Klonoa

Klonoa began in 1997 on the PlayStation with Klonoa: Door to Phantomile from Namco. It was a so-called 2.5D platformer - the character moves only along two axes, while the world around it is fully three-dimensional. Klonoa could grab enemies with a wind ring using his large, floppy ears, turn them into projectiles, or use them for a double jump, making the series a more precise and deliberate platformer than players were used to. Its fairy-tale, dreamlike world of Phantomile hid a surprisingly sad, bittersweet story and ending that the series is still remembered for, along with music and visuals that were among the most impressive the PlayStation had to offer at the time.

Further entries followed in quick succession, each on a different platform. Klonoa: Moonlight Museum brought the series to the WonderSwan handheld, the direct sequel Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil on PlayStation 2 refined the controls and visuals and is often considered the series' peak by fans, while Klonoa: Empire of Tears on Game Boy Advance offered a differently styled 2D version suited to the handheld. In 2008, a reworked remake of the first game arrived on Wii with modernized graphics, meant to introduce the series to a new generation of players.

Despite critical acclaim, Klonoa never became a mass-market hit and remained more of a cult favorite. After the Wii remake, the series went quiet for years until Bandai Namco released the remastered collection Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series in 2022, reintroducing both console games to modern platforms.