Remasters and remakes are all the rage right now with a cluster of classic titles finding new life on current generation consoles.
One of these classics is the Klonoa series which is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a special release, Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series.
The first game in the Klonoa series, called Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was first released by Namco in 1998 on the Playstation.
It’s a side-scrolling platformer that blends 2D gameplay with 3D visuals, essentially making it 2.5D.
All the action takes place on a 2D plane but some of the boss fights take place in a circular 3D arena.
Klonoa’s popularity led to its 2001 sequel Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil on the Playstation 2, which utilises the same 2.5D concept as the first.
This sequel was met with critical acclaim for its stunning visuals and addictive gameplay.
These titles were followed by two Game Boy Advance games that expanded the story. But other than the remake of the first game on the Nintendo Wii in 2008, the series had pretty much fallen off the radar.
Which makes the announcement of Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series even more special as it could be the revival this series has been waiting for.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a compilation of the first two titles in the series that see Klonoa set out on his early adventures.
The first game is set in the land of Phantomile, which sees Klonoa and his friend Huepow try to thwart the evil plans of a dark spirit named Ghadius.
His aim is to turn the world of Phantomile into a land of nightmares by using a magical Moon pendant.
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is a lot darker than its cute aesthetics would allow you to believe.
For games of that era especially platformers it’s a charming heartfelt story with a twist that no one will see coming.
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil is set in the dream world of Lunatea which is made up of four kingdoms.
Once again being summoned from his home world Klonoa is caught up in an adventure to ring elemental bells scattered across the kingdoms.
Like the previous game, Lunatea's Veil is filled with a colourful cast of characters and story themes that keeps everything entertaining for the most part.
Fans of the games will love to see the new cutscenes in their remastered form, but some of the scenes can last a little too long.
So if the story isn’t really your thing there really isn’t much to be lost by skipping the cutscenes. But those who do engage with both plots will be treated to a set of charming tales.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series are remasters of the first two original games with Klonoa: Door to Phantomile being a remake of the 2008 Wii version.
The games have received a massive HD boost, which is especially prominent with the character models that look far superior to their original counterparts.
The developers have used anti-aliasing so the games look a lot smoother than before, but you will notice some jagged lines here and there.
Both titles have new U.I. which elevates the overall look. The levels look fresh while still retaining their charm and designs from the original game.
Players will also have the ability to switch between the fresh graphics and pixel graphics that are reminiscent of the original games.
This is a great way for newcomers to experience these classics as Klonoa has never looked better.
One of the big selling points of the Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is that the games would be in 4K running at 60fps on the Playstation and Xbox consoles.
But I feel most people will want to take these titles on the go, so the performance on the Switch was always going to be a talking point.
While playing in docked mode the game runs at the console’s native resolution of 1080p targeting 60fps.
However the game doesn't quite match the smooth performance like on the other consoles, and there were some frame drops.
But this didn’t really hinder my experience with the game which also ran really smoothly in undocked mode.
The Klonoa games are platformers that feature the same gaming mechanics and will see players traverse levels looking for particular items.
Klonoa's main ability is that he can use magical bullets to grab enemies enabling him to jump higher or kill other creatures lurking around.
This all sounds pretty straightforward and is from the get-go with levels easing players into the gaming loop.
But both games have a massive difficulty spike later in the game that really forces the players to be precise with their double and fluttering jumps.
This is fully welcomed, especially for seasoned gamers but it might be a bit too high of a difficulty jump for casual or younger players.
The gaming loop can be fun with levels featuring loads of collectables and challenges to keep players occupied. Boss battles are fun but there aren't enough of them and they can end a tad earlier than expected.
The games are pretty short with the first playthrough probably lasting about six hours but there are a fair few secrets and bonus levels to keep players coming back.
I found that it offers an original experience that may not be as stacked as some of the Mario games but really stands out for its ingenuity during certain parts of the game.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series also features co-op mode which was originally in Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil.
The second player will be able to give Klonoa a boosted jump which can be very handy and means players won’t have to rely on baddies.
I do think the developers could’ve included a bit more into the second player's abilities by incorporating some motion sensor elements or even just adding a second character to make the game more competitive.
Verdict 3/5
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a charming walk down memory lane with these classic titles looking the best they ever have.
The random difficulty spike may put off some of the casual gamers from the latter stages of the game.
Other than the lacklustre co-op and some performance issues, I think this is the best way to enjoy these classics, with the handheld mode on the Nintendo Switch working like a charm.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is out now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S and PC
