Clockwork Knight.com » Clockwork Knight: Pepperouchau no Daibouken - Joukan (Part 1)

Clockwork Knight: Pepperouchau no Daibouken - Joukan (Part 1)

Clockwork Knight: Pepperouchau no Daibouken Joukan (クロックワークナイト ペパルーチョの大冒険・上巻) is a side-scrolling “2.5D” platform game, released as a launch title for the Sega Saturn in all major territories. Outside of Japan, the game was simply known as “Clockwork Knight“. Initially releasing in Japan in late 1994, and in the US and PAL region the following summer, it originally recieved somewhat high praise from critics, especially due to it’s interesting use of 3D on a 2D plane.

Later reviews were sadly less favourable, with critiques about the game bringing “nothing really new” to the platforming game genre. One magazine would strangely even complain that the game was “too colorful”. There were also critical comments about the games use of a 2D side-scrolling perspective, especially after games like Daytona USA and Panzer Dragoon showed impressive fully 3D worlds.

Action Game
    Clockwork Knight
    System: Sega Saturn
    Publisher: Sega
    Developer: Sega CS
    Sound Driver: SCSP/CD-DA (2 tracks)
    Genre: Action
    Number of players: 1
    Release Date RRP Code
    1994.12.09 (NTSC-J - Japan) ¥4,800 GS-9004
    1995.05.11 (NTSC-U - USA) $39.99 81007
    1995.08.30 (NTSC-U - BR) 191×86
    1995.07.08 (PAL - EU) MK81007-50
    1995.07.08 (PAL - DE) MK81007-50
    199X (PAL - PT) MK81007-50
    1995.07.08 (PAL - UK) £39.99 MK81007-50
    1996 (PAL - PL) 209zł MK81007-50
    199X (PAL - AU) MK81007-50

Despite this, the game has attracted a dedicated following, with many people remembering the game positively from their childhoods, and the number of people who’ve positively re-revaluated the series after initially brushing it off in recent years is growing steadily.

The Story
[+/-]

Sir Tongara de Pepperouchau III (”Pepper” for short) is a toy soldier. He is in love with the Clockwork 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
[+/-]

Action Game Sir Tongara de Pepperouchau III
The main protagonist and sole playable character in the main game. He’s brave, dashing, and quite clumsy.

In the NTSC-U and PAL versions of the game, he’s also known simply as “Pepper”.
Action Game 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.
Action Game Sir Ginger
Pepper’s chief rival and something of a showoff, but he works with Pepper in saving Chelsea.
Action Game 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.
Action Game Silver
Ginger’s steed. A horse-shaped clothesbrush, he’s quite snobby in thinking he’s the perfect horse for the perfect warrior.
Action Game 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.
Action Game Prunchau
Pepper’s valet and close friend, this top is also very conscientious of Pepper and sometimes treats him like a little boy. He also gives suggestions in the Soltian Roulette.
Action Game Le Bon
Ginger’s valet. Like Prunchau, he also gives suggestions in the Soltian Roulette.
Action Game Pa Zur
Ginger’s lord and mentor. All the toys think that the sliding puzzle is a wise old mystic.
Action Game Sir Garluch de Pepperouchau
Pepper’s highly-respected, if somewhat misguided, grandfather. He’s mysteriously gone missing.
Action Game Sir Oneon de Pepperouchau
Pepper’s father. He’s a bit overly dramatic; he thinks, for whatever reason, that his family has forsaken him.

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).

Tongara attacks enemies with his key. A quick tap of the acttack button (usually {{B}} ) will thrust it out horizontally. He cannot do this vertically.

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 with a pop sound and lots of confetti). In addition to all this, he can also pick up unconscious enemies, or the objects such as footballs or springs that have been scattered around the stages and, toss them (in this case, vertical attacks 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 (but not as large as the sequel’s levels) and contain numerous side areas with treasures.

Every third level of room, Pepper must face off against a large, fully polygonal boss in a one-on-one battle. Each boss has a weakness that must be exploited.

It does not save a player’s progress; turning the Saturn off requires the player to start from the beginning next time.

Levels
[+/-]

Action Game Betsy’s Room (Room 1)
This level is rather linear, making it an easy start for newcomers. Boxes in the background fall onto unsuspecting players. Books slide back and forth in their shelves, threatening to knock Pepper off. Dinosaur bones hang from the ceiling and can hold various goodies for those willing to go up and check them out.

