Clockwork Aquario Reviews
Clockwork Aquario was made for a very specific crowd of people, by an incredibly passionate team. Obviously a short and simple arcade platformer like this isn't going to be a smash hit today, but there are still plenty of people out there who clamor for old-school '90s arcade bliss. If you're one of those people, then Clockwork Aquario is the game for you. It's short and easy, but fun and beautiful. An arcade classic that was almost lost to time, and I'm so happy that it wasn't.
It's a great retro novelty, capable of filling the hearts of fans. It just doesn't melt them due to poor longevity.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
It is fabulous to find a game that was once lost be brought back to life but not only that, brought back to life with such care and commitment. Yes, it’s really short but you will love beating up robot penguins and crazy fish heads and you genuinely will feel a sense that you have been given the privilege to play this game at long last. This has to be in your game collection not just for the nostalgia but quite simply because it is one superb piece of gaming.
Clockwork Aquario is just a wonderful arcade experience that had me grinning throughout. As a retro gamer and Wonder boy series fanboy this seemed like probably the best early Xmas present I could ask for this year (that’s gaming related). Now putting my fandom to the side I will point out this is a very short arcade game with very minimal extras. Some may feel this doesn’t justify the price of entry. However, this art style is gorgeous, the game is co-op and the feel-good factors I had playing this more than justifies the praise that this product deserves. Clockwork Aquario may have been deemed unsuitable for the industry back in the day but it sure fits in now and I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to experience it.
Clockwork Aquario is a product of its time. The short game length and high difficulty are similar to its 90s counterparts. Unfortunately, due to this, there aren’t many reasons to revisit the game after playing through the meager number of stages. The score-based gameplay is a fresh twist and makes for an addictive platforming experience. Gaining multipliers and working out routes is fun whether playing on your own or with a partner. Even with its beautiful, chunky pixel art and vivid backgrounds, the game’s shortage of content and high price, make this a forgettable re-emergence rather than a celebrated return.
Was it worth the wait? Absolutely; a restoration project of this magnitude is worthy of note, if nothing else — but when the final game ends up being a lot of charming fun on top of all that, then yes, it most definitely was worth the wait.
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.
Is it a fun classic side-scroller that’s worth £17 of your money? Yes, if you like or liked these games and want something both fresh and classic all in one joyous colour bundle.
That such a project (so inspired by the love of retro) goes ahead is always a joy. The game itself blames certain imbalances in the difficulty curve and becomes somewhat short, but it is undoubtedly agile, friendly and direct, in the style of those arcades that stole the fourth decades ago, without it "hurting" us to empty the wallet.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
There's no denying how wonderful it is that a long-lost arcade gem was completed and released nearly 30 years later and Clockwork Aquario certainly provides enough frantic fun that you'll come back whenever you want a quick fix of over-the-top retro action.
Clockwork Aquario is a restorative labour of love 27 years in the making. What’s not to like?