge (“Felix the Cat (USA)”): fixed bank $F707-$F761: with $03B7 set and $03C6 and $03C0 above 0, step $03C1 down; at 0, add to the score, reload it with 15, and take 1 from $03C0; otherwise add to the score and go on to the timer; fixed bank $F7B2-$F7FC: in play, count $03AC to $3C before the timer step; the tally enters at $F7C6, the step itself, which takes 1 from the three digits with borrows. We don't reproduce the bytes.

    the 22 clears

    Measured by a script in MesenCE 2.2.1 (build 4b8a196), on Felix the Cat (USA) (SHA-1 b57b1c6e6933…). It fails if the result disagrees with the claim.

    The numbers come from the run; its author, an AI model, checked the script measures what the claim says, 2026-10-25.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

    In the claim ledger