Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Seriesadded quite a few changes and bonuses to the two games in this collection. The most obvious fix is the improvement to the graphics, going from SD resolutions to crisp 4K screens complete with 60fps gameplay, although that varies depending on the version players pick up. The Switch version, for example, is not quite reaching those lofty 4K heights.
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There’s alsoa co-op modeand an easier difficulty. Still, with all the improvements theKlonoa Phantasy Reverie Seriesdid add to its games, the collection is missing some obvious features. Hopefully, these can be added to future patches.
6Add The PS1 Version Of Klonoa
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Serieshas the remastered versions of the Wii remake of the first game,Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, and an upgraded version of the base PS2 gameKlonoa 2: Lunatea’s. The first game was a PS1 title that still holds up today, even with the dated graphics. Some fans may argue that it is a better game than the Wii remake. It’s hard to buy games on theold PSN storesnow, but players were able to buy the first game on the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita.
Other than that, emulation is the only option to play the original. Whether the original is better than the remake is debatable, but either way, it would have been nice to get both versions in this collection. A remastered collection should be chock-full of content, and this is only one example of howKlonoa Phantasy Reverie Seriescould have been better.
5Add More Games
Getting the PS1 version intoKlonoa Phantasy Reverie Serieswould be great, but it wouldn’t be as worthwhile as a complete collection of the entire series. It’s great that the collection included the main games, but there are so many spinoffs that old-school fans, and new ones, would enjoy if only they got patched in.Klonoa: Moonlight Museumwas a Japanese exclusive for the WonderSwan, which was an exclusivehandheld in Japan. It was also a platformer but in pure 2D.
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Klonoa Heroes: Densetsu no Star Medalwas also only released in Japan, but it was for the Game Boy Advance. It was a top-down action game with some RPG elements.Klonoa Beach Volleyballwas a sports game, as the name implies, and did get into Europe along with Japan, but a North America release didn’t happen. Finally, the only other game North America got wasKlonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournamenton the GBA. It, likeKlonoa: Moonlight Museum, was a decent 2D platformer.
4Add An Art Collection
Remastering more than two games is understandably a difficult task. This is especially true for games on the PS1 and the various portable systems. Plus, most of those games in the series have only beenreleased in Japan. It’s not an impossible task, but again, fans can see why those games didn’t make it into the collection initially.
However, why are there no extra modes inKlonoa Phantasy Reverie Series? That is the wildest thing about this collection, as art galleries, movie galleries, and music galleries are pretty standard nowadays. Any one of those features would have been nice to see in the bundle, but maybe Bandai Namco can try it again with a future patch. Of those options, the art gallery seems like the most important.
3Make The DLC Free
There is some DLC for the game planned to add new costumes for Klonoa. Most of them give the fuzzball a different hat that celebrates other popular Bandai Namco games. There is one that puts Pac-Man around Klonoa’s head and another that gives Klonoa the Prince’s hat fromKatamari Damacy. New costumes are something developers like to putin remastered collections.
Bundles likeKlonoa Phantasy Reverie Seriesshould be a celebration of not only the included series but the developer’s brand overall. The only problem is that this is paid DLC and not free DLC. It’s not expensive, admittedly, but since this collection is already lacking in extra content, charging for costumes seems like a bad idea. Making these costumes free could bring in some goodwill when they do launch.
2Add Voices
The story in either game is not something to write home about. Most platformers, includingthe plumberover at Nintendo, don’t have gripping narratives. One of the better platforming series that does have good and funny stories isRatchet and Clank. There’s another thing in those games that both of theseKlonoagames lack: voice acting.
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The PS2 did have voice acting in games, but it was still new. So,Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Serieslacking voices initially is understandable. No voices in the Wii remake was less understandable, and it is even wilder now that both of these remastered versions are lacking voices. It might be difficult to add in voices with a patch now, but Bandai Namco could at least try.
1A Map Would Help
There is a keything in platformersthat makes one stand out from another: secrets. BothKlonoagames have longer than normal levels, and each is chock-full of collectibles. Players can collect jewels to get extra lives or rescue citizens.
Doing both on every level has the potential to unlock secret stages and other bonuses. Saying more would spoil the surprise, which is half of the fun. The downside to all of this is that the layouts of levels can be confusing without a map. There is often no clear way of knowing which path is the main one and which is the side path until it is too late. That’s why a mini-map, at the very least, would be much appreciated.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Serieswas released on May 15, 2025, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
