"Wahoo!"

He's got big floppy ears, a hat with Pac-man on it, and I don't know what the hell he is, but he sure is cute. He's Klonoa, and he's starred in some of the best platforming games I've ever played. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile on the PS1 is a 2.5D platformer, meaning it plays predominantly like a 2D platformer with moments in which players can periodically interact with the background and foreground. It stays pretty true to the 2D formula, but the 3D elements do spice things up and keep it interesting. The game is a little too easy, but it does increase in difficulty at a decent pace. It's a little on the easy side, even in the end, although the bonus level poses a tough and very satisfying challenge. The lack of challenge never takes away from the fun of the game, however, as the level design is great and provides a lot of fun and variety. In short, I love the game. Klonoa is an extremely lovable character, but despite the overwhelming level of cuteness, the game ends on a far more serious and somber note. It really gives meaning to the whole thing and makes it far more memorable. It's a very short game, however, and can easily be completed in a weekend, and likely could be beaten in an afternoon.

Despite the lack of popularity, Klonoa did get a sequel on PS2, Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil. Like it's predecessor, Klonoa 2 plays in a 2.5D fashion. The graphics have received a hefty update and give the game the look of a colorful cartoon. For the most part, Klonoa 2 is just more of what the first game was, but that's by no means a bad thing. It's still overly cute, though I didn't get quite as attached to the second game as much as I did the first. It's still very solid platforming, a lot of fun, and a worthy successor to the first game.

Unfortunately, this is where the main series ends. As of late, there are no more true entries in the main Klonoa series. It should be noted that there was a remake of the original game released for the Wii in 2009, but that can hardly be considered another entry in the series. After the two main games, there were 2 handheld Klonoa games for the GBA.

Klonoa: Empire of Dreams and Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament are fundamentally the same. Both are strictly in 2D as opposed to the 2.5 system seen in their console brothers, likely due to technical constraints. That doesn't mean these games should be overlooked however. The main game mechanic of picking up enemies and using them to double-jump is still in the GBA games, but the games are more puzzle-based than simply platformers. In fact, both games actually provide some rather challenging puzzles. They're more puzzle than platformer, while still having strong platforming elements. Calling them platformers would be like calling Portal an FPS. You're not entirely wrong... but you're not quite right either.

The GBA games don't have stories or music I connected with like the console games do, but that's to be expected and they do still have twists to try and keep things from getting too stale. Ironically enough, the GBA games probably take longer to complete than the console games, though it's tougher for me to judge, as I tended to play them in small doses. Such is the nature of handhelds sometimes. Overall the GBA games are decent additions to the Klonoa franchise, but they simply don't live up to the console games. They do still provide a fun, albeit different gaming experience, along with some head-scratching areas that will leave you feeling satisfied once you have found the solution.

Before I finish, I would like to talk a bit more about the Wii version of Klonoa which I mentioned earlier. As I said, it is a remake of the original Door to Phantomile, but there have been some minor changes. The only major change from the original is the graphics, which is to be expected. The game looks more like how Klonoa 2 did, which isn't a bad thing. Klonoa's design has also been changed ever so slightly, as they for some reason removed his collar in the Wii version (although the original costume is unlocked after completing the game). I don't really like the change, but it's so subtle, that I don't really dislike it either. The other changes, however, I'm not as pleased with. For one, an easy game has been made even easier. The original Door to Phantomile on PS1 allowed for 6 hits before taking a life, but the Wii version has bumped it up to 10 hits. Not only that, but hearts heal more than they did. In the original, a small heart would heal 1 hit, and a big heart would heal 3 hits. In the Wii version, hearts heal double, with small and big healing 2 and 6 hits respectively. Considering one of my only complaints with the original was that it was a bit too easy, it's understandable why I don't like these changes. Finally, English voices have been added, and while they're not atrocious, the game works much better with characters speaking in "Phantomillian" gibberish. Thankfully, there is a "Phantomillian" language option, but curiously, this gibberish has all been re-recorded for the Wii version. One last thing is that Klonoa was given a new ability that can slow down nearby enemies, but frankly, I never once used it. The original PS1 game is certainly the definitive version of the game, but the Wii game is a lot cheaper and easier to find, so if it's your only option, you should still gladly take it.

I've certainly gone on long enough this time, but try to understand that Door to Phantomile and Klonoa 2 are among my absolute favorite platformers. I felt as though I should give the little guy some love, since so few others do. I'd love to see another true Klonoa game, but I can't say that I'm optimistic. That said, I'll gladly replay these gems any day and leave the thought of a new game to dreams.