Klonoa is back for a new generation of gamers, with the original game starring the world little rabbit-type fella having been ported from the original PlayStation to the Wii.
Well, we say 'ported', but 'rebuilt from the ground up for the Wii' would be a better way to put it. Featuring input from the original developers, the game has been completely overhauled for Nintendo's system, preserving the simplicity of the original that was beloved to a select few, but producing a game befitting this generation of consoles.
It stars the game's titular hero, Klonoa, on a platforming quest to save Phantomile, a place formed by the dreams of its inhabitants.
Klonoa takes place in a three dimensional but linear environment. You are still restricted to left and right movement, along with the very basic jump and shoot controls. Such simple controls make Klonoa very, very easy to play for the novice. Once you quickly have control of your character, you can get cracking. Because of the easy controls, the learning curve has been made steeper, and that's where the challenge to the player lies. While the controls are easy, some of the levels are complex to push the more accomplished gamer.
New to the series is a whirlwind move that Klonoa can use to incapacitate foes. It's a fitting move one that allows Namco Bandai to work in a deft swing of the Nunchuk. If motion-sensing doesn't really float your boat, however, you can use one of several other control methods, including Wii Remote only, Classic Controller and the Nintendo GameCube pad.