...actually its been more than 10 years, so I thought I'd fire up this amazing piece of platforming fetishism and see if it lived up to my memories of it.
Klonoa - Door to Phantomile
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
1 Player
1 CD-ROM
Sony PlayStation
Klonoa was one of the 32-bit era's original platform heroes, taking
players on a Kirby-esque romp in 2.5D. 2.5D games take place in full 3d
worlds but limit the player to a 2d plane of movement. This gives the
game a distinctly old-school feel while retaining the flashy look expected of
more contemporary full 3d games. Pandemonium and the early Crash
Bandicoot games feature this style of play, but Klonoa is perhaps the best
example of it.
Namco was one of the early pioneers of great computer graphics, with the
Tekken series and Soul Blade's intros immediately springing to mind.
Klonoa is no exception, opening with a beautiful CG animation that
still looks great today, 10 years later. Klonoa, a cat-like creature
with puffy bunny ears, is out in the woods when a bejeweled ring falls
crashing from the sky. Much to his surprise, Klonoa discovers the ring
is home to a magical blue entity called Huepow. They make fast friends,
but soon after they return to the Village of Winds, where Klonoa resides
with his grandfather, a mysterious storm appears over the world and
nightmarish monsters soon invade...
Klonoa can perform a simple jump, but he can't directly attack enemies
himself. Luckily, with the aid of Huepow he can grab and carry enemies
aloft. He can then use the pacified monster to perform a double jump (by
propelling himself into the air on the poor beast) or toss it to dispatch
other enemies, flip switches, or crack open eggs. The great thing about
this system, which feels a bit like Kirby, is that the enemies are often
the obstacles - as well as the solutions to - clever environmental / platforming
puzzles. If the player makes a mistake, there's always more enemies to grab
and use as they respawn like clockwork. This is one of the few games where
respawning enemies are a godsend.
The stages, which often have branching paths, are simple enough to follow
while still allowing for plenty of secrets. Generally you just go from
Point A to Point B, but if you want the good ending you'll need to find and
rescue the six trapped inhabitants of each area, some of which are in
hard to reach hidden spots. Unlike later Klonoa games where the
challenge lies in collecting every gem, here the gems are optional with
100 of them yielding an extra life, which will come in handy as you make
your way through the daunting world of Phantomile.
Each stage is meticulously plotted out, with no two situations feeling
alike. The levels have been designed to take full advantage of Klonoa's
abilities as well as the 2.5D perspective, and the ingenuity on display
is what makes Klonoa a true classic. Gradually ramping up in difficulty
and complexity, players will encounter all sorts of different challenges
- including a wide variety puzzles, enemies, and bosses. Somehow,
perhaps due to the dreamy setting and vibrant colors, Klonoa feels like a
cousin to SEGA's Saturn classic, NiGHTS.
There's about 12 stages in total with half as many bosses, and along the
way the player is treated to some cute story sequences involving the
various denizens of Phantomile (all of whom have sickeningly cute babbles
for voices), adding immensely to the game's charm.
Klonoa is the type of game that can be beaten in a single sitting of about
3 hours. While that is definitely on the short side, try to keep in mind that
those 3 hours are positively packed with some of the tightest 2.5D platforming
known to man, along with some impressive and innovative bosses. Klonoa is
without a doubt one of the finest games on the PS1 and a very strong candidate
for best 2.5D game ever made - one of many sterling 32-bit offerings from Namco.
>>Klonoa branched out into Beach Volleyball on the PS1 before he would
return in a full-fledged sequel on the PS2. Since then Klonoa has
appeared in 3 GBA games, but hasn't appeared since. Unfortunately, as of
this writing his future remains uncertain.
Klonoa - Door to Phantomile
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
1 Player
1 CD-ROM
Sony PlayStation
Klonoa was one of the 32-bit era's original platform heroes, taking
players on a Kirby-esque romp in 2.5D. 2.5D games take place in full 3d
worlds but limit the player to a 2d plane of movement. This gives the
game a distinctly old-school feel while retaining the flashy look expected of
more contemporary full 3d games. Pandemonium and the early Crash
Bandicoot games feature this style of play, but Klonoa is perhaps the best
example of it.
Namco was one of the early pioneers of great computer graphics, with the
Tekken series and Soul Blade's intros immediately springing to mind.
Klonoa is no exception, opening with a beautiful CG animation that
still looks great today, 10 years later. Klonoa, a cat-like creature
with puffy bunny ears, is out in the woods when a bejeweled ring falls
crashing from the sky. Much to his surprise, Klonoa discovers the ring
is home to a magical blue entity called Huepow. They make fast friends,
but soon after they return to the Village of Winds, where Klonoa resides
with his grandfather, a mysterious storm appears over the world and
nightmarish monsters soon invade...
Klonoa can perform a simple jump, but he can't directly attack enemies
himself. Luckily, with the aid of Huepow he can grab and carry enemies
aloft. He can then use the pacified monster to perform a double jump (by
propelling himself into the air on the poor beast) or toss it to dispatch
other enemies, flip switches, or crack open eggs. The great thing about
this system, which feels a bit like Kirby, is that the enemies are often
the obstacles - as well as the solutions to - clever environmental / platforming
puzzles. If the player makes a mistake, there's always more enemies to grab
and use as they respawn like clockwork. This is one of the few games where
respawning enemies are a godsend.
The stages, which often have branching paths, are simple enough to follow
while still allowing for plenty of secrets. Generally you just go from
Point A to Point B, but if you want the good ending you'll need to find and
rescue the six trapped inhabitants of each area, some of which are in
hard to reach hidden spots. Unlike later Klonoa games where the
challenge lies in collecting every gem, here the gems are optional with
100 of them yielding an extra life, which will come in handy as you make
your way through the daunting world of Phantomile.
Each stage is meticulously plotted out, with no two situations feeling
alike. The levels have been designed to take full advantage of Klonoa's
abilities as well as the 2.5D perspective, and the ingenuity on display
is what makes Klonoa a true classic. Gradually ramping up in difficulty
and complexity, players will encounter all sorts of different challenges
- including a wide variety puzzles, enemies, and bosses. Somehow,
perhaps due to the dreamy setting and vibrant colors, Klonoa feels like a
cousin to SEGA's Saturn classic, NiGHTS.
There's about 12 stages in total with half as many bosses, and along the
way the player is treated to some cute story sequences involving the
various denizens of Phantomile (all of whom have sickeningly cute babbles
for voices), adding immensely to the game's charm.
Klonoa is the type of game that can be beaten in a single sitting of about
3 hours. While that is definitely on the short side, try to keep in mind that
those 3 hours are positively packed with some of the tightest 2.5D platforming
known to man, along with some impressive and innovative bosses. Klonoa is
without a doubt one of the finest games on the PS1 and a very strong candidate
for best 2.5D game ever made - one of many sterling 32-bit offerings from Namco.
>>Klonoa branched out into Beach Volleyball on the PS1 before he would
return in a full-fledged sequel on the PS2. Since then Klonoa has
appeared in 3 GBA games, but hasn't appeared since. Unfortunately, as of
this writing his future remains uncertain.
