"Puzzle-ish Platformy Goodness"

That fuzzy little rascal Klonoa can always be relied on to deliver the old-school gaming goods. After two epic adventures that have earned him a modest but loyal audience of platformer-loving fans, Klonoa goes the semi-puzzle route on the Game Boy Advance with 'Empire of Dreams.' Anyone who enjoys using their brain as much as their reflexes will definitely find some enjoyment with this title.
On first inspection, 'Empire of Dreams' appears to be a traditional Klonoa game. He's still got his magic wind-shooting ring that lets him snag enemies, whom he can then use for a variety of purposes. The puffy Moo monsters can be tossed for a double-jump, and there are exploding enemies as well that must be tossed in strategic locations. And, as always, there are plenty of blue Dreamstones for Klonoa to collect. But long-time fans will quickly notice that the vast environments of the previous 'Klonoa' games have been scaled down for 'Empire of Dreams,' and you'll spend a lot more time trying to hunt down keys and open tricky doors then you used to. Yup, Klonoa has gone for a more puzzle-based approach for this one. And that's a good thing, since 'Klonoa' fans will enjoy the familiar control scheme, and the clever level design will tickle your brain without too much frustration.
The story in 'Empire of Dreams' is typical Klonoa fare. An evil emperor has forbid his subjects to dream, and there's some evil multi-colored mist floating around, and, um, well, whatever. It's something you'd find in a straight-to-video Pokemon movie, and the plot can safely be ignored. Klonoa games often set new standards in cuteness, so anyone who has a vendetta against so-called 'kiddie' games should probably steer clear of this one, and go back to playing their macho bloodbath junk.
Klonoa fans will be right at home as soon as they take the helm. Klonoa can jump like he always has, and float for a limited time. The ability to capture and toss enemies is more useful than ever, since you'll need to hit a lot of switches before this game it through, and many of them will be out of reach. Other traditional puzzle elements - such as doors that stay open for a limited time, pushable blocks, or air vents that blow you straight up - are also in full effect. The game isn't terribly difficult and can be beaten with a little patience, but younger or more easily frustrated gamers may get stuck for a while and lose their cool.
There are also some snowboarding levels, to add some variety to the mix. Klonoa can still jump and use his ring like normal while snowboarding, but he'll be constantly moving, so there's an extra level of strategy. Performing tricky double-jumps as the screen scrolls along can provide a little extra excitement in this normally slow-paced game. And needless to say, each of the game's kingdoms has a boss at the end for Klonoa to battle. Considering Klonoa's small arsenal of offense - which consists entirely of tossing enemies that he grabs - I have to respect the designers of the Klonoa games for consistently making interesting, enjoyable bosses to fight.
Like all Klonoa games, 'Empire of Dreams' slowly grows on you. It doesn't have the instant appeal of a Mario title, but there's something warm and fun about it. The game gets a lot of mileage out of a relatively simple control scheme, and Klonoa himself is just so darn cute. (Whatever the heck he is. A cat, maybe?) The game is not especially long, but you'll get some good hours out of it. And true platformer nuts will love the challenge of finding every Dreamstone, which opens up some extra levels to enjoy. The extra levels are no great shakes, but finding all of the gems is its own reward, right?
The graphics in 'Empire of Dreams' may disappoint some Klonoa fans. Instead of the lush, gorgeous landscapes of the previous games, Klonoa is confined to small rooms with fairly drab backgrounds. Everything is sharp and colorful, though, and each kingdom has its own unique background design. Not quite the visual experience that I expected from a Game Boy Advance title, but not too shabby, either.
The music is equally so-so, with some memorable tunes and some fairly annoying syrupy stuff. The sounds are typical platformer stuff; although Klonoa's unique yell is always good for a chuckle. Heck, it's not as if a portable system is going to have Dolby-quality sound coming out of it, so what can you do?
With Nintendo releasing some major artillery on the Game Boy Advance - including 'Super Mario Bros. 3' and the inimitable 'Super Mario World' - the platformer stakes are high. But 'Empire of Dreams' has a unique charm all its own, and the puzzle elements make it stand out from the crowd. Klonoa fans will need no invitation, but the non-initiated should check this one out.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/25/02, Updated 02/25/02