Difficulty:

Easy

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Instant classic"

Rayman Origins is and probably always will be my favorite game, but this little gem right here comes really close to being my favorite. This is Klonoa, an overlooked 2.5-D platformer for the Wii. This is a remake of a Playstation 1 game called "Klonoa: Door to Phantomile" and I gotta say, I'm impressed!

The story is actually very compelling. The story revolves around Klonoa and his best friend Hewpoe, a ring spirit who lives in Klonoa's magic ring. They find out that and evil nightmare man named Ghadius and his right-hand man Joker want to use the power of the songstress, Lephise, to turn the world of dreams into nightmares. It's up to Klonoa and Hewpoe to stop him. Now it may seem pretty simple, but as the game progresses, it gets darker and more compelling. Not to mention the ending is really emotional, it even made me cry. I won't spoil it, but if you see it, don't be surprised if you end up crying.

Now onto the gameplay. The game is a 2.5-D sidescroller, and the original was one of the first to do so. You move side-to-side in a 2-D style, but you walk in a 3-D plain and environment. It's very unique and addicting. Instead of bouncing on enemies like Mario, you grab them and throw them. You can also double jump if you have one in your possession. So overall, it's fun.

Now lets talk about the characters. The main protagonist, Klonoa, is very likeable. He's courageous and brave, like allot of other main characters. His voice actor really brings emotion to the character. Next, there's Hewpoe, Klonoa's best friend and trust sidekick. She really does bring atmosphere into the game. Her voice actor is okay, and it really does match her character. Then there's the main villain, Ghadius, who I must say, he's really evil! I never thought someone like this could be so villainous. His voice actor is perfect for his character. As for the other characters, Joker is goofy and evil at the same time, but his voice is annoying. You barely see Lephise throughout the entire game, but when you finally see her at the end, she seems likeable and her voice actor matches her well. All the other characters are really memorable and their voice actors really hit the spot.

Now some other things that don't really matter, but are nice to know; the game is a little too short. Even though it was longer than I expected, it still ended pretty abruptly. The game is also a little too easy. You'll end up dying about 5 or 6 times. Level design is great and very creative. You can see more of the level looming in the distance which really gives it more charm. The graphics are really good. Sometimes the game will look like a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 game.

Overall, Klonoa is a very special game. It's charming, it's engaging, it's fun and has allot of replay value. Pick up this game at your local video game store, this might just become one of your favorites.