Clockwork Knight (Mar 28, 1995 prototype)

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Title Screen
Clockwork Knight (Mar 28, 1995 prototype)
Build date Mar 28, 1995 07:55:48
Dump status Released
Dumped by Tongara
Released by Clockwork Knight.comTongara
File dump date October 31, 2024
File release date December 9, 2024
Origin CD-R
Labels CK #7 3.28
Dump method Plextor PX-708UF (Redumper v2024.05.27 build_371)
Ownership The Pleasure (2019-May 2024) Miyazaki’s Slave (May 2024-October 2024) Tongara (October 2024-present)
Game Clockwork Knight: Pepperouchau's Adventure
System Sega Saturn
Genre Action
Final build JP Nov 15, 1994
EU Apr 5, 1995
US Mar 28, 1995
Release date JP Dec 9, 1994
EU Apr 5, 1995
US May 11, 1995
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A final localization prototype disc of the US build of Clockwork Knight for the Sega Saturn. Data track of the disc matches the final version, CDDA Tracks don't.

It was dumped on October 31, 2024, and was then publicly released on December 9th, 2024 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Clockwork Knight’s first release in Japan.

Notes

  • The build was burned to a Sega Saturn branded CD-R (Common at the time for proto builds), with “CK 3.28” written on the CD, and “CK #7 3.28” written on the spine of the CD case. Nothing was written on the front/inner sleeve. The date of this build appears to be 1995.03.28 (Based on the file dates and the game header), which matches the build date of the final US retail build (also 1995.03.28). This sadly appears to be a completed localisation of the game, bar a few file hash differences in for the CDDA files. This is of course a bit disappointing, but that is the luck of the draw when it comes to Prototypes, especially localization prototypes. I still believe these discs are worth dumping and preserving.
  • As noted in the summary, this prototype has been dumped/released in time for the 30th Anniversary of the initial Japanese release of the first Clockwork Knight game (1994.12.09).
  • This Prototype build was bought by Tongara in late 2024 from user “Miyazaki’s Slave” on NeoGAF Forums, who originally bought it along with a Playstation Vita/Misc Game Bundle"[1] from another user called “The Pleasure” who has previously made a listing for this Prototype in the "For Sale" area on the same forum in 2021[2].
  • “The Pleasure” has told Tongara over PM that he originally bought this dev disc back around the year 2019 at a Flea Market around an hour and a half from San Francisco. The seller had 4 other Saturn dev discs (one of which was apparently Tomb Raider), and the other three were unidentifiable just by looking at them. “The Pleasure” bought just the CK 3.28 disc, as that is all they had enough money for at the time. Sadly, the seller never returned to the Flea Market after that day, so there was never another chance to pick up/potentially identify any other Saturn dev discs, which is a real shame.
    • It is possible that the seller at the Flea Market is the same original owner/seller of the "Clockwork Knight 2 (Aug 30, 1995 prototype)"[3] who sold that prototype to the private eBay seller Tongara bought it from back in 2017. It was noted at that time that the original owner was a “gentleman in Santa Cruz, Californa, who used to be a developer”, and the seller also bought another unidentifiable disc from the same person. This is of course just speculation!

Videos

For documentation purposes, shown below is the Title Screen from this build:

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Origin

Acknowledgments

  • A big thank you to my good friend “Just Mags/MagsThe3rd” for being the middle person in aquiring this prototype, and making sure it got to me from the US to over here in the UK in one piece. I owe you more than one!
  • Another big thank you goes to the Sega Saturn hacking master, and someone I personally consider a friend at this point, “Bo” (AKA @memory_fallen) for looking into this build/comparing files. Your kindness/help is always appreciated!
  • And a final thank you goes to “Miyazaki’s Slave” for selling me the Prototype in the first place, and also to “The Pleasure” for providing some historcial information about the source of the proto and for being the original seller!

See also

"Clockwork Knight: Pepperouchau's Adventure Beta" Redump page.

References

  1. "Playstation Vita Collection Big Lot", Page where the prototype was originally sold. (archive}
  2. "Sega Saturn Development CDR Clockwork Knights Beta Pre Launch US Saturn", Page where the prototype was originally listed in 2021. (archive}
  3. "Clockwork Knight 2 (Aug 30, 1995 prototype)", (Hidden Palace Prototype Page)