Klonoa: Door to Phantomile

Sometimes a cute wrapper hides a story that hits you harder than you'd ever expect from a colorful platformer. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is exactly that case — and perhaps one of the most beautiful experiences on the entire original PlayStation.

Mechanically it's a clever 2.5D puzzle-platformer: the characters and levels play out on a plane, but the game world is fully three-dimensional, which allowed Namco to craft gorgeous camera angles and depth of scene. Klonoa's Wind Ring lets you inflate enemies and then use them — fling them at another foe, or bounce off them for a double jump to reach higher. From this simple mechanic grows a surprisingly rich puzzle layer, where you work out whom to grab, when, and where to throw them.

Technically it was one of the most visually pleasing games on the console. The colorful, dreamlike environments of the land of Phantomile feel like a fairy tale you want to keep looking at, and the music completes an atmosphere of gentle, melancholic magic.

And then there's that story. Beneath the adorable surface lies a surprisingly touching tale that builds toward an unforgettable, sad ending — a moment players remember for many years afterward. It was precisely this emotional power that elevated Klonoa from a charming little diversion to a small gem.

That it was no fluke is confirmed by the fact that the game received a remake, bringing it to a new generation. Klonoa remains proof that a platformer doesn't have to be just about reflexes and collecting coins — it can also have a soul.

Why play it: For the clever throwing mechanics, dreamlike beauty, and a story whose ending will move you more than you'd ever guess from a platformer.