Clockwork Knight

Clockwork Knight
File:Sat-ClockworkKnight.jpg
Developer(s)	Sega
Publisher(s)	Sega
Designer(s)	Yoji Ishii & Makoto Oshitani (Producer) Tomoyuki Ito (Director)
Artist(s)	Norihiro Nishiyama (CG Movie Opening & Ending Artist)
Composer(s)	Hirofumi Murasaki (also Sound Director) Seirou Okamoto (Sound Effects)
Platform(s)	Sega Saturn
Release	December 9, 1994 May 11, 1995 July 8, 1995
Genre(s)	Platform game
Mode(s)	Single player

Clockwork Knight is a side-scrolling platformer video game, released for the Sega Saturn in Japan on December 9, 1994, as a launch title in the U.S. on May 11, 1995, and in Europe on July 8, 1995. It was followed by a sequel, Clockwork Knight 2.

Story

Sir Tongara de Pepperouchau III ("Pepper" for short) is a toy soldier. He is in love with the Clockwork Fairy Princess, Chelsea, whose voice wakes up the toys of the house every night at midnight. But he is clumsy and something of a laughingstock, especially when compared to his friendly rival Ginger who is also after Chelsea's heart.

One night Chelsea is stolen away by an unknown force, which also hypnotizes some of the lesser toys to become fierce minions and stand in the way of anyone who would try to rescue her. If there's no voice to wake them up anymore then the toys will never live again, so Pepper and Ginger head off to find Chelsea before it's too late.

Characters

Sir Tongara de Pepperouchau III ("Pepper") - the main protagonist and sole playable character in the main game. He's brave, dashing, and quite clumsy.

Barobaro - Pepper's nearsighted but ever-faithful donkey-for-a-steed. He appears to be a wine bottle on a wheeled basket. He has a crush on Soltia. Pepper rides on Barobaro's back in a few stages of Clockwork Knight 2, but in this game he only appears in cutscenes.

Prunchau - Pepper's valet and close friend, this top is also very conscientious of Pepper and sometimes treats him like a little boy. He gives suggestions in the Soltian Roulette.

Sir Ginger - Pepper's chief rival and something of a showoff, but he works with Pepper in saving Chelsea.

Silver - Ginger's steed. A horse-shaped clothesbrush, he's quite snobby in thinking he's the perfect horse for the perfect warrior.

Le Bon - Ginger's valet. Like Prunchau, he also gives suggestions in the Soltian Roulette.

Sir Oneon de Pepperouchau - Pepper's father. He's a bit overly dramatic; he thinks, for whatever reason, that his family has forsaken him.

Sir Garluch de Pepperouchau - Pepper's highly-respected, if somewhat misguided, grandfather. He's mysteriously gone missing.

Pa Zur - Ginger's lord and mentor. All the toys think that the sliding puzzle is a wise old mystic.

Soltia - A hot-tempered perfume bottle who loves music, cards, and games of chance. She has a crush on Pepper and considers Chelsea to be a rival for his affection. She hosts the Soltian Roulette mini-game that occurs between worlds, also giving suggestions to players like Prunchau and Le Bon do.

Clockwork Princess Chelsea - This beautiful young doll's voice has the power to wake all the toys every night at midnight. Both Pepper and Ginger compete for her heart. Her kidnapping starts the events of this game and its sequel.

Gameplay

This game is a side-scrolling platformer in the vein of the Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog series. Unlike those games, however, the game uses prerendered digitized 2D sprites of high-resolution 3D models similar to the Donkey Kong Country series, or Killer Instinct, on top of fully 3D levels (and with fully 3D bosses).

Pepper attacks enemies and opens passages with his key. A quick tap of a button will thrust it out horizontally. Likewise, repeatedly tapping the button over and over will cause him to twist the key around and around. This makes it a bit more powerful (e.g.: an enemy could be knocked out temporarily with a simple jab, but running into the key when twisting it will instantly take it out). He can also pick up unconscious enemies or objects such as footballs or springs and toss them; vertical tosses are possible.

The goal is to reach the end of the stage before time or hit points (typically three, though Gold Keys can increase that maximum) run out. There are no checkpoints; dying sends a player back to the beginning of a level. The levels are fairly large and contain numerous side areas with treasures.

Every third level, Pepper must face off against a large, fully 3D boss in a one-on-one battle.

The game has 13 levels, including boss levels. The 13 levels take place in four different rooms with two normal levels and one boss each, plus a final boss. If Pepper loses all his lives, the player can continue from the beginning of the current room by spending coins. If the player does not have enough coins to continue, the game is over and the player must start from the beginning of the game.

In Training mode, the game ends at the level just before the final boss.