Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (1997)

Beat. I had no idea what to expect from this as I didn't even look up the cover or genre before playing. It was a disgustingly cute mascot platformer. I did not like the characters or the high pitched squeaky voices, and the story was nothing special. The gameplay was like a mixture between Kirby and Mario. There was a jump and couple seconds of floating mid air when holding down the button. The short attack grabbed enemies, which could be spent as a ranged throw or double jump. The double jump also threw the enemy straight down. The world was 3D but played as 2D, which was somewhat interesting. Sometimes the perspective was a little awkward, like telling when an enemy flying in from the background was targetable. I found the game quite difficult but I also dislike platforming. Lots of screw ups and falls to death but I did manage to beat every stage and boss without getting game over. I died a lot in the 2nd last stage, then loaded to beat it again with way more lives. The most difficult parts by far were the timed button presses during the final stage. Especially the one just before the boss I had to look up. I also looked up most of the boss tactics because I did not want to risk having to repeat any stage. Most were easy to learn though. The only thing I could not figure out on my own was the triangle thing for the 2nd last boss. After beating the game a stage select was unlocked. Getting all the bonus collectibles would unlock a hard bonus stage but I am not doing that. The game is lucky I played it at all without save states, especially given the few crashes. 1 even happened at the end of a stage before I could save so I had to redo it. Not a bad game but severely lacking when compared to any of the Mario Bros or Kirby games. No power ups or different abilities for throwing different enemies (other than the 1 bomb), no optional routes, minimal secrets, no way to farm lives.

7.0/10

A very cute and charming 2D platformer in the early 3D era. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile has a lot in common with other mascot-centered, child-friendly, but all ages 2D platformers with 3D effects such as Kirby 64, Yoshi's Story, and Mischief Makers. It even has a storybook looking level select screen similar to two of those games.

I enjoyed the unique character designs, world lore, and music especially, although the music does not loop smoothly and it is pretty noticeable in every level. The cute gibberish speech sounds of the characters was also a nice touch.

The music may not be on quite on par with Mischief Makers but they do both have similarly limited gameplay mechanics. An additional ability or two, or other mechanics could have helped give Klonoa a little more gameplay and level variety but it felt fine enough for a first entry.

Some other rather minor issues are that some parts of levels don't always telegraph what direction to take to proceed which can lead to cheap deaths, and some boss fights can really drag on, becoming more frustrating than fun. It can also be annoying to try to line up elements in the background with where the player is trying to aim.

The easy early game difficulty and more tricky late game sections also leads to a game kids may get stuck or discouraged in, and that older games could get bored with. The tone of the game is also mostly very cute and endearing, but then has a couple more heavy moments I'm not sure how to feel about. I'm thinking here that the Kirby formula of keeping the main game very accessible while having some extra true ending content discoverable for more skilled players may be a better approach.

I think I'd rank Klonoa up there on the list of video game main characters that deserved more than what limited success they had. I hope at the very least to see more Klonoa cameos and easter eggs, or playable appearances in future Namco projects. And who knows maybe a revival down the road isn't too much to hope for.

This game is a platformer that feels both familiar and unique, it uses a “2.5D” perspective: you move along a 2D plane, but the world itself is rendered in 3D, with winding paths and camera shifts that make levels feel alive and dynamic. This gave the game a distinct identity at a time when most studios were moving fully into 3D platformers. It was one of the few titles of this sub-genre that I've ever played, and I can totally see myself bring blown away by this if I played it back in the day, so I genuinely recognize it's impact in the industry.

Gameplay centers around Klonoa’s Wind Ring, which lets him grab enemies and either throw them forward as projectiles or use them as a boost to reach higher ground. This simple mechanic fuels surprisingly clever puzzles and keeps the action engaging throughout. The controls are tight, and the level design steadily layers new challenges without ever overwhelming the player, platforming feels satisfying enough even withouth being the main focus. I've also played the GBA Klonoa, but this one feels much nicer in my opinion, it has a more balanced approach to puzzle and platforming, instead of being totally focused in the puzzle side.

