History VideoGame / ClockTower

The series has four games: ''[[VideoGame/ClockTower1995 Clock Tower]]'' for the SuperFamicom in Japan, which featured an orphaned girl named Jennifer who is adopted along with her friends, but is pursued by Bobby Barrows, the manor's resident maniac with a huge pair of scissors. The second game (Known as ''Clock Tower 2'' in Japan and just ''Clock Tower'' else where, as the first game [[NoExportForYou was never released outside of Japan]]) was a direct sequel a year later, when Scissorman reappears. The player can either continue to play as Jennifer or play as her (new) foster mother, and can also control a few other characters for certain parts of the game. The third game (''Clock Tower Ghost Head'' in Japan, ''Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within'' elsewhere) has nothing to do with the first two, and instead focused on a girl named [[strike:[[{{Macekre}} Alyssa]]]] Yu Midoshima with a ''boy'' split personality named Sho. Who could use guns. [[Franchise/ResidentEvil Against the zombies pursuing you.]] The fourth (and seemingly final) game, ''Clock Tower 3'', was for the [=PS2=], and featured a different Alyssa who, upon returning home, found that her mother is missing. At least that one had Scissorman again.

** Also, in ''3'', it's '''strongly''' implied that the BigBad is motivated a rather unwholesome, obsessive interest in the teenaged main character. [[spoiler:For extra creepy, he turns out to be the lead character's grandfather.]]

The series has four games: ''[[VideoGame/ClockTower1995 Clock Tower]]'' for the SuperFamicom in Japan, which featured an orphaned girl named Jennifer who is adopted along with her friends, but is pursued by Bobby Barrows, the manor's resident maniac with a huge pair of scissors. The second game (Known as ''Clock Tower 2'' in Japan and just ''Clock Tower'' else where, as the first game [[NoExportForYou was never released outside of Japan]]) was a direct sequel a year later, when Scissorman reappears. The player can either continue to play as Jennifer or play as her (new) foster mother, and can also control a few other characters for certain parts of the game. The third game (''Clock Tower Ghost Head'' in Japan, ''Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within'' elsewhere) has nothing to do with the first two, and instead focused on a girl named [[strike:[[{{Macekre}} Alyssa]]]] Yu Midoshima with a ''boy'' split personality named [[strike:Bates]] Sho. Who could use guns. [[ResidentEvil Against the zombies pursuing you.]] The fourth (and seemingly final) game, ''Clock Tower 3'', was for the [=PS2=], and featured a different Alyssa who, upon returning home, found that her mother is missing. At least that one had Scissorman again.

The series has four games: ''[[ClockTower1995 Clock Tower]]'' for the SuperFamicom in Japan, which featured an orphaned girl named Jennifer who is adopted along with her friends, but is pursued by Bobby Barrows, the manor's resident maniac with a huge pair of scissors. The second game (Known as ''Clock Tower 2'' in Japan and just ''Clock Tower'' else where, as the first game [[NoExportForYou was never released outside of Japan]]) was a direct sequel a year later, when Scissorman reappears. The player can either continue to play as Jennifer or play as her (new) foster mother, and can also control a few other characters for certain parts of the game. The third game (''Clock Tower Ghost Head'' in Japan, ''Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within'' elsewhere) has nothing to do with the first two, and instead focused on a girl named [[strike:[[{{Macekre}} Alyssa]]]] Yu Midoshima with a ''boy'' split personality named [[strike:Bates]] Sho. Who could use guns. [[ResidentEvil Against the zombies pursuing you.]] The fourth (and seemingly final) game, ''Clock Tower 3'', was for the [=PS2=], and featured a different Alyssa who, upon returning home, found that her mother is missing. At least that one had Scissorman again.

The series has four games: ''Clock Tower'' for the SuperFamicom in Japan, which featured an orphaned girl named Jennifer who is adopted along with her friends, but is pursued by Bobby Barrows, the manor's resident maniac with a huge pair of scissors. The second game (Known as ''Clock Tower 2'' in Japan and just ''Clock Tower'' else where, as the first game [[NoExportForYou was never released outside of Japan]]) was a direct sequel a year later, when Scissorman reappears. The player can either continue to play as Jennifer or play as her (new) foster mother, and can also control a few other characters for certain parts of the game. The third game (''Clock Tower Ghost Head'' in Japan, ''Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within'' elsewhere) has nothing to do with the first two, and instead focused on a girl named [[strike:[[{{Macekre}} Alyssa]]]] Yu Midoshima with a ''boy'' split personality named [[strike:Bates]] Sho. Who could use guns. [[ResidentEvil Against the zombies pursuing you.]] The fourth (and seemingly final) game, ''Clock Tower 3'', was for the [=PS2=], and featured a different Alyssa who, upon returning home, found that her mother is missing. At least that one had Scissorman again.