The boss is Dandy Bob, the giant hat-carrying, tuxedo-wearing doll. In the original Japanese version, he has white, human-like skin and blonde hair, while in the NTSC and PAL releases of the game, Dandy Bob is blue-skinned, with blue hair[1]. The reason for this change is unknown.
Action Game Kevin’s Room (Room 2)
Things get tougher here, with numerous battery-powered trains riding tracks over bottomless pits; Pepper had better hop on or else things could get ugly. The floors of the world are often made of LEGO-like blocks, mostly contrasting from the blue background of the stage. Switches can lift various obstacles out of a player’s way, or trap them inside if they’re not careful.

The boss is Double Jetter, a large mech, which can transform into a speedy jet.
Action Game Kitchen (Room 3)
Sinks fill with water and drain right back on as Pepper hops from sponge to plate keeping himself from a scalding-hot fate. The metal floors seem to be highly slippery, mimicking the common ice-floor downfalls in many other video games. Watch out for flames from the stoves - pushing some soap and then riding it over them is advised.

The boss is Chef de Popot, a chef-shaped squeaky toy with a large pot he carries around, hiding under on the slippery floor.
Action Game Attic (Room 4)
Dark, damp and dusty would describe Pepper’s final destination (in this trip, at least). Various mazes and platforms that rise and fall are scattered everywhere… Pepper’s definitely getting closer to Chelsea and her kidnapper.

The boss is Iron Kong X, a monkey-like mech that breaks apart early on, causing its main body to float around, using all but its head as protection by spinning them around at high speeds.
Action Game Study Room - Crazy TV (Final Boss)
This stage can only be fought when playing it on Normal or Hard. This is the very end of this game - a final one-on-one battle with what appears to be the perpetrator over just who gets Chelsea.

But is there a bigger foe at work here? The boss seems to be implying such… the boss is a demented television set named Crazy TV.
Action Game Soltian Roulette (Bonus Stage)
You can pay 5, 10 or 15 Crowns to join, the more you pay the more chances you get for wining. After the boxes stop spinning you get to open one box and see if you win.

If you win you can try to double it by playing again without paying but if you lose you lose your prize.

Items
[+/-]

Scattered throughout the levels of Clockwork Knight are the following items:

Action Game
 Bronze Key
Picking up one of these will restore 1 Gear to the players health.
Action Game
 Silver Key
Picking up one of these will restore all Gears of the players health, up to a maximum of 5.
Action Game
 Gold Key
Picking up one of these will increase/restore the amount of Gears of the players health up to a maximum of 5. Picking up one after gaining 5 Gears of helalth will award the player with a 1-UP.
Action Game
 Oneon Helmet
Picking up one of these will give the player a 1-UP.
Action Game
 Garluch Helmet
Picking up one of these will give the player a 3-UP.
Action Game
 Pa Zur Sphere
Picking up one of these will make the player invincible for a short amount of time.
Please note that you will still die if your crashed or fell to your death outside the screen.
Action Game
 Pocket Watches
This clock icon adds 5 seconds to your time limit.
Action Game
 Imperial Crown
You collect them in stages, they can be used in two ways;
1. If you have at least 20 Crowns you can continue when all your Tries end. Each continue cost 20.
2. You can play a bonus game called Soltia Roulette (see down section).

Box & Disc Images
[+/-]

Each major region got it’s own unique box and disc art, with a goal of appealing to which region the game was being sold in.
Below are the three main releases.

NTSC-J Ver.
[+/-]

Action Game
Source: Clockwork Knight (NTSC-J) (1994) - Cover

Action Game
Source: Clockwork Knight (NTSC-J) (1994) - Disc
Action Game
Source: Clockwork Knight (NTSC-J) (1994) - Spinecard

NTSC-U Ver.
[+/-]

Action Game
Source: Clockwork Knight (NTSC-U) (1995) - Cover
Action Game
Source: Clockwork Knight (NTSC-U) (1995) - Disc

PAL Ver.
[+/-]

Action Game
Source: Clockwork Knight (PAL) (1995) - Cover
Action Game
Source: Clockwork Knight (PAL) (1995) - Disc

Localised names
[+/-]

Below is a list of name localizations for the game, including an English Translation (where applicable).

