Klonoa (2008 video game)

Klonoa
Developer(s) Paon
Publisher(s)
Series Klonoa
Platform(s) Wii
Release
  • JP: December 4, 2008
  • NA: May 5, 2009
  • EU: May 22, 2009
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Klonoa[lower-alpha 1] is a 2008 platform game developed by Paon and published by Namco for the Wii. It is a remake of the 1997 PlayStation game Klonoa: Door to Phantomile.

Gameplay

Development

Klonoa's character redesign (left) and Klonoa's proposed North American redesign (right)

Klonoa was developed by Paon for the Wii as a remake of the PlayStation game, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. The game's development began after the merge of Namco and Bandai, when vice president Shin Unozawa expressed a desire to "revive the Klonoa series". Namco Bandai developers decided that a remake of the original game, in acknowledgement of its 10th anniversary, would be the best approach. The Wii was chosen to develop for because Namco Bandai felt that the console had a wide appeal, one which fulfilled the original game's premise of appealing to both younger players and adults.[1]

The game was produced by Hideo Yoshizawa, who directed the original game. Other key members of the original development team - such as chief planner Tsuyoshi Kobayashi, visual chief Yoshihiko Arai, and sound designer Kanako Kakino - contributed to the remake to surpass the standards of the original game.[1] The remake features a graphical upgrade, redesigned characters, updated gameplay, and remade cut scenes using cel-shaded animation.[2] The original game features voices in a fictional language unique to each character, but these have been re-acted in Japanese - although the player has the option of hearing either. The voice actors include Kumiko Watanabe as Klonoa, Bin Shimada as Joka, Akemi Kanda as Huepow, and Yuko Minaguchi as Lephise.[3] Many small modifications were made to the gameplay to make it "much more intuitive and easier to control", according to producer Yoshizawa. These include the speed at which Klonoa runs, the length of his shot, and adjusting the hit range of the enemies.[1] Additions to the gameplay are centered around unlockable features, such as additional costumes and reversible levels designed for "the hardcore fans".[1][4]

Namco Bandai considered a special redesign of the Klonoa character for North America, and surveyed audiences on the qualities of a potential redesign. The appearance of the redesign was panned by critics, who considered it "depressing"[5] and compared it to "Poochie", a parody character from The Simpsons who was designed as an unnecessary change to a television show, and who embodies the idea of "jumping the shark".[6] Due to strong support for the original design in the survey, Namco Bandai abandoned the redesign. The subtitle, Door to Phantomile, was also omitted for the North American/European release.[1]

Release

The remake of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was announced at Nintendo Conference Fall 2008 on October 2, 2008, where a software lineup video for the Wii contained footage of the game. The game received coverage in articles by Japanese magazines and websites, such as Weekly Famitsu and Dengeki DS & Wii. An official website for Door to Phantomile was created and periodically updated. Namco Bandai dedicated three kiosks to Door to Phantomile at Tokyo Game Show, with one located in a children's area. The advertising campaign for Door to Phantomile consisted of two television commercials and a radio commercial, and posters and videos for stores to display.

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was published in Japan on December 4, 2008 by Namco Bandai Games,[7] and was released in North America on May 5, 2009 and in Europe on May 22, 2009

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic77 / 100[8]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid7.25 / 10[9]
Edge6 / 10[10]
Eurogamer7 / 10[11]
Game Informer7 / 10[12]
GamePro[13]
Game RevolutionB+[14]
GameSpot7.5 / 10[15]
GameTrailers8 / 10[16]
GameZone8 / 10[17]
Giant Bomb[18]
IGN8 / 10[19]
Nintendo Power9 / 10[20]

The game received mostly positive reviews from critics, earning a 77 out of 100 rating from Metacritic.[8] The title experienced low sales in Japan, however, debuting as the 33rd highest-selling game in the region during its first week with only 5,800 copies sold.[21]

