"Klonoa flaps his way to Gameboy with success"

Klonoa, which first made it's way to the United States in the form of Klonoa: Gateway to Phantomile for the successful Playstation console, was not received as well as it should have been, and instantly became a cult game. Namco brings the long eared-hero to the Gameboy Advance in the form of Klonoa: Empire of Dreams.

STORY
You begin this tale in Klonoa's bed, dreaming of great adventures, when he is interrupted by a smash as his door is broken into. Three soldiers appear and take into custody Klonoa and his companion Huepow. They bring him to insomniac Emperor Jillius' feet and he explains what is going on. Dreaming is outlawed in the Empire of Jillius, and seen as a tool by the lazy to not work, play, or fall in love. Being the kind dictator of all the land, he gives Klonoa the chance to redeem himself by traveling to distant lands and destroying the monsters that have been bothering the town's people.

GAMEPLAY
If you are not familiar with the Klonoa series, then you have defiantly been missing out. It is one of the best 2-d platform/puzzle games in our 3-d dominated gaming scene. You can grapple enemies and use them to your advantage to pass the games wonderfully designed levels. It starts out very easy, with basic double jump techniques, and gradually you have to low and raise water levels, twist rooms around, and jump from monster to monster. It may sound easy, and it is. The only downfall in this game is the difficulty. It is a very easy game. This is a result that there are not really any enemies that act like normal enemies. Every monster is a part of the puzzle, or just an obstacle to overcome. I believe there is only one enemy that actually fires bombs at you, and then there are spiky enemies. The rest pretty much just move back and forth, aimlessly, waiting to be picked up by Klonoa. The puzzle difficulty in the first worlds do not make up for this, but later on you will have to challenge your mind and will be thankful its hard to die.

GRAPHICS
This graphics on Empire of Dreams are not polygon pushers, sprite pushers, and do not really challenge the Gameboy Advance's processors. That said, the game's graphics are great. Nothing seems out of place, backgrounds flow with the level, and the levels somewhat resemble the worlds they are in. One of the best parts of the Klonoa series is the animation detail that is put into every game. While the game really hasn't change much in that respect, it is nice to know that the animation will never be choppy and will always flow like water.

SOUND
Just like the graphics, the sound in this game is not Final Fantasy, or Zelda caliber, but fits into the theme of the game. The sound in some levels is very dreamy, or light, but then you get to the levels where you have to think fast, and the music speeds up. Very basic, but very effective. Not much else to say on this matter. The sound is good; it fits with the game, and is very relaxing in some points, while adrenaline pumping in others.

LASTING APPEAL
Like most platformers, the actual replay value of a game is in relation to how much extra stuff there is to do. Doing certain tasks like beating the game, beating every level, and getting every diamond in every level will unlock three EXtra stages that will stretch this game maybe another hour at best. Getting every diamond on the boarding levels and the moving screen levels is where this part shines, as those are the hardest levels to get diamonds in, and will take many tries. Regardless, the game is not exceptionally long, less then five hours total. You will probably do what I did with Klonoa: Lunatea's Veil, and beat the game without unlocking much and then never play the game again.

WRAP UP
While it is a very fun and challenging game, it is also very short. The story is simple, but it gets the job done. The graphics and sound mess together with the classic Klonoa game play to create an experience that is worth playing. However, I would rather spend my $30 on a game that will last me, or wait until the game drops in price so that the dollar per hour ratio is respectable. Pick up the game now if you loved any of the other Klonoa's though, as it is remains true to its roots.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/20/03