Klonoa: Empire of Dreams

Klonoa is a bit like a secret handshake among platformer fans — those who know it love it, and those who don't are missing a lot. Empire of Dreams from 2001 was this adorable character's first adventure on a handheld console and at the same time a lovely surprise for anyone who likes a platformer that engages the brain.

Here Namco took its dreamlike mascot — a cat-like creature with huge ears and a cap — and placed it in a 2.5D world that focuses more on puzzles than on action. Klonoa's main trick remains: using a wind ring he inflates enemies into a bubble, grabs them and can throw them, hurl them or jump off them higher than he could reach on his own.

And it's around this single mechanic that the whole game revolves. Every level is really a little brain-teaser: you have to correctly grab and throw an enemy to reach an inaccessible platform, unlock a path or clear an obstacle. It's clever, well-tuned and gradually escalates into inventive situations that force you to think about space.

The magic of Klonoa, though, doesn't lie only in the gameplay. The series has an unmistakable atmosphere — a charming, slightly melancholy visual style and characters who speak a made-up language that lends the whole world a fairy-tale, dreamy mood. It's cozy, warm and a bit like an interactive animated fairy tale.

On the GBA the game ran splendidly: colorful, clean and clear, with level design tailored to portable play in smaller bites. Empire of Dreams may not be as sweeping as the series' console entries, but as a pocket portion of Klonoa and clever brain-teasers it works great.

For fans of the series it's a pleasant chapter, for lovers of puzzle-platformers an underrated gem that deserves more attention than it ever got.

Why play: An adorable and clever puzzle-platformer with an unmistakable dreamy atmosphere — ideal for fans of the series as well as lovers of ingenious brain-teasers.