Hifumi Kouno, director of the classic 1995 horror game Clock Tower, says he wasn’t aware the game is being remastered.
As reported by Time Extension, Hifumi Kouno wasn’t aware that Clock Tower, the Super NES game he directed in 1995, is being remastered. When contacted by the publication, he replied: “I have not heard anything about this project and am not involved in it.”
Limited Run Games announced a remaster of Clock Tower as part of its LRG3 showcase on 12th July. The remaster is being published by Limited Run Games and Sunsoft, and is being developed by WayForward, the American studio behind the Shantae series.
However, from Kouno’s response to Time Extension, it seems that – so far at least – no one has sought his input on the remaster. The move seems to be in stark contrast to other recent remakes and rereleases: for example, The Making of Karateka is presented as an interactive documentary featuring commentary from the people involved in Karateka's development, such as Jordan Mechner, who went on to create Prince of Persia.
Then again, it’s not the first time that a creator has been sidelined when their video game has been resurrected. Just last month, Ron Gilbert said he “wasn’t even told” about the development of the Legend of Monkey Island DLC for Sea of Thieves. Gilbert wrote and directed The Secret of Monkey Island in 1990, and came back to the series with Return to Monkey Island just last year.
Read more: Clock Tower | Horror classic getting a remaster for PC and consoles