Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
Encyclopedia
is a 1997 platform game
developed and published by Namco
for the PlayStation. The game's story focuses on an anthropomorphic creature and a "spirit" encapsulated in a ring. The game was critically praised, with high sales in Japan, but low sales elsewhere. The game was followed by a sequel, Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil
, along with various spin-off games
. An enhanced remake of the original, known as simply Klonoa in Europe and North America, was developed by Paon
for the Wii
and released on December 4, 2008 in Japan, May 5, 2009 in North America and May 22, 2009 in Europe.
platform game
viewed from a "2.5D" perspective. The player moves the protagonist, Klonoa, along a path in a two-dimensional fashion, but the game is rendered in three dimensions. This allows the path followed to curve and for the player to interact with objects outside of the path. The game is divided by levels called "Visions", where the player progresses by following a path with defeatable computer-controlled enemies and puzzles that must be solved. At the end of some levels, the player must defeat a boss
- a powerful enemy. The player defeats enemies by utilizing Klonoa's weapon, the "Wind Bullet", a ring that fires a burst of wind. If the wind hits an enemy, Klonoa lifts the enemy above his head. From this position, he can throw the enemy into another enemy to defeat them, or use the enemy to perform a double-jump (a jump of increased height allowing for new locations to be reached). If the player holds the jump button, Klonoa floats in mid-air for a short duration, which increases the jump length. Environmental factors such as small, localized tornadoes and springboards launch Klonoa up or forward, allowing the player to overcome obstacles. In the Wii version, players can shake the Wii Remote for a 'Whirlwind' ability which can stun enemies.
located at the center. The villagers can harness the power of the wind, and shape and process stone using concentrated air. Behind the windmill is an abandoned mine
named "Gunston Mine". At the top of the mine is "Bell's Hill", which features a ringing bell
to announce the time. Near the village are the "Ruins of the Wind Kingdom", an ancient site that used to be inhabited by the ancestors of an ancient kingdom
in Breezegale. Jugpot, one of Phantomile's remaining kingdom
s, provides the world with a boundless water supply. The kingdom's castle
, "Shell Castle", has a water wheel
attached to it. The "Leviathan's Ice Cavern", is a glacier path that is found between Jugpot and Breezegale. Forlock is built around a large tree. The inhabitants are known for their woodworking skills and use things such as wood, nuts, and vines as means to travel between trees. Coronia is an unpopulated shrine
that floats in the sky. A creature raised by priest
s, "Nagapoko", resides in Coronia. Cress is a mythical kingdom that has remained hidden from Phantomile for many years. A legend in Phantomile states that "dream
energy", a substance made up of forgotten dreams, is gathered there. This substance is said to be what gives Phantomile its shape and form.
, an anthropomorphic
creature who carries a ring-bound spirit
named Huepow. Klonoa lives in Breezegale and was raised by Grandpa, the current village elder. Breezegale's Gunston Mine was led by Balue, a large man with a love interest for the mythical "singing diva" Lephise. Characters outside of Breezegale are Granny, the elder of the Forlock tree village, and King Seadoph, the king of Jugpot who protects the everlasting water supply to Phantomile. The primary antagonist is Ghadius, a dark spirit who aims to turn Phantomile into a world of nightmares. Ghadius is served by the rude and loud-mouthed Joka, a limb-less creature resembling a Jester.
s they have had, even if they occurred recently. However, a young cat
-like boy named Klonoa who lives in the town of Breezegale with his grandfather has been having dreams about a mysterious dark airship
crashing into a nearby mountain, and can recall every detail of it.
One day, a mysterious ship does indeed crash into the mountain, and Klonoa and his friend, a "ring spirit" named Huepow, decide to investigate. After fighting several small, round creatures called Moos, they reach the top of the mountain, only to find two mysterious creatures. They learn that the leader's name is Ghadius, and his accomplice is a short sinister-looking clown
called Joka, and together they are searching for a pendant
that holds certain magical properties. They kidnap a diva (PS)/songstress (Wii) named Lephise, and after returning to their village, Klonoa and Huepow decide to chase after them. Along the way, they manage to rescue King Seadoph who was under Ghadius' control. However, upon learning more on the pendant they had, returning home, Joka attacks Klonoa's house, stealing the pendant and killing his grandpa. Klonoa eventually defeats both Joka and Ghadius, but Ghadius unleashes a nightmarish beast name Nahatomb. Travelling to the Moon Kingdom, Klonoa learns that Huepow is actually its Prince, but continues to help Klonoa. With the help of his friends, Klonoa manages to defeat Nahatomb and rescue Lephise. However, afterwards, Huepow informs Klonoa that he actually came from another world and was given fake memories when he was summoned. Klonoa wants to stay in Phantomile, but when Lephise sings her Song of Rebirth to renew the world, Klonoa is sucked through a portal back to his home.