Reviews of the gameplay have been mixed. Weekly Famitsu felt that the game was overall enjoyable, awarding it a 36 out of 40 score and a Platinum Award, but criticised it for a lack of freshness.[22] The magazine also felt that the graphics had "evolved significantly",[22] sentiments echoed by Kotaku, who also praised its gameplay while criticizing the game's overall simplicity, calling it a "fairly stock platformer".[23] GameSpot also felt the game was enjoyable, but criticised the game for being linear and easy.[24] GameSpot praised the game for a large amount of detail, and called the environment "bright and colorful".[24] IGN similarly praised the colours of the game, calling it "visually impressive" due to its "lush water palette" and "great water effects".[25] 1UP.com compared the graphics to those of the original game's successor, Klonoa 2,[26] and would later include the title in their list of the "Six Obscure Wii Games You Must Play".[27] Editors of Nintendo Power named Klonoa as one of the 30 "Wii Essentials" in June 2012,[28] and later ranked it as the 63rd greatest game ever released for a Nintendo console in their farewell issue the following December.[29] GamesRadar placed the game 38th on its own list of the Top 50 Wii games in 2013.[30]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Kaze no Kuronoa Door to Phantomile (風のクロノア door to phantomile "Klonoa of the Wind: Door to Phantomile")

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Klonoa: The Platforming Masterpiece Returns!". Nintendo Power. Future Publishing (237): 68–71. January 2009.
  2. ↑ 週刊ファミ通 2008年10月17日号. Weekly Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain, Inc. 2008-10-17.
  3. ↑ Tanaka, John (2008-11-20). "Klonoa Update". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  4. ↑ "『風のクロノア door to phantomile』豊富なやり込み要素を紹介". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain, Inc. 2008-11-17. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  5. ↑ Fletcher, JC (2008-10-30). "Namco Bandai exploring possibility of localizing, ruining Klonoa remake". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  6. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (2008-10-30). "Klonoa May Get Poochied For American Wii Release". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  7. ↑ "風のクロノア door to phantomile" (in Japanese). Namco Bandai Games. Archived from the original on 2008-12-06. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  8. 1 2 "Klonoa for Wii Reviews". Metacritic. 2012-01-22. Archived from the original on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  9. ↑ Davis, Ashley; Holmes, Jonathan (2009-05-14). "Review: Klonoa". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  10. ↑ Edge staff (March 2009). "Klonoa". Edge (199): 95.
  11. ↑ Parkin, Simon (2009-06-26). "Klonoa: Door to Phantomile Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2014-07-19. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
  12. ↑ Vore, Bryan (June 2009). "Klonoa (Wii)". Game Informer (194). Archived from the original on 2009-05-11. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
  13. ↑ Kim, Tae K. (May 2009). "Klonoa". GamePro. IDG (248). Archived from the original on 2011-11-17. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
  14. ↑ KevinS (2009-05-29). "Klonoa Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
  15. ↑ McShea, Tom (2009-05-04). "Klonoa Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2013-11-20. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
  16. ↑ "Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, Review (Wii)". GameTrailers. May 14, 2009. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  17. ↑ Nicksarlian, Greg (2009-05-11). "Klonoa - WII - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2009-05-17. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  18. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (2009-05-11). "Klonoa: Door to Phantomile Review (Wii)". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  19. ↑ Bozon, Mark (2009-05-05). "Klonoa Wii Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2013-04-04. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
  20. ↑ "Klonoa Wii Review". Nintendo Power. Future US. 241: 88. May 2009.
  21. ↑ "Famitsu Japan Game Charts 2008-12-1 to 2008-12-7 and Sales". Weekly Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain, Inc. 2008-12-08.
  22. 1 2 Weekly Famitsu 2008/12/12 (週刊ファミ通 2008年12月12日号). Enterbrain, Inc. November 28, 2008.
  23. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (2008-10-12). "Klonoa Wii-make Hands On: Awesomely Waggle-Free". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  24. 1 2 Tong, Sophia (2008-10-12). "TGS 2008: Kaze no Klonoa: Door to Phantomile Hands-On". GameSpot. CBS Interactive Inc. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  25. ↑ Hatfield, Damon (2008-10-10). "TGS 2008: Klonoa Wii Preview". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Archived from the original on 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  26. ↑ Parish, Jeremy (2008-10-09). "Klonoa Preview for Wii". 1UP.com. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  27. ↑ Barnholt, Ray (2012-11-14). "Six Obscure Wii Games You Must Play (Before It's Too Late)". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-01. Retrieved 2013-04-26.
  28. ↑ "Wii Essentials". Nintendo Power. Future US (279). June 2012.
  29. ↑ "Nintendo Power's 285 Greatest Game's of All Time". Nintendo Power. Future US (285). December 2012.
  30. ↑ "Best Wii games of all time". GamesRadar. 2013-02-11. Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
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