Second verse, mostly same as the first. I won't dally on an introduction.
Presentation has been upped significantly. Lots of colorful characters, new and old, but none of them really have any depth. The story is nothing to write home about, particularly if you're not into the "tournament" trope. The music takes a page out of Klonoa 2's book. Less soothing and dreamy, more jovial and jubilant. All the themes got stuck in my head. The levels are all visually distinct, and even give all the enemies unique outfits for each world (that's something I wish more games would do in general).
Dream Champ Tournament's level design is simultaneously better and worse. There are a lot of brand new mechanics that add to puzzles, and match the thematically distinct worlds well. Most new mechanics are carried over from Klonoa 2 on PS2, and they fit right in. Other improvements are the addition of an optional collectible in the form of the Sun Stone, one per level. The bosses are a highlight for me especially, making unique challenges that fit into the "tournament" plotline quite nicely. Some of the levels can get really tough and complex though, to the point where I begin to wonder if the wacky shit I'm trying to pull off is actually the dev-intended solution (and sometimes it actually is). Also, not a fan of the ranking system. I just don't feel like it fits this style of game.
On the negative side of things, I almost feel sorry for calling the previous game's airboard stages bad, because this game swapped them out for a much worse version. They look pretty cool in terms of graphics, but in terms of gameplay, I find them insufferable. Depth perception fails me at every turn, causing me to miss collectibles (aside from the Sun Stone, I didn't even try to get all the gems on these stages), or worse, perish. The other part that doesn't help is the airboard's "acceleration". When moving left or right, the airboard kinda drifts a bit further than you want it to after you let go of the dpad. All of this combines to create what I feel is the worst part of the game by far. Also, the underwater stages of world 4 can suck it. Extremely slow, sluggish, and generally unfun to play. Almost made me feel like quitting.
Overall, it's still a really solid title. If you enjoyed the first Klonoa GBA game, it can't hurt to check this one out as well.
Presentation has been upped significantly. Lots of colorful characters, new and old, but none of them really have any depth. The story is nothing to write home about, particularly if you're not into the "tournament" trope. The music takes a page out of Klonoa 2's book. Less soothing and dreamy, more jovial and jubilant. All the themes got stuck in my head. The levels are all visually distinct, and even give all the enemies unique outfits for each world (that's something I wish more games would do in general).
Dream Champ Tournament's level design is simultaneously better and worse. There are a lot of brand new mechanics that add to puzzles, and match the thematically distinct worlds well. Most new mechanics are carried over from Klonoa 2 on PS2, and they fit right in. Other improvements are the addition of an optional collectible in the form of the Sun Stone, one per level. The bosses are a highlight for me especially, making unique challenges that fit into the "tournament" plotline quite nicely. Some of the levels can get really tough and complex though, to the point where I begin to wonder if the wacky shit I'm trying to pull off is actually the dev-intended solution (and sometimes it actually is). Also, not a fan of the ranking system. I just don't feel like it fits this style of game.
On the negative side of things, I almost feel sorry for calling the previous game's airboard stages bad, because this game swapped them out for a much worse version. They look pretty cool in terms of graphics, but in terms of gameplay, I find them insufferable. Depth perception fails me at every turn, causing me to miss collectibles (aside from the Sun Stone, I didn't even try to get all the gems on these stages), or worse, perish. The other part that doesn't help is the airboard's "acceleration". When moving left or right, the airboard kinda drifts a bit further than you want it to after you let go of the dpad. All of this combines to create what I feel is the worst part of the game by far. Also, the underwater stages of world 4 can suck it. Extremely slow, sluggish, and generally unfun to play. Almost made me feel like quitting.
Overall, it's still a really solid title. If you enjoyed the first Klonoa GBA game, it can't hurt to check this one out as well.