as his tenth project. The game originates to a project proposed by Yoshizawa. The concept had a serious story focused on robots with a motif of "ancient ruins". The idea was eventually dropped, and a more comical story was adopted. Yoshizawa was dissatisfied that many developers did not prioritize story, and wanted to create a more cinematic game. Tsuyoshi Kobayashi, main planner, conceptualized the gameplay of Door to Phantomile. He developed the idea of a fast-paced action game
where the character could move and be attacked while making use of an enemy.
Klonoa and other characters were designed by Yoshihiko Arai. Arai's first design, "Shady", had a shadow-like appearance. However, he felt that the lack of color did not seem tasteful, and dropped the design. His next design was created with cat
eyes and long ears, as Arai felt that a person's eyes and silhouette are the features noticed when they are first met. He added a large hat
and necklace
to give the character a childlike and energetic quality. The design was kept and used for Klonoa. A running aspect of his designs is the Pacman design on his cap.
Namco felt that the game would be appealing to a wide audience, thinking that the adventure
-like aspects would be enjoyable for children and the emotional plot twist
s would be appreciated by adults. Yoshizawa designed the story using dream
s as an important concept - "I was struck by the idea that when you wake up sometimes in the morning and you know you had a dream but you can't remember what it was, obviously the dream went somewhere, at least in my way of thinking. I thought, 'I wonder where these dreams go. What if all these dreams that are lost when people wake up but they can't remember are carried away and collected somewhere like some sort of energy?'" The characters and setting were implemented with things that Yoshizawa felt could appear in anyone's dreams, with stages appearing like pleasant dreams and others like nightmare
s. "We tried to imagine a dream world people could relate to from their own dreams and experiences."
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was developed by Paon
for the Wii
as a remake to the PlayStation game. The game's development began after the merge of Namco
and Bandai
, when vice president Shin Unozawa expressed a desire to "revive the Klonoa series". Namco Bandai developers decided that a remake of the original game, in acknowledgement of its 10th anniversary, would be the best approach. The Wii was chosen to develop for because Namco Bandai felt that the console had a wide appeal, one which fulfilled the original game's premise of appealing to both younger players and adults.
The game was produced
by Hideo Yoshizawa
, who directed the original game. Other key members of the original development team - such as chief planner Tsuyoshi Kobayashi, visual chief Yoshihiko Arai, and sound designer Kanako Kakino - contributed to the remake to surpass the standards of the original game. The remake features a graphical upgrade, redesigned characters, updated gameplay, and remade cut scenes using cel-shaded animation
. The original game features voices in a fictional language
unique to each character, but these have been re-acted in Japanese - although the player has the option of hearing either. The voice actors include Kumiko Watanabe
as Klonoa, Bin Shimada
as Joka, Akemi Kanda
as Huepow, and Yuko Minaguchi
as Lephise. Many small modifications were made to the gameplay to make it "much more intuitive and easier to control", according to producer Yoshizawa. These include the speed at which Klonoa runs, the length of his shot, and adjusting the hit range of the enemies. Additions to the gameplay are centered around unlockable features, such as additional costumes and reversible levels designed for "the hardcore fans".
Namco Bandai considered a special redesign of the Klonoa character for North America, and surveyed audiences on the qualities of a potential redesign. The appearance of the redesign was panned by critics, who considered it "depressing
" and compared it to "Poochie", a parody character from The Simpsons
who was designed as an unnecessary change to a television show, and who embodies the idea of "jumping the shark
". Due to strong support for the original design in the survey, Namco Bandai abandoned the redesign. The subtitle, Door to Phantomile, was also omitted for the North American/European release.
