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Clockwork Aquario

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Clockwork Aquario
Developer(s)Westone[a]
Publisher(s)Strictly Limited Games
Designer(s)Ryuichi Nishizawa
Programmer(s)Takanori Kurihara
Artist(s)Mina Morioka
Composer(s)Shinichi Sakamoto
Platform(s)Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
Release
  • JP/EU: November 30, 2021
  • NA: December 14, 2021
Genre(s)Action, platform
Mode(s)Single-player, co-op

Clockwork Aquario[b] is an upcoming action-platform video game developed by Westone and published by Strictly Limited Games for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in 2021. Its gameplay involves defeating waves of enemies, picking up power-ups and items, and destroying bosses across multiple stages in order to stop Dr. Hangyo from taking over the world.

Clockwork Aquario was originally intended to be the last arcade game by Westone, being developed in 1992 for Sega System 18 and push the hardware to its limits, however the increasing popularity of both 3D games and fighting games in arcades as well as poor response during location tests in 1993 led to the game's initial cancellation. In 2017, Strictly Limited Games acquired the title's rights from Sega, with ININ Games collaborating on a restoration work alongside former Westone staff members as certain elements from the project's source code were lost.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot.

Clockwork Aquario is an action-platform game reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. and Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair, where players assume the role of Hack Rondo, Elle Moon or the robot Gash through multiple stages in order to stop Dr. Hangyo with his plan to take over the world.[1][2][3] Players attack enemies by stomping on and grabbing to throw them out across multiple directions, headbutt enemies thrown at characters as well as catching enemies thrown by other players.[1][2] In addition, a player can pick up another player and throw them against enemies.[3] Players also have the ability to turn invincible against enemies for a brief period before the character's invincibility gauge is depleted, which can be replenished by picking up items.[2]

On each stage, players must defeat a sub-boss to obtain a key in order to enter the boss' lair.[2] The bosses can be defeated by stepping on or throwing an enemy them to clear the stage. The game features a 2-hit points per life system similar to Ghosts 'n Goblins, in which getting hit once would make the player's clothes look tattered and getting hit a second time results in a life lost, however the character's clothes can be restored by picking up a health item.[2] Once all life stocks are lost, the game is over but players have the option to continue playing.

Development and release

Clockwork Aquario was created in 1992 at Westone as their final arcade game by most of the staff who were previously involved with several entries in the Wonder Boy/Monster World series, intended to push the hardware limits of the Sega System 18 board.[1][4][5][6][7] Ryuichi Nishizawa served as designer alongside programmer Takanori Kurihara, artist Mina Morioka and composer Shinichi Sakamoto.[1][4][5][7][8] Both Nishizawa and Sakamoto recounted the project's development process and history through various publications, stating that the project was created over the course of two years and intended to resemble Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair but focusing on co-op play before the team added a third player.[1][5][6][9] However, the team reverted to a two-player format at one point during development.[10] Nishizawa stated that the game was coded in Assembler language and recalled that the team used in-circuit emulation for debugging.[11] Nishizawa claimed that the System 18 was a complex and difficult board to work with, due to programmers having to control two graphical functions with one MPU.[11]

Clockwork Aquario was first playable in a mostly-complete state during location tests at Shinjuku and Ueno in 1993 but the release was ultimately cancelled in 1994 due to poor response from players as well as the increasing popularity of both 3D games and fighting games in arcades.[1][2][8][12][13] The game's cancellation also led to Westone withdrawing from arcades and focus on console titles.[3] On October 27, 2006, the original soundtrack by Sakamoto was released through D4 Enterprise's EGG MUSIC label.[14] In 2020, German publisher Strictly Limited Games announced that the title would be launched in 2020 for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 as a limited physical and digital release by ININ Games, after acquiring the rights from Sega.[15][16][17] ININ Games also collaborated alongside former Westone staff members including Nishizawa on a restoration effort as certain elements from the project's source code, which was originally transferred to M2 after Westone closed its doors in 2013, were lost.[8][13][18][19][20]

However, Strictly Limited Games and ININ Games postponed the release to early 2021.[21][22] In November 2020, Strictly Limited Games announced physical editions in limited supply for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.[23] Clockwork Aquario is first planned for a November 30, 2021 release in Japan and Europe, followed by a North American release on December 14, 2021.[24][25]

Reception

Notes

  1. ^ Restoration work by ININ Games
  2. ^ Japanese: 時計じかけのアクワリオ, Hepburn: Tokeijikake no Aquario, lit. "Aquario of the Clockwork"

