Clockwork Aquario [Review]
Long lost arcade game Clockwork Aquario is now available on Xbox platforms.
Image: ININ / Westone
ININ has released Clockwork Aquario on Xbox as part of its ININVASION event after releasing it earlier this year on other platforms. I got to experience this long lost arcade treasure with this new Xbox release.
Clockwork Aquario began development 28 years ago by Westone as an arcade game. The game was unfortunately cancelled before completion because of lukewarm reception from testers and the waning popularity of arcade 2D sidescrollers in favor of fighting games or 3D games. ININ collaborated with Strictly Limited Games and some of the original developers from Westone to complete the game from its unfinished ROM.
In Clockwork Aquario, the the player traverses sidescrolling levels, fighting enemies, minibosses, and bosses. Enemies are stunned when punched, jumped on, or hit with jumps from underneath. They can then be grabbed and through in four directions. There’s a combo system that I wasn’t quite able to decipher, but if you get enough points you can earn extra lives.
Image: ININ / Westone
The game’s art is colorful, reminiscent of Sega Genesis or Saturn graphics. Clockwork Aquario’s large sprites look great, but have the adverse effect of limiting the play area, which doesn’t allow for much time to react to threats from offscreen. Music and sound is alright, except for repetitive samples for the playable characters that wear out their welcome quickly.
There are three playable characters, with purely cosmetic differences; they all play the same way. You’re able to change characters whenever you continue after losing all your lives. On that note, the game’s difficulty modes are differentiated simply by how many credits you’re given.
The game is fun but not especially difficult, with the exception of a few specific sections. However, the fun is over all too quickly as a normal playthrough will last 20-25 minutes and there aren’t any alternative game modes to extend that playtime, aside from trying to complete the game using less credits.
I know that had I encountered Clockwork Aquario in an arcade in the early ‘90s, I would have loved it. As it stands, for a modern console release, it’s more of a curiosity since it ends so quickly and doesn’t have enough materials around it to support it. It would have been more fitting for this game to be part of a collection rather than a solo release.
Clockwork Aquario is available on Switch, PS4, PS5, and now Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
