Forgotten Games: Clock Tower - SNESdrunk 

This is one of the most impressive games on the SNES IMO. Literally not even one other SNES game has been able to achieve a real sense of fear whatsoever yet Clock Tower does it so insanely well that this shit is still terrifying 20 years later! Just masterful horror directing.

Hifumi Kono the creator of the game took inspiration of the film Phenomena and other works of Dario Argento, is a homage and an adaptation (source: wikipedia) . She looks a lot like Jennifer Connelly, great!. Such a great game style for a Super famicom game.

For a SNES survival-horror game, "Clocktower" was actually really scary at times! I was pleasantly surprised when I first played the English translation of this game via an emulator for the first time back in 2001. I got nearly all of the endings, too. I wish they would make this game into a live-action horror movie. I think Alexandre Aja (who directed the remake of "The Hills Have Eyes") would do it justice!

Human Entertainment was an amazing developer, and they weren't afraid to do things differently. The Clock Tower series made me a believer that horror games that employ a point-and-click interface can be truly terrifying. Its inherent lack of direct control does a great job of making you feel powerless throughout the game, while at the same time encouraging exploration. I just started playing the PS1 enhanced version, so it'll be interesting to see the differences between them. Fingers crossed that some of the in-game annoyances like slow stair ascension were addressed. Great review of an undersung SNES gem!

The first time I played it, I was so impressed that the graphic look so real for a game in a 90s console. Later I found out that they use the same tech for the graphic as mortal combat. The main character is actually base on a real life actor. The atmosphere had been done well. The pace is a little bit hard to taste but if you don't mind then this is a good horror game.

Never realized it until I got my hands on a translation of the PS1 remake of the SFC original, but Mary isn’t meant to be revealed to be a Barrows until later on into the game. She works at the granite orphanage, and is actually their teacher, who took them to the Barrows mansion.

2d games had a lot of unexplored potential left before 3d took over. We never saw many games like this. Its pretty unique

Human entertainment was a great developer, they also made a similar series to clock tower called the twilight syndrome series

I played this game a year or so ago and absolutely loved it. What a fantastic experience.

I love random cartridge era titles like this. Thanks for the video.

The PC version of this is excellent if even just for the use of a mouse. There is a translation for it available and it is still playable on Windows 10 with some minor tinkering with compatibility settings.

If anything, the gameplay in this reminds me of Maniac Mansion for the NES.

If Ellen Page can sue Naughty Dog for Ellie in The Last of Us, I feel like Jennifer Connelly has a case here.

What an impressive feat for the SNES, thanks for sharing!

No other game can be like this. Story was awesome

Ever play Sweet Home? Now that is a pretty damn interesting horror game. Given the decade it released it.

The enhanced pc version of Maniac Mansion is technically 16-bit and is quite like this.

Awesome review again. Thanks SnesDrunk!

I became obsessed with this game in 2014 after Jontron released his video on it. I played online and beat all the endings and even wrote a screenplay based on it for funsies. I thoroughly believe this is one of the best games of all time. It's incredibly flawed and I'm welcome to all the criticism I hear (I have felt the same way) but it really has its place in gaming history in both gameplay and in sound design. Its replayability is way up there, and I still find myself genuinely freaked out by it every now and then

Great review, always wanted to play this one.

Great review! I love how considered and concise this is, pitching it's merits and historical impact, whilst explaining how you'd feel playing the game. 3:35 How did u mean that it's similar to Shadowrun?

It would be interesting if you make a review for the 3 Kemco's point and click games for the NES; Deja Vu, Uninvited and Shadowgate

This is a nice game I had the chance to try a few years ago. I remember I thought "Ha, ha, a *hitty 16 bit Resident Evil" But the first time you I saw the scissor's man I thought: "Holy *hit you SOB, get away from me" Ha, ha, ha you don't know how good and addictive this game is until you play it.

Interesting. The only other SF/SNES game I can think which comes close to this is Famicom Tantei Club Part II, which is also an adventure game featuring dead bodies, but instead of straight-up horror, it has more of a detective theme.

Love this game

This game is great, I wish we got this or the psx release in America.

That scissor man with that music does look pretty creepy. Cool!

Btw it takes place in Norway and heavily influenced by works by Dario Argento. Ghost Head a.k.a. Struggle Within is a skip. Don't bother with a bad spin-off.

i really njoyed the game and intense atmosphere also the glitched ending where actually no one dies x3

"Clock Towel?? That doesn't sound very scaring"

I have a translated repro of this, but haven't played it yet.

Glad you made a review of.this awesome game..! I tried it a couple.of years back but it was in Japanese only, since I do care about stories most of.the time, I guess I skipped it until a patched version was released, now I'll pick it back in a propper way

This game looks amazing, I remember the ps1 clock tower but this looks better. I don't remember any games quite like this for snes or any really scary or survival horror games for that system.

how can i find/ play this game?! :-)

Best way to get for a uk pal console in 2019? Repro.. or modded original? Howd u guys play, or emulate?

i did a playthrough for this on my channel (video up next week if anyone wants to watch it), this game still holds up! thanks again for the great video!