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "『時計じかけのアクワリオ』サウンドトラック 発売記念 - 坂本慎一（ウエストン ビット エンタテイメント） 特別インタビュー". Project EGG (in Japanese). D4 Enterprise. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-11-07. Retrieved 2020-07-01. (Translation by Lost Levels. Archived 2021-01-17 at the Wayback Machine).
  2. ^ a b c d e f Root (19 November 2006). "時計仕掛けのアクワリオ （ウエストン ９３年没）". ゲームの博物館 (in Japanese). RYUSENDO. Archived from the original on 2020-03-20. Retrieved 2020-09-24. (Translation by Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived 2019-12-29 at the Wayback Machine).
  3. ^ a b c Romano, Sal (26 July 2021). "Clockwork Aquario interview with Ryuichi Nishizawa - Wonder Boy creator discusses upcoming arcade game revival". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
  4. ^ a b Morioka, Mina (31 January 2008). "Profile (～プロフィール～): ～Mina.M（本業）の お絵描き経歴～". cyan.mina1111.com (in Japanese). Cyan -Mina.M （みゃ♪or 藍） Home Page-. Archived from the original on 2007-09-19. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  5. ^ a b c Kalata, Kurt (June 12, 2012). "Wonder Boy (Page 5) - Interview with Ryuichi Nishizawa". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 2019-07-22. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  6. ^ a b Kalata, Kurt (12 June 2012). "Blog: Aquario of the Clockwork - Source Code Found". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 2019-12-19. Retrieved 2020-09-24. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2019-12-29 suggested (help)
  7. ^ a b "Press Releases: Clockwork Aquario". Gamasutra. UBM Technology Group. 4 June 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  8. ^ a b c Cunningham, James (4 June 2020). "Westone's Lost and Last Arcade Game Rescued from History's Dumpster". Hardcore Gamer. Hardcore Gamer LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  9. ^ Lane, Gavin (14 March 2021). "Feature: Clockwork Aquario Developers On The Restoration Of Westone's Lost Arcade Gem". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Archived from the original on 2021-03-14. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  10. ^ Furuya, Yoichi (23 October 2020). "『時計じかけのアクワリオ』幻のアーケードゲームは、27年の時を経てなぜ蘇ることができたのか？ 西澤龍一氏らキーパーソンたちの証言からその真実に迫る". Famitsu (in Japanese). Kadokawa Game Linkage. Archived from the original on 2020-10-23. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  11. ^ a b Kemps, Heidi (23 July 2021). "This Week in Games - Burn It All Down: INTERVIEW: RYUICHI NISHIZAWA OF WONDER BOY AND CLOCKWORK AQUARIO". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2021-07-23. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  12. ^ Vázquez, Luis (23 April 2017). "Lo que pudo ser: Clockwork Aquario". Vandal (in Spanish). El Español. Archived from the original on 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  13. ^ a b Wallace, Chris (8 June 2020). "United Games Entertainment secures the rights to an unreleased SEGA / Westone game". MCV/Develop. Biz Media. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  14. ^ "時計じかけのアクワリオ ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK". Project EGG (in Japanese). D4 Enterprise. 27 October 2006. Archived from the original on 2020-06-20. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  15. ^ McFerran, Damien (28 May 2020). "Strictly Limited Is Resurrecting A Lost Classic From The Creator Of Wonder Boy On Switch". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Archived from the original on 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  16. ^ Romano, Sal (4 June 2020). "Clockwork Aquario, cancelled Westone Bit Entertainment arcade game from 1992, coming to PS4 and Switch in 2020". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  17. ^ Moyse, Chris (6 June 2020). "Unreleased '90s arcade Clockwork Aquario to see the light of day this year". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  18. ^ McFerran, Damien (11 November 2015). "M2 Has The Source Files For Aquario, The Lost Arcade Title From Wonder Boy Studio Westone". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Archived from the original on 2020-06-14. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  19. ^ McFerran, Damien (4 June 2020). "After 27 Years, Westone's Clockwork Aquario Is Finally Getting A Release In 2020". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Archived from the original on 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  20. ^ Varela, Ramón (5 June 2020). "Clockwork Aquario, un juego cancelado de los años 90, se lanzará este año en PS4 y Switch". Vandal (in Spanish). El Español. Archived from the original on 2020-06-06. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  21. ^ Romano, Sal (23 September 2020). "Clockwork Aquario delayed to early 2021; screenshots, key visual, and logo". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2020-09-23. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  22. ^ Craddock, Ryan (23 September 2020). "The Long-Lost Clockwork Aquario Is Being Pushed Back To 2021, New Screens Revealed". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Archived from the original on 2020-11-27. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  23. ^ Romano, Sal (26 November 2020). "Clockwork Aquario limited print physical editions announced - Available in Limited, Collector's, and Ultra Collector's editions". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
  24. ^ Romano, Sal (25 August 2021). "Clockwork Aquario launches November 30 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  25. ^ Moyse, Chris (24 November 2021). "Clockwork Aquario with Europe and North America release date". Destructoid. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
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