Language Localised Name English Translation
English Clockwork Knight Clockwork Knight
English (US) Clockwork Knight Clockwork Knight
Japanese Clockwork Knight: Pepperouchau no Daibouken Joukan
(クロックワークナイト 〜ペパルーチョの大冒険・上巻〜)		 Clockwork Knight: Pepperouchau’s Great Adventure (Part One)

Technical information
[+/-]

Below is technical information about the game.

ROM dump status
[+/-]

System(s) Total Size(s) Build Date(s) Source(s) Comment(s) Hash(s) Header(s)
Sega Saturn 247,696,176 1995-04-05 CD-ROM (EU)[2] MK81007-50 V1.000 View View
Sega Saturn 247,830,240 1994-11-15 CD-ROM (JP)[3] GS-9004 V1.000 View View
Sega Saturn 247,698,528 1995-03-28 CD-ROM (US)[4] 81007 V1.002 View View

Production Credits
[+/-]

Credits - All Regions
[+/-]

Clockwork Knight -Staff-

Game Designers

  • Visual Coordination: Katsuhisa Sato
  • Map Construction: Hiroshi Ohba
  • Boss Enemies Design: Yusuke Yoshida

Programmers

  • System & Main Character: Yoshio Fukushima
  • Background & Visual Effects: Akira Ohe
  • Enemies & Traps: Takashi Amami, Toshihiro Kumazaki (Hitachi Microsoftware Systems,Inc.)
  • Boss Enemies & Traps: Shinya Tsukizaki, Hiroaki Sakamoto, Tetsu Katano
  • World Map & Goal: Hiroshi Momota
  • Opening & Ending: Yoshio Inoue
  • Bonus Game: Yuichi Matsuoka

Artists

  • Main Characters: Toshiyuki Mukaiyama, Ryuichiroh Kutsuzawa
  • Front Stage: Namie Manabe, Takehiko Miura, Yoshihito Takahashi
  • Background: Shiroh Kinemura, Masahiro Sanpei, Osamu Ogata, Yumiko Miyabe
  • Opening & Ending: Norihiro Nishiyama
  • Graphical Supervision: Masayuki Hasegawa

Sound Staff

  • Direction & Music Compose: Hirofumi Murasaki
  • Sound Effects: Seiroh Okamoto, Katsuyoshi Nitta
  • Sound Program: Kazuya Fujishima, Naomi Yamamoto, Ken-ichiroh Ohkuma
  • Sega Sound Library by: InVision Interactive
  • Sega Digital Studio

    • Recording Producer: Tatsutoshi Narita
    • Recording Director: Fumitaka Shibata
    • Recording Engineer: Naoyuki Machida

    • Marketing Staff

    • Product Manager: Tomoaki Ogawa, Kazuhiro Hanaya
    • Promotion: Tadashi Takezaki

    • Director: Tomoyuki Itoh
    • Producer: Noriyoshi Ohba
    • Producers: Yoji Ishii, Makoto Oshitani
    • Executive Producer: Mamoru Shigeta

    • Special Thanks: Triad Project (Toru Sasaki, Tsutomu Kataoka, Asami Sasaki), Shinji Kawahira, Yousuke Okunari, Tomoko Hasegawa

    • Opening Theme: ”Clockwork Knight”
      • Vocals: Misumi Kosaka, Shiori Fujita
      • Words: Reiko Waters
      • Music: Hirofumi Murasaki
      • Arranged: Tomoko Tsuyama
      • Manipulated: Nobuo Itoh

    • Main Theme: ”A Lullaby”
      • Vocals: Misumi Kosaka
      • Words: Reiko Waters
      • Music: Hirofumi Murasaki
      • Arranged: Tomoko Tsuyama
      • Manipulated: Nobuo Itoh

    • Presented by: Sega Enterprises,Ltd. 1994

      • Source: In-game credits

    Additional NTSC-U Ver. Credits
    [+/-]

    Product Development:

    • Producer: Dante Anderson
    • Lead Tester: Kim Rogers
    • English Text: Kerry Kirkham
    • Assistant Leads: Jeff Loney, Crisi Albertson, Mike Williams
    • Testers: Caroline Trujillo, Lance Nelson, Jeff Junio, Fernando Valderrama, Kerry Kirkham, Morgan Weiss, Sancho Martinez, Sean McInnes, Arnold Feener, Mark Griffen
  • Marketing

    • Product Manager: Sarah Mason Richmond
    • Product Specialist: Nemer Velasquez
    • Manual: Marc Sherrod

    • Special Thanks: James Spahn, Sutton Trout, Lorene Gobleh

      Source: US manual

    References