** Corroder is TheDarkChick.

** Scissortwins are the EvilGenius.

* KillItWithFire: Used occasionally. [[spoiler: Most notably, to kill Dan in the first game.]]

** WordofGod has also confirmed that [[spoiler: Kay]] is a pedophile, and [[spoiler: may have been molesting Edward, and this is a primary reason why she sides with him.]]

** [[WordofGod]] has also confirmed that [spoiler: Kay]] is a pedophile, and [[spoiler: may have been molesting Edward, and this is a primary reason why she sides with him.]]

* KillItWithFire: Used occasionally.

-->'''Scissorwoman:''' "I'll KILL YOU!"

* AbandonedHospital: [[spoiler:The Struggle Within's second part takes place in one. You also first confront the Scissortwins from 3 in one.]]

* AndYourRewardIsClothes: The unlockable outfits in ''Clock Tower 3''.

* {{BFS}}: The weapon used by the FinalBoss of Clock Tower 3.

* BritishAccents: Clock Tower 3. As [[LetsPlay The Dark Id]] put it, "Everyone is British with a capital 'Blimey.'"

* CatScare: In The First Fear, there's two boxes in which either a black cat or Bobby can pop out.

* CreepyTwins: Bobby and Dan from The First Fear.

* DangerousSixteenthBirthday: More specifically, the Rooders in ''Clock Tower 3'' have dangerous 15th birthdays.

** Though if you're already [[spoiler: in the caves]], you have no choice but to take whatever ending you got.

* DistressCall: You get one from your mother at the beginning of 3, and you can try (and fail) to send one in both 1 and 2.

* [[DroppedABridgeOnHim Dropped A Samurai Suit On Her]]: Ending G in ''The Struggle Within.''
* DudeWheresMyReward: Your reward for exorcising all the ghosts in Clock Tower 3? Absolutely nothing, not even an acknowledgment that you did so.

** Also, in ''ClockTower 3'', it's '''strongly''' implied that the BigBad is motivated a rather unwholesome, obsessive interest in the teenaged main character. [[spoiler: For extra creepy, he turns out to be the lead character's grandfather.]]
* EvilGloating: Every villain in Clock Tower 3. Sometimes for ten seconds, sometimes for five minutes.
* EvilTowerOfOminousness: The titular clock tower, although the one in ''Clock Tower 3'' is the only one that's all that ominous.

* FakeDifficulty: ''Clock Tower 3'' has this at times, with the panic mode being the biggest offender.

* HyperspaceArsenal: Played straight mostly, but cruelly averted for a single fetch quest in Clock Tower 3, where only one of three emblems can be picked up at any one time, making what could have been a two minute diversion into an eight minute reason to play a different game.

-->'''Scissorwoman:''' "I'll KEEEEEL YOOOOOOOU!"

* ImprobableWeaponUser: In the fourth game, Sledgehammer wields a hammer that appears larger than your heroine, Corroder has a sulfuric acid-firing... device, Chopper has axes that he can throw like boomerangs or somehow fuse together and throw like a boomerang, the Scissortwins have two blades that they hold together to emulate scissors, the final boss has a Final Fantasy-esque broadsword, and your heroine uses magical arrows appearing out of nowhere which she fires using a magical bow (minus a magical bowstring, mind you) that sprouts from a vial of holy water.

* InterfaceScrew: When Alyssa (''Clock Tower 3'') goes into panic mode.

* {{Keet}}: Dennis from [=CT3=]. In his first scene he ''climbs through Alyssa's window'' and rolls around on her bed, for starters.
* KillEmAll: Don't expect your favourite characters to survive to the end. If they do, they'll probably die during it.

* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler: The main villain of Clock Tower 3, the Dark Gentleman, turns out to be main character Alyssa's long lost grandfather.]]
* MamaBear: [[spoiler: Mary Barrows loves her [[EldritchAbomination boys]] dearly and is not pleased when she finds out that her son Dan was killed by Jennifer]].

* MultipleEndings: Every game except the fourth has at least nine.

* NewGamePlus: ''Clock Tower 3'''s "Clear Mode", which made the game harder and allowed the player to [[AndYourRewardIsClothes wear alternative clothes]].

* PantyShot: Mainly in Clock Tower 3 you can see up Alyssa's skirt quite a lot in this game during game play moments and cut scenes. She wears Black Panties if you're curious.
* ParentalIncest: Averted in Clock Tower 3 with the aptly-named Dick Hamilton, who was so obsessed with his daughter that he ignored his wife, murdered his son-in-law, and abducted his daughter. Later, he transfers his obsession to his granddaughter, the heroine Alyssa, who's the very image of her mother. She manages to stop him though.