NamCollection
, a five-game compilation of PlayStation 1 titles released by Namco to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The collection was only released in Japan. In 2008, a remake of Door to Phantomile was released for Japanese mobile phones. An ESRB rating posted on July 19, 2011 hints at the game being released for PlayStation Network.
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was publicly revealed at E3 1997 with a trailer video. Namco stated their target demographic as a younger audience, hoping the cartoon-like antics of Klonoa would appeal to children. The game was later presented at the 1997 Tokyo Game Show
with game demo
s and an actor in a Klonoa costume
. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was published by Namco
in Japan on December 11, 1997. Namco-subsidiary Namco Hometek published Door to Phantomile in North America
circa March 1998. The game was lastly published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in areas of the PAL region
on June 5, 1998. These releases were separated by the languages of English, German, French, Italian and Spanish.
The soundtrack to Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was published by Nippon Crown
on February 25, 1998. It consists of 68 tracks spanning two compact disc
s, and includes three sets of stickers. Nippon Crown intended for the soundtrack to be a selection of the most recognizable pieces, as the full score exceeds one disc, but selector Kōichirō Shigeno was against excluding pieces. Shigeno traveled to the Nippon Crown offices to compromise, and the soundtrack was eventually postponed to include the full score on two discs.
Two official guidebook
s were released in February 1998. The first guidebook, produced by ASCII
and published by Aspect Co., Ltd., includes an additional 18 pages of development information. The second guidebook was published by Shogakukan
and includes staff interviews, artwork and a T-shirt. A manga
was published by Enix
on March 27, 1998. It was released as a part of 4koma Manga Theater, a Yonkoma
series currently published by Square Enix
. Illustrated by eight artists, the manga depicts Klonoa, Huepow, Balue and Lephise encountering creatures and antagonists such as Joka (renamed "Joker" in the U.S. Wii version) and Ghadius.
, with one located in a children's area. The advertising campaign for Door to Phantomile consisted of two television commercials and a radio commercial, and posters and videos for stores to display.
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was published in Japan on December 4, 2008 by Namco Bandai Games
, and was released in North America on May 5, 2009 and in Europe on May 22, 2009
and one position higher than J-League Winning Eleven 3. The sales also made Door to Phantomile the week's second best-selling PlayStation video game and best-selling Namco video game. The game remained in the top 50 for 10 more weeks, when sales had reached a total of 159,284.
Ron Dulin of GameSpot
rated Door to Phantomile 9.2/10 and gave it an "Editor's Choice" award. Dulin found the gameplay to lack repetition, and praised the game's pseudo-3D approach. He criticized occasional perspective problems, where he had difficulty judging the distance of moving platforms. Dulin praised the game's enemy and level design, and stated that the music is fitting but "occasionally annoying". His "only foreseeable problem" is the surreal
ity and cuteness
of the game's artistic design. Dulin stated that there are "only two real problems" - the game is "a bit too cute for its own good" and "a little short" - and concluded by calling it "one of the best side-scrollers in years". A reviewer from IGN
rated Door to Phantomile 8.0/10 and gave it an "Editor's Choice" award. The reviewer criticized the game for not having enough levels, and also criticized the bosses for being too difficult. IGN concluded by calling it "arguably the best [platformer] on the market".
Four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly
each gave Door to Phantomile a rating of 9/10, and the game received an "EGM Gold" award. The game's visuals and sound were separately rated 9/10, and its ingenuity and replay were separately rated 8/10. The four praised Door to Phantomile, calling it a "fantastic game" and a "platform masterpiece". One reviewer criticized the camera perspective, stating that it occasionally blocks out areas needed to be seen, and another criticized a lack of difficulty. They concluded that the game's best feature is its "old-school style play", and its worst is that the "childish feel may turn off some".
Klonoa was awarded "Best Character" at the Tokyo Game Show
by the Consumer Electronic Software Association. Editors of PSM, an independent PlayStation magazine, ranked Door to Phantomile the 19th best PlayStation game in 1998.
Reviews of the gameplay have been mixed. Video game magazine Weekly Famitsu felt that the game was enjoyable, but criticised it for a lack of freshness. Game news website GameSpot
also felt the game was enjoyable, but criticised the game for being linear and easy. Video game blog
Kotaku
also criticised the simplicity of the game, calling it a "fairly stock platformer", but overall praised the gameplay for the amount of possibilities generated from it.