The game’s presentation is one of its strongest points. Its worlds are colorful and whimsical, paired with a bright, catchy soundtrack that perfectly captures the dreamlike setting, although it is not the best OST of this genre, it is still very high quality and memorable. But underneath the cheerful surface lies an emotional, even melancholic story that takes players by surprise. Which I can't think of a single reason of it being this way other than it being released on a not very mature gaming industry period of time, since this game was meant to be for children as it's target audience.

By the end, Door to Phantomile delivers a bittersweet narrative that sticks with you long after the credits roll. It’s not a very long or difficult game, but its charm, inventiveness, and emotional weight have earned it a cult classic status, I consider it an underrated gem which should have way more titles released already. I played the OG PlayStation version, but I recommend that if you are interested than grab the re-release for PC or more modern platforms.

Really enjoyed this 2.5D puzzle platformer from Namco. The levels and characters are vibrant and lovable, with a surprisingly touching story and a well designed difficulty curve, leading to some pretty tough sections towards the end. I freed all the residents in Phantomile for 100% and got the lovely record player - something that reminded me of unlocking stuff in games back in the day, getting that special feeling of having something in a game that your friends and classmates had yet to unlock. I rarely care or think about that in modern games with all the guides and walkthroughs that are out there. Highly recommend these Klonoa games! Also, Huepow <3

[3.8] / [5]

Originally my review was titled "Absolute fun. If you are a fan of Tomba, definitely play this charming game" and started "Like others have mentioned, definitely easy. But the graphics, the vocalizations, and the music/sound effects are so charming. It's a great game if you are in the mood to just pick up the controller and play for 20 minutes."

Reality is, the game is very balanced with its challenge: it progresses as you learn the tricks of the mechanics. Very well crafted game design and progression. The puzzles get more elaborate as you correspondingly learn the extra techniques. Plus, the bosses give a reasonable challenge. Plus, if you wanna get all the prisoners, the difficulty is also nicely balanced between challenge and fun. A big part of its replayability is that you learn certain techniques (e.g., double jump to throw an enemy to break things below you, etc.) and would wanna redo the earlier levels for more completion.

I might be biased, because I am a huge fan of Tomba. But this was the closest any game has come to giving me that playful, charming, absurd feel. In fact, this pushes even further, with its emotional and epic plotline.

Look: 10/10 I love the graphics of this era and I think this game does a great job of having the different environmental regions/themes clear. Bright, vivid, playful--definitely my go-to words for this game. I realized some of my early complaints about the "look" of the 3d angles and foreground/background aspects were more on me than the game. This game consistently impressed me and kept me enthralled with the overall visual atmosphere.

Sound: 9/10 Not that there are an particularly striking tracks that I will be searching for on YouTube or returning to the game to hear, but the music is consistent and enjoyable. I love the sounds the characters make for dialogue. It all contributes to an overall vivid, bright, charming atmosphere.

Play: 9/10 I love this kind of game: straightforward but still exploratory and puzzle-based. Reasonable puzzles, indeed you can even ignore the extraneous ones unless you want to go for 100% completion. But it also isn't overwhelming with the collectibles like I feel Jak & Daxter got to be a bit. This is the right balance for me, and I could see this rating growing over time. Lots of potential to learn little tricks that will be useful and in fact necessary in earlier levels (necessary only if going for 100%), and always enjoyed learning the boss or level mechanics -- never quite got to the super frustrating level, but most of the game still presented a healthy challenge. If it weren't for the occasional bugs and glitches (I just walked through an enemy ha), this would be a definite 10 star.

Feel: 10/10 The storyline is sentimental without bogging down the action/platforming; indeed, even the dialogue is terse but meaningful and functional--I absolutely love it. (Edit: Now that I saw the ending, wow to the storyline. Perhaps predictable and cheesy, but exactly my kind of late 90s storyline. Reminds me of the late 90s JRPGs). I love the gibberish sounds they make during dialogue and I love the vibe that the graphics and music provide. I could see this being a game I finish whenever I play it, not necessarily 100% everytime, but the mere fact that is an option for each playthrough means I know this will gain in attachment and feel over time. If I had one word for this game, it would be fun!