I love these kind of games. A thing I have thought a lot about is that (survival) horror is the best type of game to use adventure game style puzzle solving because pacing is a whole different ballpark in horror games. The the long parts of quiet and waiting that get interrupted unexpectedly by a sudden monster attack or seeing something creepy or twisted really create such a great (as you put it) experience (Side note: I think jump scares are underrated). To use your examples, like the footsteps and no music while searching, then the sudden action moments of scissor man coming from the sealing with horror music blaring. This slow and tense fallowed by fast and intense is really what "survival horror" is all about for me, and I feel is sadly lessened in modern Survival Horror (games i would call Action Horror not that all games like that are bad, just hate to see the old style die) I agree its obvious that this game did survival horror before Resident Evil (as was Alone In the Dark) but was different in the fact that you really had to hide or run instead of fight most of the time. You do a great job pointing out this games strengths and weaknesses. It feels very slow by today's standards (Those damn stairs!) And its kind of a specific taiste with the story focused on a character that can't shoot everything that moves... but man that atmosphere! I think if they had of polished the controls, allowed the mouse, it may fare better as a nostalgia title. I know this comment has run long but since you mentioned that this predated Resident Evil as a survival horror I have to ask have you played Sweet Home for the NES? en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Home_(video_game) Because its considered by many to be the fist survival horror even though its a sort of a RPG. It was japan only release but there is an excellently done english version out there. I would love to see your take on it because it is really interesting. Thanks again for a great video, great attitude and fair assessments.

My friend told me about this game, he said it's scary, "Alone in the dark" for playstation. I have a super famicom and super nintendo.

The best game ive played when i was 8 omg its been so long

i have it for the super famicom with the box. great game.

i'm being strangled by the man in the mirror AAHHH

played a successor on ps1. it was technicaly total horror. but had great atmosohere, fun to play and great replay value cause you wanted to save 'em all!!!

This game is so comfy.

This game is actually on the PlayStation 1. Loved it.

This game still looks amazing for a 1995 game, lame how we never got it in North America, well we never got an official version here in america.

Scariest game I've ever played.

This game is definitely a hidden gem 💎 I picked up a US copy at a gaming convention a few years ago and played through it. Thought it was great, definitely not perfect but for the most part it's a good early survival horror🕴🏼✂️🏫 there is one SNES game similar to this, scooby doo mystery, but clock tower is the one worth playing ‼️

I remember stumbling upon this game while looking for some rpgs and somoehow this game was suggested to me since i liked obscure SNES games. It's really cool and I love being scared in this game xD

I never knew about this! Yeah she looks real slow.. but man I gotta try this! Thanks!

it does remind me of some other games like this such as Mad Father and Dreaming Mary. However, this one does look spookier and more grim.

It's cool, but I had issues adjusting to the controls.

Looks nice I'd play that

I'd have to say that Haunting Ground for PS2 took from this directly. Not point and click but no weapons or defense mechanisms other than running and hiding plus the panic status is pretty much eye to eye. 'Full movement' physics engine gives Haunting Ground +1 ;P oh plus doge companion

you just convinced me to buy this from LRG - that's a feat. I hate supporting them but look forward to receiving and playing my copy in 2026.

You ever thought about sharing your videos on reddit? You should have so many more views/subs. I love your work. =]

No other game like Ogre Battle on the SNES/SFC either...right?

funny that the main character's name is Jennifer, looking at the picture I'm reminded of Jennifer Connelly in the 80s horror flick 'Phenomena'

Chiptune Goblin is awesome

Downloaded this on emulator but the problem is it's in Japanese so I can't understand what the characters are saying is there an English version of the emulator I need to download

Is it possible to play it in English on the Super Famicom?

I've never heard of so many of the games you talk about. When SNES was out, I think there was no Web, so it must have been pretty hard to really learn about new video games besides renting them.

The PS1 Clock Tower was great. Fun times...

This music would be great on CD to scare the crap out of trick or treaters.

holey shit do you have a back log. awesome.

I know this is a old video but I have to comment on your mouse problem it does support the mouse problem for your system has to be towel and the controller has to be power input and output so basically you have to get a Japanese Mouse for a Japanese system to use the Japanese game for the function or you could do it like everybody else did just emulate the damn game and use a regular pc Mouse and have fun

Is the original Super Famicom version in English, or are you using a patched rom in this video?? Great vid by the way, Ive heard of this game, but now I wanna play it!

A possible inspiration for Silent Hill?

This game still scares me.

It looks like a 16 bits resident evil

I ordered a collectors edition translation of clocktower a friend at work big gamer he told me clock tower is one of the darkest horror games

you know there are loads of times that scissor dude could of been killed by you. For example when you stun him you could of taken his scissors and cut the shit out of him.

is this jack with the scissor hands? lol

That game was nerve wrecking...

*picked up some ham*

Clock Tower is an amazing game, and a good horror game... hold on a sec (orders English repro)... okay what was i saying?

This game seems to pull inspiration from Phenomena (1985). Jennifer in the game resembles Jennifer Connelly in the movie and both killers use scissors. There could be more connections. Guess there is only one way to find out!

Clock Foul

Was it not released in the US because it was censored because of its content?

👍👍👍

Clock Towel?

This game is creepy as fuck. At the level of Kuon for the PS2.

Looks interesting. But... how can you even compare Shadowrun to this... I'm clueless.

This looks interesting. If the game only came out in Japan though, why is the text all English?

IT HAS A CURSE ON IT!

It’s not a perfect game. The conveyance is kinda bad, it’s pretty slow paced, and I don’t remember there being a save option. But the atmosphere, artwork, sound, and replay value more than make up for all that. A scary and memorable experience that I definitely would recommend.

haha, "wields nothing"

Alone in the Dark

Very close to being a Phenomena adaptation/rip off, with elements from other Argento films. Some people claim it is also inspired by The Burning, but it's only the scissors

Tim curry is in your back seat

I learned not to look in the mirror. Guess that’s what I get for being vain. DEAD END

DashieXP Dashiegames

seems similar to friday the 13th for the NES.

In the intro you gave some massive spoilers and I don't think you realized....

Resident Evil kicking off the survival horror genre? No - that would be Alone In The Dark, the game RE shamelessly ripped off.

of course the version on the PS1/PSX had to be in 3D... yuck!