Klonoa: Door to Phantomile

1997 · Platform · PlayStation

Overview

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (1997) is Namco's 2.5D platformer, in which Klonoa grabs enemies with a magic ring and throws them or uses them to jump higher, through the dream world of Phantomile.

Deep Dive

Ghadius sets out to turn the dream world of Phantomile into a world of nightmares and kidnaps the singer Lephise. Klonoa can run, jump and hover briefly, and with a ring inhabited by his companion Huepow he grabs enemies, then throws them or uses them as a springboard for a higher jump. The levels scroll from side to side through 3D scenery. The ending reveals that Huepow is a prince of the moon kingdom Cress, and Lephise's Song of Rebirth sends Klonoa home.

Developer Story

Hideo Yoshizawa directed the game, with Tsuyoshi Kobayashi as lead designer and Yoshihiko Arai designing the characters. Namco released it in Japan on 11 December 1997. Klonoa 2 followed on the PS2 in 2001, and Paon remade the original for the Wii in 2008.