Clockwork Aquario (Nintendo Switch)

Clockwork Aquario was developed to completion in 1994, however due to the rise in popularity of 3D gaming in the arcades by the mid 90’s the game was cancelled. It sat in limbo until publisher Inin Games picked up the rights, restored the lost source code, and finally released the game on Nintendo Switch and PS4.

Clockwork Aquario is a two player side scrolling platform game with big and colourful sprite based graphics. The story is the classic evil doctor is trying to take over the world and it’s up to our trio of playable heroes to save the day. The game has simple to grasp mechanics, jump or melee attack your enemies to stun them, pick them up and throw them to chain together attacks for power ups and the all important arcade high score.

The gameplay isn’t revolutionary, but its fun and addictive to play. The game is fairly short with only 5 levels, each ending with a boss battle, and can be beat from beginning to end in around 25 minutes but bearing in mind this was an arcade game, any longer I think may have started to feel repetitive.

The additions features on this release are very cool though. My problem with home ports of arcade releases is obviously I want unlimited credit to be able to finish those money hungry games I loved as a kid, but as soon as I know I have unlimited credits I almost stop trying to be at all competent at the game and just bruit force my way though, taking away the enjoyment of actually getting good at the game. Clockwork Aquario of cause has the unlimited credit arcade experience, but In addition has easy, normal and hard modes where you have to complete the game with 9, 5 and 3 credits respectively. Completing any of these version, including the truncated training mode, unlocks the arcade made.

The arcade mode has a super cool feature where you can access the arcade machines service mode to poke around the setting the arcade owner would have had this game ever actually been released. This include pretty redundant options like memory and display tests, book keeping records, and even options to change the dip switch settings to change the game parameters. As someone who grow up infatuated with arcade cabinets, this was a very much appreciated detail. 

It saddens me that such a cool game like this never got released despite being completed. I think the sprite based ‘pixel art’ look and chip tune-esk sound track have aged much better than the ugly early 3D games that cause it’s cancellation. But thinking about the arcade games I was obsessed with as a 10 year old at the time, it was games like Virtua Cop, Sega Rally, Ridge Racer… so it was probably difficult but smart move by the original publisher Sega.

And alls well that ends well now the game has finally been released and can be appreciate fully for what it was, a solid playing, beautiful looking, fun, multiplayer platform game.