02.10.2020

The development of Clockwork Aquario started in 1991 and is the last arcade game ever developed by the legendary company Westone.

Originally designed by the chief publisher, and co-founder of Westone, Ryuichi Nishizawa, Clockwork Aquario can be described as the swan song of a company that was part of an era with historic milestones such as the Wonder Boy / Monster World series.

Large character sprites, beautiful animations, vibrant colors – the game had everything an arcade game fan could dream of. But in the early 1990s 3D games and fighting games were booming in the arcades, so 2D games like Aquario, that relied on beautifully drawn pixel art, were no longer regarded as commercially feasible for the arcade centers. So the game never got released. Something that ININ Games in cooperation with Strictly Limited Games needed to change.

“In the 90s, when game centers were dominated by fighting games, there was one title which had never been released, even though it was completed after more than two years of development and repeated changes. This title is Clockwork Aquario. Who would have thought that it would be restored and playable again? I would like to express my heartfelt respect and gratitude to those who have worked so hard to restore it. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that this work is a great piece of 2D art, where the pixel artists of that time put their hearts and souls into. I’d be happy if people would appreciate and enjoy it.”
– Ryuichi Nishizawa

Check out our gamepage for more information about Clockwork Aquario!

About the game

The side-scrolling action game can either be played alone or with a friend in co-op. Players can choose from three different characters, each of them with her/his individual moveset: Huck Londo, the daring ghost hunter, Elle Moon, the brave adventuress and Gush, the warmhearted giant robot.

Clockwork Aquario will be published for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 as limited physical editions. The game will also be available digitally in the Nintendo eShop and the PlayStation Store. Other platforms to be announced at a later date.