Played via the Phantasy Reverie Series release on an Xbox Series X.

This was fun - I had no real idea what I was in for when starting this game but I had a great time with it. The art direction was stupendously adorable and the music was genuinely great. Sometimes later platforming challenges were mildly infuriating (especially the Extra stage at the end) but this was a solid little game with a very surprising narrative. Whilst the Phantasy Reverie Series release is a remaster of the Wii remake, it does feature the original PS1 audio replacing the Wii's dubs and to be honest I'm glad I experienced it this way since I can only imagine an actual language attached to this game would have ruined at least 50% of my immersion and emotional investment, especially during those last cutscenes.

I've never played a Klonoa game before but from what everyone's saying I made the worst possible choice in the history of mankind by playing this version first. The very simple reason I picked this up was because it was available - unfortunately publishers don't deem older releases viable to keep selling and since there's no way I'm paying $300+ for the original PS1 release this was the next best option. Do I agree with this method? Absolutely not, and it's debateable whether rereleasing older games with an artificial new coat of paint is really the best but I certainly don't regret my time with this release.

The first time I saw this game was at a GameStop inside a mall and thinking to myself that it was "just another shovelware game" on the Wii and either bought something else or nothing at all. How wrong 10-year-old me was. It doesn't surpass the charm of the original game but it is still a quality remake that has its own charm to it.

Klonoa may look like a mix between a Sonic and Kingdom Hearts character in this version, but I still really like his design. The game still looks pretty good even with the graphic overhaul and while the voice acting is reminiscent of a mediocre anime dub, it also gives the remake a little extra charm that helps it stand out from the original. They even took the time to add a few extra costumes too which include his appearances in the original version, Klonoa 2, and an original costume. After playing this, the newer remaster feels a bit lackluster in comparison since in that version there is no option for an English dub, worse graphics, and costumes locked behind a paywall. This remake is a perfect example of how a remake should be done and feels like a labor of love from the developers.

gonna get out of my system some considerations about this "remake" so if you want to read my BeReal thoughts about klonoa here's the review

that being said klonoa wii is a wild card concerning the fact that I had no fucking idea how this was gonna fare in comparison to the original one which was soooo perfect so artistically complete and so gameplay-wise well rounded that I would have no idea how a remake of this masterclass in gaming be even conceived

so the main question

is this remake competent or worthy of a playthrough (apart from the original one the original one is great please play klonoa ps1 please please please this is good but please play klonoa ps1 i beg you pleek pleek)

short answer #1 = (not considering phantasy reverie) sure why not

short answer #2 = (considering that the phantasy reverie remake is somehow an altered port of this game i played some levels and its basically the same but with a more faithful artistic direction to the original and some more additions) = just play phantasy reverie

long answer =

so theres a lot of mid to bad changes in this game i wouldnt fault anyone to not even try it i dont even know why i tried it but we cant go back now

this remake is built completely in 3d engine which means this is not anymore a 2.5 game . FANCY!!!!!! no idk i dont particularly like it but i gotta say that remaking the entire environment was pretty cool but somehow i noticed that its more confusing ? like i played klonoa ps1 2 times (yes im gonna compare this game to klonoa ps1 a lot im sorry this is a downgrade for me so thats my 2 cents) and i never got completely lost or shit like that but in this one i dont know what the fuck happened with the graphics they kind of blend together too well maybe and i ended up watching the screen for like 3 mins before getting where i shouldve gone but either way maybe im just stupid which is v true

umh compositionally ? is that a word anyway every level is possibly the same like they left every aspect untouched which is cool but maybe i wanted some extra levels but its fine whatever so the thing is they made it easier by giving you 5 hearts instead of 3 and a longer wind ring range which is an addition that i didnt particularly dislike i just yknow managed to not break my controller this time i guess

and umh so

the ugly stuff is the redesigns i mean not EVERY redesign just klonoas one . disclaimer: its not bad BAD it has some charm but he looks too kingdom hearts esque in this one + it kinda looks like they wanted to make him retroactively look like klonoa 2 + i prefer his original design my little sweet angel … lil baby man lil lil baby man lil

and then another v bad thing . the english va

i hate english voice acting that's something I said too many times to the point that it's probably gonna get somebody offended someday in the future when they will read this review in 2055 on mars but anyway I dont know what my problem is im fine with original english content like im fine with watching american movies and such but theres something about english voice actors dubbing foreign contents with the most obnoxious voices known to man that gets me v irritated I am so sorry people but i do that with Italian too in a degree so it's ok it's not derogatory ok anyway the point is japanese voice acting very cool but PHANTOMILIAN LETS FUCKING GOOOO

anyway the point is when I heard klonoa talk in English I had a panic attack and I felt like I was gonna die choked on my own puke then I realized I could change that in the settings so everything's well that ends well and also they re recorded the phantomilian tracks so it's like 720p but like make it kHz HANYAAA and it's great even though some of the emotional delivery I felt it was better in the ps1 version but maybe im just biased and nitpicking at this point

nitpicking also concerning the art style and colors which look kind of muted in comparison to the more dreamlike palette and style of the ps1 version but at this point im really getting annoying ill stop im sorry

another and last thing is the final FMV that got removed to put a kind of soulless model animation which is fine I guess but the FMV in the first game is just unmatched the great animation and sound design and motion and dread and climax and entire is so much more complex than a ingame cutscene could be able to convey (reason why they made a fmv ?) so yeah another reason why I would prefer people to play the ps1 version first at least so they can cry like bitches to the REAL finale