In general, the appearance of Door to Phantomile was praised by critics. Reviewers from Weekly Famitsu felt that the graphics had "evolved significantly", sentiments echoed by Kotaku
. GameSpot
praised the game for a large amount of detail, and called the environment "bright and colorful". IGN
similarly praised the colours of the game, calling it "visually impressive" due to its "lush water palette" and "great water effects". 1UP.com
compared the graphics to those of the original game's successor, Klonoa 2
.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
developed and published by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
for the PlayStation. The game's story focuses on an anthropomorphic creature and a "spirit" encapsulated in a ring. The game was critically praised, with high sales in Japan, but low sales elsewhere. The game was followed by a sequel, Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil, known in Japan as . is a PlayStation 2 platform video game by Namco released in 2001. It is the sequel to 1997's Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. It was planned for Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil to be ported to the Nintendo GameCube...
, along with various spin-off games
Klonoa
is a video game series created by Namco and Klonoa Works, as well as the name of the titular character of the series.-Setting and gameplay:The games are set in different worlds, though the primary and known ones are Phantomile and Lunatea. It revolves around Klonoa and how he, the Dream Traveler,...
. An enhanced remake of the original, known as simply Klonoa in Europe and North America, was developed by Paon
Paon
is a video game development company based in Japan. Through a partnership with Nintendo, the company has developed DK: King of Swing, DK: Jungle Climber and Donkey Kong Barrel Blast...
for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and released on December 4, 2008 in Japan, May 5, 2009 in North America and May 22, 2009 in Europe.
Gameplay
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is a side-scrollingSide-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
viewed from a "2.5D" perspective. The player moves the protagonist, Klonoa, along a path in a two-dimensional fashion, but the game is rendered in three dimensions. This allows the path followed to curve and for the player to interact with objects outside of the path. The game is divided by levels called "Visions", where the player progresses by following a path with defeatable computer-controlled enemies and puzzles that must be solved. At the end of some levels, the player must defeat a boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
- a powerful enemy. The player defeats enemies by utilizing Klonoa's weapon, the "Wind Bullet", a ring that fires a burst of wind. If the wind hits an enemy, Klonoa lifts the enemy above his head. From this position, he can throw the enemy into another enemy to defeat them, or use the enemy to perform a double-jump (a jump of increased height allowing for new locations to be reached). If the player holds the jump button, Klonoa floats in mid-air for a short duration, which increases the jump length. Environmental factors such as small, localized tornadoes and springboards launch Klonoa up or forward, allowing the player to overcome obstacles. In the Wii version, players can shake the Wii Remote for a 'Whirlwind' ability which can stun enemies.
Setting
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is set in the fictional world of "Phantomile". The world is composed of five main locations; "Breezegale, the Wind Village"; "Jugpot, the Kingdom of Water"; "Forlock, the Tree Village", "Coronia, Temple of the Sun" and "Cress, the Moon Kingdom". Breezegale has a large windmillWindmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
located at the center. The villagers can harness the power of the wind, and shape and process stone using concentrated air. Behind the windmill is an abandoned mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
named "Gunston Mine". At the top of the mine is "Bell's Hill", which features a ringing bell
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
to announce the time. Near the village are the "Ruins of the Wind Kingdom", an ancient site that used to be inhabited by the ancestors of an ancient kingdom
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
in Breezegale. Jugpot, one of Phantomile's remaining kingdom
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
s, provides the world with a boundless water supply. The kingdom's castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, "Shell Castle", has a water wheel
Water wheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of free-flowing or falling water into useful forms of power. A water wheel consists of a large wooden or metal wheel, with a number of blades or buckets arranged on the outside rim forming the driving surface...
attached to it. The "Leviathan's Ice Cavern", is a glacier path that is found between Jugpot and Breezegale. Forlock is built around a large tree. The inhabitants are known for their woodworking skills and use things such as wood, nuts, and vines as means to travel between trees. Coronia is an unpopulated shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
that floats in the sky. A creature raised by priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
s, "Nagapoko", resides in Coronia. Cress is a mythical kingdom that has remained hidden from Phantomile for many years. A legend in Phantomile states that "dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
energy", a substance made up of forgotten dreams, is gathered there. This substance is said to be what gives Phantomile its shape and form.
