Klonoa First Impressions

It's been a while, but the easily recognizable anthropomorphic creature with long, floppy ears is back and is jumping to the Nintendo Wii. Klonoa is a remake of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, a charming 2.5D platformer that was released back in 1997 on the PlayStation. Namco Bandai has announced that this is a reboot of the beloved franchise and that it will include new secrets to uncover as well as Wii motion controls. For those who want something more traditional, you can also play with the Wii Remote only, as well as the Classic or GameCube controller. We had the opportunity to play a bit of Klonoa at the Tokyo Game Show late last year, so be sure to check out the article for some hands-on impressions.

Klonoa and his adorable globular friend Hewpoe are off to save Phantomile, a mythical land that is shaped by the forgotten dreams of its inhabitants. A mysterious evil now threatens the enchanting world, so it's up to the formidable pair to travel from kingdom to kingdom to save their friends. Klonoa is armed with a ring that enables him to fire his wind bullet, which will allow him to pick up enemies and toss them around. You'll explore vibrant and colorful 3D locales while Klonoa and his bubbly sidekick wander a preset track.

The new Wii Remote and Nunchuk setup will allow you to throw captured enemies with the remote or use Klonoa's whirlwind with the nunchuck to hinder oncoming foes. We hope to be able to play the US version of Klonoa soon so that we can update you with additional information. In the meantime, check out the latest new screens and videos.