** Also heard in 3's "panic mode" music.
* RankInflation: Ending S is the best ending you can get in The First Fear.

* SanityMeter: 3's panic meter, which goes up every time something (like a ghost or one of the Subordinates) surprises Alyssa. If it fills up all the way, she [[InterfaceScrew panics]].

* ShootTheShaggyDog: The two worst and, more poignantly, two of the near-endgame endings in the first game. One ending in the second game in which [[spoiler: everyone dies horribly and Scissorman gets away scot free]].

* ShmuckBait: C'mon, [[spoiler: get in the car]]! Look, the keys are right there!
** Also in the first game, investigating certain things (like [[spoiler: a closed shower curtain]], [[spoiler: a suit of armor]] or [[spoiler: a scream outside]]) triggers bad events (mainly, [[spoiler: the deaths of your friends]]).

* SpookySilentLibrary: The Library in the second Clock Tower game, especially with the threat of Scissorman, who happens to be inside the building too.
* StairwayToHeaven: May and her father, and later Dorothy and Albert, ascend one in 3, after being laid to rest.
* StalkerWithACrush: Harris from the second game is infatuated with Jennifer, so much that [[spoiler: [[LoveMakesYouEvil he becomes the fake Scissorman in her route because the real one bribed him with the belief that he would have her if he did so]].]]

** [[spoiler: Though said therapist is one of two possible "fake Scissormen."]]
* TimeTravel: In the fourth game. Maybe. It's rather vague about the whole thing.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: In The First Fear, Jennifer's best friend is Lotte, the red-haired tomboy.
* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: Sullivan]].
* TraumaInducedAmnesia: Jennifer understandably suffers from this after the events of The First Fear, and spends the majority of the sequel remembering nothing other than running for her life from the sound of giant scissor blades scraping against each other.
* UncannyValley: Happens in 3, inadvertently in which sometimes they look a little off... but this is one of those cases in which the Uncanny Valley can often turn out to be more ''funny'' than creepy. Invoked with corpses, however.
* UpdatedRerelease: The first game was later rereleased as Clock Tower: The First Fear on the PlayStation and PC with minor additions.

* VillainousHarlequin: The Scissortwins of ''Clock Tower 3'. Maybe a pair of [[MonsterClown Monster Clowns]] if you happen to think they're scarier than most do.

* DifficultySpike: The Dark Id [[http://lparchive.org/Clock-Tower-3/Update%2035/35-chart.jpg mentioned this]] ''perfectly'' in his playthrough of ''3'', because the final boss not only has the health of nearly every boss you fought so far in the game ''combined'' and can pull out an attack that kills you instantly.

* SpiritualSuccessor: ''VideoGame/{{Haunting Ground}}'' seems to be a spiritual successor to this series.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Jennifer is modeled and named after Jennifer Corvino, [[TheDanza Jennifer Connelly's]] character in DarioArgento's movie {{Phenomena}}, which the original game is loosely based on.

* TooDumbToLive: [[Sullivan]].

* CreepyTwins: Ralph and Jemima of ''[=CT3=]'', although it may be [[YourMileageMayVary 'obnoxious']] for some.
** There's also Bobby and Dan from The First Fear, though they don't work together like the former pair does.

* [=~Chekhov's Gun~=]: Several items in the second game, most notably the [[spoiler:Demon Statue]] and a note in Jennifer's route [[spoiler:which has the Door Spell written on it]], are eventually used in some way to enable you to [[spoiler:seal away Scissorman]] in the A and B endings.

* [=~Dude, Where's My Reward?~=]: Your reward for exorcising all the ghosts in Clock Tower 3? Absolutely nothing, not even an acknowledgment that you did so.

* [=~I'll Kill You!~=]: Used a few times.

* {{Americanitis}}: The third game had its title changed, characters were given American-sounding names and the location was changed from Osaka, Japan to Salinas, California.

* SchrodingersGun: In the first game, your friends are only considered to be dead by the game if you actually see proof of their death. [[spoiler:This has actual gameplay implications; it means that the only way to get the S-rank ending, where one of your friends survives, is to never ever investigate any strange sounds you hear and never look in any place where a body could be found, because if you do, the game will take the opportunity to declare one of them dead.]]
* SequelFirst: The first game [[NoExportForYou was never released outside of Japan]], but the sequels were.

* CaptainErsatz: Scissorman is ''very'' similar to the movie Cropsy from the slasher movie ''The Burning''. Even using a similar weapon.