Characters
The characters of Door to Phantomile are fantasy-like and speak in a fictional language unique to each character. The player controls KlonoaKlonoa
is a video game series created by Namco and Klonoa Works, as well as the name of the titular character of the series.-Setting and gameplay:The games are set in different worlds, though the primary and known ones are Phantomile and Lunatea. It revolves around Klonoa and how he, the Dream Traveler,...
, an anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
creature who carries a ring-bound spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
named Huepow. Klonoa lives in Breezegale and was raised by Grandpa, the current village elder. Breezegale's Gunston Mine was led by Balue, a large man with a love interest for the mythical "singing diva" Lephise. Characters outside of Breezegale are Granny, the elder of the Forlock tree village, and King Seadoph, the king of Jugpot who protects the everlasting water supply to Phantomile. The primary antagonist is Ghadius, a dark spirit who aims to turn Phantomile into a world of nightmares. Ghadius is served by the rude and loud-mouthed Joka, a limb-less creature resembling a Jester.
Story
The story begins with the legend of the land of Phantomile, a mysterious place that is fueled by the very dreams people have at night. As a result, no one can clearly remember the dreamDream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
s they have had, even if they occurred recently. However, a young cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
-like boy named Klonoa who lives in the town of Breezegale with his grandfather has been having dreams about a mysterious dark airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
crashing into a nearby mountain, and can recall every detail of it.
One day, a mysterious ship does indeed crash into the mountain, and Klonoa and his friend, a "ring spirit" named Huepow, decide to investigate. After fighting several small, round creatures called Moos, they reach the top of the mountain, only to find two mysterious creatures. They learn that the leader's name is Ghadius, and his accomplice is a short sinister-looking clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
called Joka, and together they are searching for a pendant
Pendant
A pendant is a loose-hanging piece of jewellery, generally attached by a small loop to a necklace, when the ensemble may be known as a "pendant necklace". A pendant earring is an earring with a piece hanging down. In modern French "pendant" is the gerund form of “hanging”...
that holds certain magical properties. They kidnap a diva (PS)/songstress (Wii) named Lephise, and after returning to their village, Klonoa and Huepow decide to chase after them. Along the way, they manage to rescue King Seadoph who was under Ghadius' control. However, upon learning more on the pendant they had, returning home, Joka attacks Klonoa's house, stealing the pendant and killing his grandpa. Klonoa eventually defeats both Joka and Ghadius, but Ghadius unleashes a nightmarish beast name Nahatomb. Travelling to the Moon Kingdom, Klonoa learns that Huepow is actually its Prince, but continues to help Klonoa. With the help of his friends, Klonoa manages to defeat Nahatomb and rescue Lephise. However, afterwards, Huepow informs Klonoa that he actually came from another world and was given fake memories when he was summoned. Klonoa wants to stay in Phantomile, but when Lephise sings her Song of Rebirth to renew the world, Klonoa is sucked through a portal back to his home.
Development
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was directed by Hideo YoshizawaHideo Yoshizawa
is a video game developer and director currently employed by Namco. Prior to being employed by Namco, he worked for Tecmo and was involved in the original Ninja Gaiden trilogy for the Nintendo Entertainment System under the name "Sakurazaki".-Games credited:...
as his tenth project. The game originates to a project proposed by Yoshizawa. The concept had a serious story focused on robots with a motif of "ancient ruins". The idea was eventually dropped, and a more comical story was adopted. Yoshizawa was dissatisfied that many developers did not prioritize story, and wanted to create a more cinematic game. Tsuyoshi Kobayashi, main planner, conceptualized the gameplay of Door to Phantomile. He developed the idea of a fast-paced action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
where the character could move and be attacked while making use of an enemy.
Klonoa and other characters were designed by Yoshihiko Arai. Arai's first design, "Shady", had a shadow-like appearance. However, he felt that the lack of color did not seem tasteful, and dropped the design. His next design was created with cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
eyes and long ears, as Arai felt that a person's eyes and silhouette are the features noticed when they are first met. He added a large hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
and necklace
Necklace
A necklace is an article of jewellery which is worn around the neck. Necklaces are frequently formed from a metal jewellery chain. Others are woven or manufactured from cloth using string or twine....
to give the character a childlike and energetic quality. The design was kept and used for Klonoa. A running aspect of his designs is the Pacman design on his cap.
