Clockwork Aquario
- November 30, 2021
- Westone
Clockwork Aquario is a great title if you are looking to be transported to the arcade from your house. It’s bright, colourful, and has a fun co-op mode so you can share the experience with a friend. If you have a Switch this is a title to check out!
Clockwork Aquario was the last arcade game ever developed by the legendary Westone Bit Entertainment in 1992, but was never finished. The game was thought to be lost in time, but Strictly Limited Games set out on the mission to dig deep into video game archeology and save Clockwork Aquario from being lost in time. Beautiful pixel art and vibrant colors with three unique characters: Huck Londo, th…
Nintendo Switch
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Reviews
- Beautiful spritework and vibrant visuals that capture the essence of '90s arcade games.
- Fun co-op mode that enhances the experience when playing with a friend.
- Short and sweet gameplay that is entertaining and creatively designed, making it enjoyable to replay.
- The game is very short, which may leave players wanting more content.
- Lacks replay incentive due to the absence of online leaderboards and limited features.
- Feels dated and cheap in some aspects, which may not appeal to all players.
- gameplay1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its short and engaging nature, typical of classic arcade platformers, offering a variety of creative and entertaining challenges, including unique enemies like mechanical flying fish and a giant egg-dropping robo-penguin.
“It won’t take long to beat — and it shouldn’t, because a good 30-year-old arcade platformer is supposed to be short and sweet — but what the game lacks in length it more than makes up for in entertainment and raw creativity, with stages pitting you against everything from mechanical flying fish to a gigantic egg-dropping robo-penguin.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged for long periods.”
“The controls are unresponsive at times, leading to frustrating moments that detract from the overall experience.”
“The difficulty spikes are poorly balanced, often resulting in unfair challenges that can ruin the flow of the game.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is enhanced by its chunky pixel art style, which complements the unique character designs and contributes to the overall flow of the levels. Players appreciate how these visual elements work together to create a distinct and engaging experience.
Critic Reviews
Clockwork Aquario
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
70%Clockwork Aquario (Switch) Review
A canceled arcade game returns from the dead.
70%Clockwork Aquario Review
Clockwork Aquario has been a long time coming, but it was definitely worth the wait. An obvious labour of love, this ill-fated arcade gem has been improbably recovered, restored, and reassembled, and it never feels like anything less than a carefully unearthed treasure that’s been polished until it shines. It won’t take long to beat — and it shouldn’t, because a good 30-year-old arcade platformer is supposed to be short and sweet — but what the game lacks in length it more than makes up for in entertainment and raw creativity, with stages pitting you against everything from mechanical flying fish to a gigantic egg-dropping robo-penguin. It’s the sort of game you come back to again and again because you want to rather than have to, and we feel lucky to have it.
90%
