*Remade Review* Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil is a rare title that is an absolute must have for any platform gamer.
Namco released later in 2001, a sequel to the original game for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, and it turned out to be a rare, instant classic, just like the original game. Like the original game, it was overlooked by many other PS2 titles like Rayman 2: Revolution, Ridge Racer V, and the ever-popular violent Grand Theft Auto III. This is why we would have to give a game a chance before judging it. In other words, many haven't witnessed the awesomeness that is Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil.
The game is a colorful 3D platformer with new characters, and an epic storyline. The game starts with a short intro with the ring coming down to the middle of the screen, and showing text on the screen. Klonoa ends up in the middle of the ocean, floating towards shore. He was rescued by two characters named Lolo, who is a soon-to-be priestess, and Popka, who is Lolo's best friend, and someone that says things ending in "Ow-wow" most of the time. Klonoa finds out that he's in the far away land of Lunatea. He heads to the other side of the island to find a bell. Not an ordinary bell, mind you, but a magical bell. Once a spirited girl rings the bell, she becomes a priestess. However, not every spirited girl can ring the bell. Only ones that are gifted can ring the bell. They then head to the head priestess' castle in the land of La-Lakoosha. Lolo becomes a priestess and the trio has been given a mission. There are four bells known as "Harmony Bells" that have a harmonous melody that keeps the calm land of Lunatea peaceful. A fifth bell is about to be placed, known as the "Bell of Sorrow", that could reak havoc upon the land. It is lead by a mysterious duo named Leorina and her partner Tat, who are treasure bandits. It's up to Lolo, Popka, Klonoa, and his ring of power to keep the bell from being complete, and to stop Leorina and Tat.
The game, like the original PS1 gem, is a 3D platformer. You have 3 hearts, which is your health. If your health runs out, you lose a life. You can regain health by picking up hearts. There are two kinds. The pink heart restores one heart. The gold heart will restore two hearts. When all of your lives are gone, like any platformer, it's game over. You'll also find green and blue stones, known as dream stones. If you pick up 100, you'll earn an extra life. You can also earn an extra life by picking up a gold coin. There are two types of dream stones. The green ones are worth 1. The blue ones are worth 5. If you happen to pop a bubble with a fairy in it, the value of the dream stones is doubled (Green: 2, Blue:10) for a short amount of time. There are also checkpoints within the level, represented by red alarm clocks in bubbles. Pop the bubbles, and when you lose a life, you will respawn from that exact point and try again. There are stars in bubbles as well. Pop them, and you'll gain a piece of a doll. There are 6 parts in each level. Get all 6 stars, and you'll obtain a doll. Get a certain amount and talk to the horse-like man at the carnival, and you'll unlock a time trial course (optional). If you also happen to get about 150 dream stones or more in a single lever, the horse-like man will also make a picture.
Now onto the technical stuff.
The graphics in the game are top-notch and colorful, as if you are on LSD, listening to The Beatle's Yellow Submarine album. The frame rate never slows down at all, so if you want a platformer without lag, this is the one for you.
The sound is absolutely f***ing awesome. The character voices are gibberish, but thankfully, there is a text box for every cutscene that will translate for your enjoyment. It's like you're listening to that strange character that goes "Meep. Meep. Meep. Meep. Meep." on The Muppet Show. The music, however, is amazing. Each track matches a certain cutscene or level, like The Wizard of Oz combined with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album.
The gameplay is what it's supposed to be. Typical 3D platforming. There are points in the game where you're on a board with Pac-Man on the bottom (again saying "This is a Namco game. It will kick ass, whether you like it or not".), which will be quite satisfying, as it does contain some originality here and there. Also, you gotta love the song that plays when you're on the slopes.
The game is easy to play, but there are some puzzles to solve. If you are the best platformer player, the game might take you about 5-8 hours to watch the cutscenes, solve the puzzles, and get everything. The game is enjoyable and entertaining, and can be played a few more times if you love this game to death (like myself). Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil is a rare title that is an absolute must have for any platform gamer.