Namco felt that the game would be appealing to a wide audience, thinking that the adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
-like aspects would be enjoyable for children and the emotional plot twist
Plot twist
A plot twist is a change in the expected direction or outcome of the plot of a film, television series, video game, novel, comic or other fictional work. It is a common practice in narration used to keep the interest of an audience, usually surprising them with a revelation...
s would be appreciated by adults. Yoshizawa designed the story using dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
s as an important concept - "I was struck by the idea that when you wake up sometimes in the morning and you know you had a dream but you can't remember what it was, obviously the dream went somewhere, at least in my way of thinking. I thought, 'I wonder where these dreams go. What if all these dreams that are lost when people wake up but they can't remember are carried away and collected somewhere like some sort of energy?'" The characters and setting were implemented with things that Yoshizawa felt could appear in anyone's dreams, with stages appearing like pleasant dreams and others like nightmare
Nightmare
A nightmare is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong negative emotional response from the mind, typically fear or horror, but also despair, anxiety and great sadness. The dream may contain situations of danger, discomfort, psychological or physical terror...
s. "We tried to imagine a dream world people could relate to from their own dreams and experiences."
Wii remake
Paon
is a video game development company based in Japan. Through a partnership with Nintendo, the company has developed DK: King of Swing, DK: Jungle Climber and Donkey Kong Barrel Blast...
for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
as a remake to the PlayStation game. The game's development began after the merge of Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
and Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
, when vice president Shin Unozawa expressed a desire to "revive the Klonoa series". Namco Bandai developers decided that a remake of the original game, in acknowledgement of its 10th anniversary, would be the best approach. The Wii was chosen to develop for because Namco Bandai felt that the console had a wide appeal, one which fulfilled the original game's premise of appealing to both younger players and adults.
The game was produced
Game producer
A video game producer is the person in charge of overseeing development of a video game.The earliest documented use of the term producer in games was by Trip Hawkins, who established the position when he founded Electronic Arts in 1982...
by Hideo Yoshizawa
Hideo Yoshizawa
is a video game developer and director currently employed by Namco. Prior to being employed by Namco, he worked for Tecmo and was involved in the original Ninja Gaiden trilogy for the Nintendo Entertainment System under the name "Sakurazaki".-Games credited:...
, who directed the original game. Other key members of the original development team - such as chief planner Tsuyoshi Kobayashi, visual chief Yoshihiko Arai, and sound designer Kanako Kakino - contributed to the remake to surpass the standards of the original game. The remake features a graphical upgrade, redesigned characters, updated gameplay, and remade cut scenes using cel-shaded animation
Cel-shaded animation
Cel-shaded animation is a type of non-photorealistic rendering designed to make computer graphics appear to be hand-drawn. Cel-shading is often used to mimic the style of a comic book or cartoon. It is a somewhat recent addition to computer graphics, most commonly turning up in video games...
. The original game features voices in a fictional language
Fictional language
Fictional languages are by far the largest group of artistic languages. Fictional languages are intended to be the languages of a fictional world and are often designed with the intent of giving more depth and an appearance of plausibility to the fictional worlds with which they are associated, and...
unique to each character, but these have been re-acted in Japanese - although the player has the option of hearing either. The voice actors include Kumiko Watanabe
Kumiko Watanabe
is an actress and voice actress from Chiba Prefecture affiliated with Arts Vision.-Overview, character, and career:*She has a wide vocal range, ranging from boys and girls to middle-aged women. She is also known to be a large professional wrestling fan, especially of Pro Wrestling Noah's Kenta...
as Klonoa, Bin Shimada
Bin Shimada
is a Japanese voice actor. He is currently affiliated with the talent management firm Aoni Production.-References:* Nakagami, Yoshikatsu et al. "You're Under Arrest: Full Throttle". Newtype USA. pp. 48–49.-External links:...
as Joka, Akemi Kanda
Akemi Kanda
is a Japanese voice actress who is affiliated with Aoni Production. She was formerly a member of the voice actor unit DROPS, which included fellow voice actors Ai Nonaka, Tomoko Kaneda, Mariko Kōda, and Ryōko Shiraishi, and of the voice actor unit Aice5 along with Yui Horie, Chiaki Takahashi,...
