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Clock Tower(JP) is a point-and-click survival horror video game developed and published by Human Entertainment. It was originally released for the Super Famicom in 1995 in Japan.
Gameplay
The player uses a cursor to direct the main character, Jennifer Simpson, and give commands such as investigating objects or opening doors. Jennifer can walk and run, though running will reduce her stamina. She can recover stamina by sitting on the floor. Jennifer can interact with in-game objects and store items in an inventory.
Jennifer is under the constant threat of a stalker named Scissorman. When Scissorman is confronted, the game will enter "panic mode." Depending on Jennifer's health status, she may begin to trip or slow down. Jennifer cannot use weapons against Scissorman; the player must find hiding spots throughout the mansion which are key to Jennifer's survival, or use traps placed in the environment. If caught, the player can rapidly press a button which allows them an attempt to escape. The game will end if Jennifer dies, and the player will be returned to the title screen with an option to continue the game. The game features eight possible endings.
Development
Clock Tower was directed by Hifumi Kono, who wished to use the game to pay homage to one of his favorite film directors, Dario Argento.[1] The game borrows many ideas and is inspired by Argento's film Phenomena (1985).[1] Kono wanted Clock Tower to feel like an old horror film.
Kono described Clock Tower as an experimental project with a small budget and staff. His co-workers believed that a game where the protagonist runs away from the enemy would not work, but he continued on despite the concerns. Due to lack of resources, developer Human Entertainment could not include mouse support and also needed to shrink the map down significantly.[1] The character graphics in Clock Tower were created by digitizing photographs of real people; the actress for Jennifer was a woman in Human's planning division. Many of the motions in the game came from her acting, such as hanging from a roof and stumbling in the hallway.[1]
Reception & Legacy
According to game director Hifumi Kono, the game sold "fairly well".[1]
References
External Links
- Clock Tower at Nintendo's Wii Virtual Console page (Japan)
- Clock Tower at Nintendo's Wii U Virtual Console page (Japan)
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