Clockwork Aquario Critic Reviews

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.

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 is a restorative labour of love 27 years in the making. What’s not to like?

After decades collecting dust in Sega’s archives, Clockwork Aquario is finally out in the world, and what a joy it is to play! A conceptually simple action platformer done well can be a delight, and with its playful energy and comic charm, delight is exactly what you’ll find here. But as much fun as Clockwork Aquario is, the more important part is what an achievement this is as far as game preservation goes: a long-lost game, developed almost to completion but never released, finally gets to shine.

Clockwork Aquario is a fantastic action-platformer that blends quick-moving playable characters and enemies alongside an inventive attack strategy. There’s nothing else like it on the market today — despite so many games trying to replicate arcade-style fun. The big key here is that this is a legit arcade game that has been repurposed for modern hardware and that allows it to retain what made arcade gaming so fun, while having more modern quality-of-life improvements thrown in. It plays wonderfully, looks gorgeous and is a blast in multiplayer. The soundtrack is a lot of fun, but doesn’t reach the heights of classics in the genre. Still, for anyone seeking a fast-paced side-scrolling game, there’s a ton of variety offered up here and a lot of fun to be had with Clockwork Aquario.

That such a project (so inspired by the love of retro) succeeds is always a joy. The game itself attributes certain imbalances in the difficulty curve and it is made a little short, but without a doubt it is agile, friendly and direct, in the style of those arcades that stole our fourth decades ago, without it "hurting" to empty our wallet.

Ultimately this is a hugely fun throwback, but one that won’t have quite enough replay value to justify the asking price for most.

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.

Clockwork Aquario at times feels pretty average, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be entertaining. Playing with a friend can actually heighten your experience if you revel in messy and chaotic gameplay. While short and lacking on a ton of additional features, it does present what is advertised; a gaming experience nearly lost to time, completed as close to what was originally intended. So for those looking for classic arcade gameplay, there is certainly some fun to be had here, especially with a competitive friend by your side.

The best thing about Clockwork Aquario is that it exists today. The story of how the source code was found and pieced together and filled in with help from the original team is incredible. As it stands, the game is just very short. The five stages have a high score element, but if you’re in it to explore the levels, beat the difficulty modes, and romp around it all with a friend, there’s still not a lot to do here. I’m happy I can say I played Clockwork Aquario, but outside of supporting game preservation, I can’t say it’s something you need to drop everything and play. It’s cute and fun, but more as a curiosity than a game to keep coming back to.

There isn’t much to say about Clockwork Aquario. It's a side scrolling game. It doesn’t stand out, looking good and having solid controls doesn’t make it a must play. While Clockwork Aquario is a fun game, it’s price of admission doesn’t make it a must play for anyone other than a diehard 90s arcade fanboy.

Clockwork Aquario is a fun enough game, and it’s impressive that it was finally able to be brought together and released. I’m happy for that. But at the same time, I can see why the original publisher didn’t have a lot of confidence in it. It’s decent, but not much more than that. As a piece of history, however, it’s fascinating. If you are a fan of Westone, this era of arcade games, or just enjoy picking your way through the past, you might get some kicks out of Clockwork Aquario. Just make sure you know what you’re getting into.

Clockwork Aquario is a miracle of preservation, but that doesn't make it a game for everyone. Arcade fans will welcome it, but others will find it difficult to continue playing after finishing it the first time, and the scoring system isn't particularly creative. In any case, the low price should keep even the merely curious happy.

An obvious labour of love that finally provides a full release for one of the best looking 2D arcade games ever made, although it’d be wrong to paint it as a lost classic in terms of gameplay.

The Guinness World Record winning Clockwork Aquario has gorgeous visuals and great music but some mechanics that aren't fully realized. If you're interested in this as a fan of Westone or arcade games, you will find a lot to like here assuming you're ok with how short it is.

The arcade roots of Clockwork Aquario are proudly on display – for better or worse. While it proves to be a fun side-scrolling romp, it is also far too cheap and short for its own good. This time capsule is still worth a go, but even the staunchest side-scrolling fan should be aware of what they’re getting into.

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.

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.

Clockwork Aquario is an old-school and colorful arcade game which sticks to its original roots. Developed to be a coin consuming experience, its shortness will only be forgiven by those willing to perfect their score. Simple and still quite fun, Clockwork Aquario is more valuable when shared with a friend.

On the one hand, I can say Westone’s arcade “treasure” was worth the wait when viewed as a piece of gaming history. But, as an ININ Games published release in 2021, not as much. Once the warm fuzzies wear off, you’re left with a short game with little replay incentive due to a lack of online leaderboards. Combined with a lack of both standard and extra features, I’d wait for this $19.99 release to get a sizable discount unless you’re an arcade fanatic who has someone readily available for two-player co-op.