Of the dwindling number of interesting retro games that I have still yet to play, the Klonoa games are one such series that sit relatively high on my to-do list.  While I don’t know much about these games, these cute 2D platformers just look like something I’d have a lot of fun with, and so I was quite excited when I discovered the demo for Klonoa Phantasy Reveries Series, which includes both main games, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (1997) and Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil (2001).

The demo started out quite promising when I began Klonoa: Door to Phantomile.  Right from the first cutscene, I thought Klonoa himself was super cute, and the graphics were very colorful and pleasant to look at.  This particular demo contains two levels and a boss fight, which gave me plenty of time to get used to Klonoa’s abilities.  One thing I found a bit strange, though, was the fact that Klonoa can’t double jump or even collect certain items on his own.  Instead, he must hit enemies with a wind bullet in order to grab them, and then he can use them to double jump or throw them at certain collectibles to obtain them.  Another interesting feature is the fact that the game isn’t strictly 2D.  For one thing, the path meanders around the environment instead of following a straight path, which certainly helps to make things less boring.  Plus, the path can also branch out from time to time, allowing for some exploration.

The demo for Klonoa 2 was just a bit disappointing in comparison.  While the first game’s demo seemed to have been left unaltered, allowing you to experience the game’s beginning as you would in the full version, Klonoa 2 takes a different approach, removing cutscenes and granting you access to only one stage (which takes place several levels into the game).  I suppose they assumed we had already gotten acquainted with the gameplay and general tone of the series with the first game, but getting to watch some cutscenes for context into what was going on would have been nice.  Other than that, there’s not much else to say about the Klonoa 2 section of the demo, as it feels quite similar to the first game.

The Klonoa series seems to be generally well-received, with the main complaints being that the games are rather easy and “too cute”.  Seeing as I’m a big fan of most platformers from the 90’s and early 2000’s, I think it’s safe to say that this game will be added to my collection in the near future.  Next time I see a sufficient sale, of course.  Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is available on all major consoles and PC for $39.99.  Keep in mind that, while you are getting two games, they are both rather short, at roughly 5 or 6 hours each (a bit longer if you’re aiming for 100%).