Most gamers are aware of platforming mascots like Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Crash Bandicoot, but Namco’s plucky Klonoa series has recently celebrated its 25 anniversary. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile first hit the original PlayStation in 1997, and a steady series of unique titles, both platformers and otherwise, have since been released.
The brand new Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series is a passionate love letter to the franchise’s past that celebrates the series’ legacy. Modern gamers can now experience the joy of Klonoa, which means it’s the perfect time to revisit each game in the franchise and measure how they stack up against each other.
9 Klonoa Beach Volleyball Is One Of The Stranger Spin-Off Ideas
Sports spin-offs have become quite plentiful in the gaming industry, and there’s been an odd push towards beach volleyball, but typically with titles that skew more towards a mature audience, not Klonoa and his furry friends. Klonoa Beach Volleyball is a PlayStation title that was released in Japan and Europe, but got overlooked in North America.
The game looks great and has smooth gameplay, but it’s ultimately limited in its scope in comparison to the other Klonoa titles. Hopefully, it helped bring some new audiences to the sports genre, at least.
8 Klonoa: Moonlight Museum Is The Franchise’s First Handheld Offering With A Priority On Puzzles
Modern gamers may not remember the WonderSwan, Bandai’s own first-party handheld gaming console, but it’s a fascinating piece of technology with some fun original releases. Klonoa is the perfect series for the WonderSwan to embrace, and Moonlight Museum functions as a side story prequel to the PlayStation original.
Klonoa: Moonlight Museum recognizes its limitations, and it chooses to focus on puzzle elements instead of the action-centric gameplay of the PlayStation releases. Moonlight Museum is a charming black-and-white 2D sidescroller that helps establish the formula that would later be used in the series’ Game Boy Advance entries.
7 Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament Builds Upon The Strong Foundation Of Its GBA Predecessor
Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament has a title that makes it seem like it’s some fighting genre spin-off for Klonoa and the rest of his cuddly pals. In reality, it’s a satisfying evolution of the action-platforming elements that were present in the previous handheld Klonoa titles.
Dream Champ Tournament attempts to fit itself into the proper Klonoa chronology. However, at the end of the day, it’s just a well-developed platformer with creative level designs and aesthetics, as well as plenty of hidden content for the more dedicated gamers.
6 2008’s Klonoa Wii Remake Isn’t The Radical Return To Form Fans Expected
Klonoa is largely associated with Sony’s PlayStation, but a robust reinvention of the franchise was planned for Nintendo Wii’s to coincide with Klonoa’s tenth anniversary. 2008’s Klonoa is a full remake of the PlayStation original that amounts to one of the more satisfying platformers to grace the Nintendo console.
Sales for the Wii’s Klonoa failed to meet expectations, and despite the aesthetic improvements and additional content, it’s actually inferior to the original in several areas. The biggest oversight in the Wii Klonoa remake is that the size of the hitboxes are all over the place, which results in gameplay that’s more frustrating than it needs to be.
5 Klonoa: Empire Of Dreams Marks The Fantastical Franchise’s Game Boy Advance Debut
It’s not unusual for popular home console games to receive handheld ports or spin-offs, usually with some degree of compromise that needs to be made. Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance was a groundbreaking handheld console that proved what could truly be done with this hardware.
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams is set between the two PlayStation platformers, but it served as the introduction to the series for many Nintendo fans. The first Game Boy Advance Klonoa game is an excellent proof of concept that doesn’t just capture the energy of the console titles, but also celebrates the visuals and depth of the Game Boy Advance.
4 Klonoa Heroes Reimagines The Franchise’s World As An Action RPG
One of the most exciting aspects of the gaming industry is how popular franchises and characters can experience genre makeovers that help introduce their audiences to new types of games. Iconic franchises like Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog have received RPG spin-offs, and Namco’s Klonoa receives the same treatment in Klonoa Heroes: Legendary Star Medal.
The Game Boy Advance title was never localized outside of Japan, but this unexpected transformation results in one of the most entertaining Klonoa games. Players control Klonoa, Guntz, and Pango through a detailed world that effectively combines the series’ action staples with standard RPG staples.
3 Klonoa: Door To Phantomile Is The PlayStation Classic That Started It All
1997’s Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is the first game in the franchise, and it presents familiar platforming action, albeit in a world that feels unique. Klonoa’s attacks are limited, which leads to gameplay that’s easy to learn and rewarding to master.
Klonoa is a platformer that delivers a lengthy adventure filled with secrets to collect and unlock. It’s a PlayStation cult classic that deserves the same notoriety as Crash Bandicoot or Tomba! There’s been a modern remake of Door to Phantomile, but these prettier takes on the game unfortunately feature sloppier mechanics that can’t compare with the original.
2 Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil Is A Proper Sequel That Benefits From The Shift To PS2
Sony’s PlayStation 2 remains an iconic piece of gaming hardware, and one of the most exciting things during the start of its release was seeing which PlayStation classics would receive a next-gen sequel. Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil arrives four years after the original, and it’s a sequel that feels bigger and better in every sense.
The Lolo ring mechanic and board-riding stages are worthwhile gameplay elements that don’t overcomplicate Klonoa’s arsenal of attacks. It’s a promising step forward for the franchise, with a dark final act that just makes it harder to accept that there hasn’t been a Klonoa 3.
1 Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series Collects And Remasters Two Klonoa Classics
The whole reason that Namco’s Klonoa is back on people’s radars is because of the 25th anniversary offering, Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series. This new title remakes the two mainline Klonoa games, albeit with modern updates and features. The sheer amount of content that’s provided in Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series makes it hard to argue with its status as the most substantial Klonoa experience.
This remastered compilation could be improved in some areas, such as its use of the Wii’s inferior Klonoa remake over the original. However, it’s still the best way to experience the series on modern gaming hardware. Hopefully, Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series can lead to a proper continuation of the quirky platformer series.