disclaimer: i haven't played phantasy reverie till the end yet so I have no idea what they did with the final scene im guessing they just made it an insane cutscene too so if that's the case I would also say people just play the ps1 version its a masterpiece I don't make the rules

apart from this stuff I don't remember any more notable differences its kind of a 1 - 1 remake nothing too groundbreaking about it and somehow it manages to be worse than the original but honestly how can you beat the original that game is so full of charm and love that it's kind of hard to replicate in another instance

still if you wanna see how they treated a generational trauma like this one be my guest its not a bad game at all

not my klonoa door to phantomile its just klonoa for sure but nothing more

they nailed that title

Remakes don't bother me. I completely understand why studios or AAA companies might order a ground-up remake of an old classic or why a director may feel the need to revisit a game with a newer, more modern flair (old or otherwise.) It's an easy way to gauge interest for a series that's dormant or test if fan feedback is as strong as assumed. For me, a good remake aims to iterate and interpret aspects of the original while creating a new experience with the same fundamentals. Full on remakes have the opportunity to recontextualize how a game is presented not only in presentation, but gameplay direction as well. I know RE2make is brought up a lot in this discussion, but that game is a really interesting iteration/reimagining of the original RE2's gameplay premise while maintaining its beats and fundamentals enough to where it isn't jarring. OOT3D offers an amazing artistic direction to an already amazingly directed game, especially when viewed in higher resolutions. Both of these examples show the odd blurred lines of what a "remake" can be. I consider OOT3D a remaster, but it completely overhauls all visual aspects of the original while still staying in line with the initial direction. I don't consider RE2make a remake and instead refer to it as a direct reimagining, but it still follows the guidelines a remake would. The label "remake" has been diluted so much over time, it's hard to have a proper discussion about one without applying your own definition to the topic, so I ask you read this review with mine in mind.

"A remake should iterate and interpret visual and mechanical aspects of the original while offering a unique enough experience with the same fundamentals in order to create an enjoyable alternative to said original."

Through this definition, it's clear some games just don't have that "remake" potential. Klonoa is one of these games.

Gameplay wise, Klonoa 2008 is close to if not the exact same as the original. All levels are designed the same, Klonoa controls accurately, and enemies and bosses function similarly barring a few damage scaling changes. Everything on that end is the same. It is the same video game as it was back on the PS1 but made to be a little more accessible with checkpoint changes. For this, Klonoa 2008 retains a lot of points for me. The game is still fun. Artistically, things get nastier. The original Klonoa, while not a complete technical marvel for the PS1, relies a lot on the hardware's unique capabilities to offer something really special, visually. Speaking in terms of art direction and visuals through usage of hardware, Klonoa 1 is the Donkey Kong Country of the PS1. You cannot have the equivalent of Klonoa's visuals on any prior hardware. It makes use of every tool in it's box expertly to present you a very well executed and thought out presentation. Cohesion and consistency in the uniqueness of Klonoa's style is paramount. It is its charm- it is its entire soul. The only 2 reasons I can think of as to why you would ever opt to play a watered down, washed out, misinterpreted, babyified version of Klonoa are:

A) This version is all you have access to. You can't seem to emulate the original for some reason and a Wii is the only console you own.
or
B) You're one of those weird fucks who likes to call games "dated" because you can see polygon seams.

I'm not gonna sit here and pretend that Klonoa's art should be hung up in a museum or whatever, but looking at the two side by side show a clear lack of soul and ambition in Klonoa 2008. Maybe it was made to fill corporate quota, maybe the game was developed under mitigating circumstances- I don't know. With the hindsight of Phantasy Reverie, this game could absolutely be worse, but as it is, it's the unfavorable choice between itself and the original. I'll be nice to it and mention it has a lot of cool options, like extra costumes for Klonoa or the ability to toggle between English and high quality restored Klonoa-ese. Something Phantasy Reverie would forgo, opting to use the bit-crushed PS1 ripped audio and rerecorded audio simultaneously. Seriously, what the fuck were they thinking? You can't even toggle it to English, not that you'd ever want to.

As it stands, I can only really speak to the originals quality in comparison to this instead of the other way around. If you ask me, a 16:9, up-scaled native remaster of the original would've been greatly appreciated, but hindsight is 20/20. I've always been a Remaster > Remake guy myself, but that's a different talk entirely. I advise you to play the original with your pants around your ankles, and not this one.

A 2D platformer for the Wii. The controls, music, and presentation are good and stand out on the Wii. This game has something seriously wrong with its hitboxes though and the lack of noticeable i-frames causes frustrating moments. The controls are not as tight as they should be and a lot of the platform hitboxes dont match their 3D model. In a few stages you will literally die because you have no idea the first time going through if a platform under you can be landed or or is in the background/foreground. A game that I thought was really good but after finishing it now, I cannot sing this games praises. Its only fine

This was pretty good. I like the platforming mechanics a lot, it gives a lot of potential for platforming and puzzle solving. I will say, the back half of the game is more interesting than the first as it uses the game's mechanics a bit better. The environment designs are all really nice, and the 2.5D space is very well used. The music is good. It doesn't stick in my head, but it serves the atmosphere well. One issue I have is how often the smooth pace of the game is frequently interrupted by story sequences that I just found sorta boring. It ends with a dramatic moment that feels undeserved and out of nowhere since these characters haven't really been developed. Other than that, it's a fun platformer that makes me interested in seeing where they take these mechanics in the sequel. (also I didn't realize I could turn off the poor english voices oops)

Also worth noting that I have since played the ps1 original, there's basically no reason to play this version instead. Stick to that one.