Review: Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series

destructoid.com:

Klonoa is definitely one of those games that really need a re-release. The series is a cult favorite, having originally been released in 1998 on the PlayStation, Bandai Namco only sporadically acknowledges it exists. The last entry we got was the 2008 remake of the original title on the Wii. Yeesh. There are fan-favorite franchises that are far worse off, but we can count our victories while still screaming at the walls about what is left to be done.

Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series can be counted as a victory. It collects remastered versions of the Wii remake of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, and the PS2 sequel, Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil into one package. I want to complain that it would have been nice if they also included the Wonderswan and Game Boy Advance titles while, oh yeah, also throwing in the Beach Volleyball game. However, my throat is pretty sore from screaming at the walls, so I’m just going to take what we got.

Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series (PlayStation [PS5 reviewed], PC, Xbox, Switch)Developer: MONKEYCRAFT Co. Ltd.Publisher: Bandai Namco EntertainmentReleased: July 7, 2022MSRP: $39.99

The series sets itself in a sort of dream world. The two games present in the collection aren’t exactly connected in narrative outside of the titular Klonoa. It kind of sucks for Klonoa, since he’s not really a resident of these lands. He just shows up and fixes all their problems. That’s pretty thankless.

Both games are similar platformers. They’re simple, almost to a fault. They’re sidescrollers with a little wrap-around. The paths tangle around each other and you can throw enemies into the foreground and background. Really, aside from those 3D effects, you could emulate the action on something as simple as, say, a Wonderswan.