Klonoa: Empire of Dreams

"Fun, for kids or anyone else"

This game is the first appearance of Klonoa in a Nintendo console, and it's very good for the first one. Klonoa: Empire of Dreams is not an action game as this site says. It's a very creative mix of the Puzzle and Platform styles. It was made for kids, but the puzzles aren't really simple: many people get stuck on one for days. It's a short, fun game. I'll go into details in the rest of this review. I'm going to rate various aspects of the game and afterwards I'll base the final score on them. Let's get to the subject, shall we?

Gameplay - 9/10
Addicting, very addicting. The game is simple, easy, but you can't stop playing. The puzzles aren't boring like in many similar games.
Ok, so you're some kind of rabbit, with huge ears. You use multiple movements and controls to obtain keys in stages and run to a door afterwards. The puzzles are solved by the use of the correct movements in the correct places and situations, and some timing skills.
The game loses one point for being short. That's the game's biggest flaw.

Story - 4/10
You aren't going to notice it, it's kiddy and has absolutely no depth. In puzzle and platform games, the story isn't a very important factor anyway.

Graphics - 8/10
Nice for a Game Boy Advance. Not a Golden Sun, but the graphics are better than most of the ones found in other games for the handheld.

Music and sounds - 6/10
Nice quality for a GBA, but you aren't really going to remember what you heard in this game. Sounds aren't really noticeable. The music isn't that great, but it suits the situations and places in the game well.

Controls - 7/10
A few of the movements are HARD to do, with slow responses. But the others are simple and can be done without any practice.

Replay - 7/10
It wasn't made to be replayed. It doesn't have many modes and options like most games we see today, and no unlockables. But you will probably replay the stages many times (not the entire game) for a better score. There are many gems to be collected in each stage, and you can replay these and try to get more than last time.

Final Score - 7/10
Very good game. It is so addicting, the fun factor is so high that overcomes everything else. But I don't recommend buying it, as it is quite short and can easily be finished in a fairly long rent. Don't base your decisions in the grade, because it was lowered mainly by factors that in no way make the game bad.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/29/03