Klonoa is a “Wii-make” of the 1997 Playstation title, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. The original game and its 2001 sequel, Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil, were innovative side-scrollers that mixed old school, Super Mario Bros. style gameplay with 3D rendered graphics. Although neither title in the series yielded sensational sales, both were nevertheless critical darlings that consistently wind up on those “great games you haven’t played” lists that pepper the Internet. The series symbolized a period of transition between 2D side-scrollers of yesteryear to modern 3D platformers like Super Mario Galaxy.

The remake’s story is unchanged from Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. The player controls Klonoa, an anthropomorphic rabbit-like creature. Klonoa, accompanied by his best friend Hewpoe (a floating, blue, dew drop of sorts) must defeat the King of Darkness Ghadius, who threatens to plunge the world into chaos. The story, while not particularly interesting or original, propells the action forward. For a cutesy game it can be dark at times. That being said, due to the game’s length and voice acting (more on both subjects later), the player never bonds to any of the characters. Thankfully, the game’s story is secondary to the gameplay and is never forced upon the player.

Old school gameplay is the undisputed highlight of the series - as any fan would tell you. From controls to level design, Klonoa remains largely true to the 1997 original. Since Klonoa is a callback to old school platformers, veteran players will be readily familiar with its greater elements. For example, the player must navigate Klonoa through a series of “visions” (levels) that consist of two stages each. At the end of each vision, the player must face off against a boss. Along the way, Klonoa collects Dream Crystals. Once the player collects 100 crystals, he or she will gain an extra life. Meanwhile, Klonoa attacks by firing Wind Bullets from his magical ring. These bullets allow Klonoa to pick up and throw enemies in true Super Mario Bros. 2 fashion.