as Huepow, and Yuko Minaguchi
Yuko Minaguchi
is a Japanese seiyū from Tokyo who is affiliated with Aoni Production.-Notable voice roles:* Princess Apricot in Bosco Adventure * Yumi in Blue Sonnet * Yawara Inokuma and Kaneko Inokuma in Yawara!...
as Lephise. Many small modifications were made to the gameplay to make it "much more intuitive and easier to control", according to producer Yoshizawa. These include the speed at which Klonoa runs, the length of his shot, and adjusting the hit range of the enemies. Additions to the gameplay are centered around unlockable features, such as additional costumes and reversible levels designed for "the hardcore fans".
Namco Bandai considered a special redesign of the Klonoa character for North America, and surveyed audiences on the qualities of a potential redesign. The appearance of the redesign was panned by critics, who considered it "depressing
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
" and compared it to "Poochie", a parody character from The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
who was designed as an unnecessary change to a television show, and who embodies the idea of "jumping the shark
Jumping the shark
Jumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery....
". Due to strong support for the original design in the survey, Namco Bandai abandoned the redesign. The subtitle, Door to Phantomile, was also omitted for the North American/European release.
Other releases
In 2005, Door to Phantomile was included in the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
NamCollection
NamCollection
NamCollection is a collection of 5 PlayStation games by Namco in 2005 to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. It was only released in Japan. Its was a portmanteau of Namco and Collection words.It includes: Ace Combat 2, Mr...
, a five-game compilation of PlayStation 1 titles released by Namco to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The collection was only released in Japan. In 2008, a remake of Door to Phantomile was released for Japanese mobile phones. An ESRB rating posted on July 19, 2011 hints at the game being released for PlayStation Network.
Promotion, release and merchandise
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
with game demo
Game demo
A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....
s and an actor in a Klonoa costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was published by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
in Japan on December 11, 1997. Namco-subsidiary Namco Hometek published Door to Phantomile in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
circa March 1998. The game was lastly published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in areas of the PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
on June 5, 1998. These releases were separated by the languages of English, German, French, Italian and Spanish.
The soundtrack to Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was published by Nippon Crown
Nippon Crown
is a Japanese record label originally established as Crown Records on 6 September 1963. It is a spin-off of Nippon Columbia and is currently owned by karaoke maker Daiichikosho.-Artists:Artists signed to Nippon Crown Music include:* Hanaboy* Kimeru* Metis...
on February 25, 1998. It consists of 68 tracks spanning two compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s, and includes three sets of stickers. Nippon Crown intended for the soundtrack to be a selection of the most recognizable pieces, as the full score exceeds one disc, but selector Kōichirō Shigeno was against excluding pieces. Shigeno traveled to the Nippon Crown offices to compromise, and the soundtrack was eventually postponed to include the full score on two discs.
Two official guidebook
GUIdebook
GUIdebook is a website that contains screenshots of computer software.It shows a visual history of the software's user interface. It includes operating systems like Mac OS and Windows, desktop environments like GNOME and KDE, portable operating systems like Newton OS and Windows CE, and...
s were released in February 1998. The first guidebook, produced by ASCII
ASCII (company)
was a publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. It became a subsidiary of Kadokawa Group Holdings in 2004, and merged with another Kadokawa subsidiary MediaWorks on April 1, 2008, and became ASCII Media Works. The company published Monthly ASCII as the main publication...
and published by Aspect Co., Ltd., includes an additional 18 pages of development information. The second guidebook was published by Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
and includes staff interviews, artwork and a T-shirt. A manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
was published by Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
on March 27, 1998. It was released as a part of 4koma Manga Theater, a Yonkoma
Yonkoma
thumb|right|150px|Traditional Yonkoma layout, a comic-strip format, generally consists of gag comic strips within four panels of equal size ordered from top to bottom...
series currently published by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
. Illustrated by eight artists, the manga depicts Klonoa, Huepow, Balue and Lephise encountering creatures and antagonists such as Joka (renamed "Joker" in the U.S. Wii version) and Ghadius.