Attachment: 9/10 I definitely think I will be returning to this game for 100% completion and just for the urge of simple, fun gameplay (plus, I wanna see the deeper ending and have the music player option and whatever other unlocks come from 100%). I am a sucker for platformers from this era like Crash and Tomba. Once I find myself returning, I think this score will be moving up for sure.

This game was technically excellent. Level design, art, music, and all the rest was spot on. If you like platforming games (with a little bit of item-hunting adventure thrown in) you will likely find this game to be a real gem, and that's why I gave it high marks.

But I'm not as much of a fan of vanilla platforming myself (which is really a matter of taste). I find games like this one not to be very rewarding. Much like more straightforward puzzle games, the only reward is the sense of satisfaction in completing the task. Honestly I get that at my day job already. I need something more from my games.

In Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, you walk, jump and throw inflatable clown-rabbits at other inflatable clown-rabbits. Its titular star looks like a Sonic OC (wearing a Pac-Man hat I wouldn't be surprised to find in a Hot Topic), thrown into a world that's half Kirby's Adventure, half NiGHTS into Dreams. It should be a mess.

Yet somehow, it works.

Arguably, controls are the most crucial aspect of any successful platformer. Klonoa delivers in this regard, with precise and responsive movement that feels closer to 16-bit platforming classics than the slippery/floaty feel of many 32- and 64-bit competitors. When I died in this game, I almost always felt it was my fault rather than the game's, which made overcoming certain challenges genuinely rewarding.

But the real secret to Klonoa's fun: It starts as a platformer, and slowly through the course of the game introduces more and more puzzle elements. It always feels like a platformer, but the solutions to its more vexing challenges are almost always more brain-work than reflexes.

Unfortunately, that mixture also amplifies the frustration level of some common platforming tropes. This game would be twice as fun if it replaced its "lives" with a more forgiving checkpoint system a la Super Meat Boy or Rayman Origins/Legends.

Also, the voice-acting is expressive but really high-pitched and irritating. I found myself muting the game's surprisingly frequent (and visually enjoyable) cut-scenes because of it.

Those complaints aside, Klonoa's a weird but special game that really does justify its cult status. I liked it!

(Note: I played this game on PS Vita. There's also a Wii remake that was overseen by the same devs, so that may be worth checking out depending on which consoles are handy.)

Platform:

Playstation version.

Graphics/Sound:

Most of the PS1 games haven't aged that well, but this one still looks decent I think. The character and enemies are 3d-rendered 2d sprites I think while the environment is polygon 3d. The sound is scratchy but some of the music is really nice, especially on the finale it's a really emotional soundtrack.

Gameplay:

It's a 2.5d platformer, which means it's 2d movement in 3d graphics. Sadly many games of the genre once they restrict movement also restrict the levels to 2d. Here they did everything right, the levels are curved and intricate (but you'll never get lost), so you have a full 3d feeling with the tight control of 2d platforming. The game is partly a puzzle platformer since you need enemies to reach certain points in the game. You are trying to free folks from all over the dream world and you have a nice map with everybody you saved showing up there and waving at you.

Difficulty:

It's decent, it's not too easy but also never frustrating I think. I heard people complain about the length of the game, and I can only imagine they think the game is too short. But I like the 2 levels per world/theme and the ability to play through this in a couple of hours.

It really liked this one. It's a perfect example of why 2d gameplay doesn't have to be obsolete in world dominated by 3d games. I really like mixture of action and puzzle solving you get here in good proportions. And the ending is just amazing and emotional. Very recommended.

Pros:
-- Cute characters, fun story, even a little moving towards the end
-- Interesting mix of 2D and 3D graphics
-- Though I didn't do it, I could see a draw in going back to finish collecting gems

Cons:
-- 2.5/3-D graphics can be a little confusing when the maps start to wind around themselves
-- Controls are a little slide-y in some of the finer platforming sections
-- Music left some to be desired; I listened to podcasts

Check out my full review at TheKlotzNet