Wii remake
The Wii remake of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was announced at Nintendo Conference Fall 2008 on October 2, 2008, where a software lineup video for the Wii contained footage of the game. The game received coverage in articles by Japanese magazines and websites, such as Weekly Famitsu and Dengeki DS & Wii. An official website for Door to Phantomile was created and periodically updated. Namco Bandai dedicated three kiosks to Door to Phantomile at Tokyo Game ShowTokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
, with one located in a children's area. The advertising campaign for Door to Phantomile consisted of two television commercials and a radio commercial, and posters and videos for stores to display.
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was published in Japan on December 4, 2008 by Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
, and was released in North America on May 5, 2009 and in Europe on May 22, 2009
Reception
Door to Phantomile sold 51,441 copies when the weekly Japanese charts were released on December 14. This placed the game fourth for the week; one position lower than Shining Force III: Scenario 1Shining Force III
is a video game designed for the Sega Saturn by Camelot Software Planning. It is a continuation of the Shining series. Comprising three separate but overlapping storylines, the Japanese version of Shining Force III was released in three volumes, known as:...
and one position higher than J-League Winning Eleven 3. The sales also made Door to Phantomile the week's second best-selling PlayStation video game and best-selling Namco video game. The game remained in the top 50 for 10 more weeks, when sales had reached a total of 159,284.
Ron Dulin of GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
rated Door to Phantomile 9.2/10 and gave it an "Editor's Choice" award. Dulin found the gameplay to lack repetition, and praised the game's pseudo-3D approach. He criticized occasional perspective problems, where he had difficulty judging the distance of moving platforms. Dulin praised the game's enemy and level design, and stated that the music is fitting but "occasionally annoying". His "only foreseeable problem" is the surreal
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
ity and cuteness
Cuteness
Cuteness is the appeal commonly associated with neoteny.- Cuteness effects :Humans respond favorably to a neotenized appearance A neotenized appearance elicits sympathy from humans as well as protective urges...
of the game's artistic design. Dulin stated that there are "only two real problems" - the game is "a bit too cute for its own good" and "a little short" - and concluded by calling it "one of the best side-scrollers in years". A reviewer from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated Door to Phantomile 8.0/10 and gave it an "Editor's Choice" award. The reviewer criticized the game for not having enough levels, and also criticized the bosses for being too difficult. IGN concluded by calling it "arguably the best [platformer] on the market".
Four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
each gave Door to Phantomile a rating of 9/10, and the game received an "EGM Gold" award. The game's visuals and sound were separately rated 9/10, and its ingenuity and replay were separately rated 8/10. The four praised Door to Phantomile, calling it a "fantastic game" and a "platform masterpiece". One reviewer criticized the camera perspective, stating that it occasionally blocks out areas needed to be seen, and another criticized a lack of difficulty. They concluded that the game's best feature is its "old-school style play", and its worst is that the "childish feel may turn off some".
Klonoa was awarded "Best Character" at the Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
by the Consumer Electronic Software Association. Editors of PSM, an independent PlayStation magazine, ranked Door to Phantomile the 19th best PlayStation game in 1998.
Wii remake
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was received positively by critics. The gameplay was typically considered enjoyable, but too easy, and the appearance was praised for its colours and the level of upgrade from the original Door to Phantomile. The game was a commercial failure, selling 5,800 copies in its first week, and peaking at #62 in "Games" on Amazon.co.jp's hourly sales ranking.Reviews of the gameplay have been mixed. Video game magazine Weekly Famitsu felt that the game was enjoyable, but criticised it for a lack of freshness. Game news website GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
also felt the game was enjoyable, but criticised the game for being linear and easy. Video game blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
also criticised the simplicity of the game, calling it a "fairly stock platformer", but overall praised the gameplay for the amount of possibilities generated from it.
In general, the appearance of Door to Phantomile was praised by critics. Reviewers from Weekly Famitsu felt that the graphics had "evolved significantly", sentiments echoed by Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
praised the game for a large amount of detail, and called the environment "bright and colorful". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
similarly praised the colours of the game, calling it "visually impressive" due to its "lush water palette" and "great water effects". 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
compared the graphics to those of the original game's successor, Klonoa 2
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil, known in Japan as . is a PlayStation 2 platform video game by Namco released in 2001. It is the sequel to 1997's Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. It was planned for Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil to be ported to the Nintendo GameCube...
.