Klonoa, Namco's hero jumps into the spotlight!

Behind the various Mario Bros., Sonic, Solid Snake, Gordon Freeman and Sam Porter from Death Stranding, we find a delightful and lovable creature, which has been able to capture the hearts of devoted platform game players all over the world, but specifically in the Land of the Rising Sun. I am obviously talking about Klonoa, protagonist of the first game in the series Klonoa: Door To Phantomile, originally released in 1997 for PlayStation in Japan and arriving in Europe the following year.

Per quanto le peculiarities of this title are many and talking about them is for me a headlong dive into the wonderful past, the black cat with anthropomorphic echoes, protagonist of the series and created by Namco, is one of the many epigones of Super Mario and Donkey Kong Country: in those years in which the glorious aftermath of the Super Nintendo and Dreamcast gave way to the future represented by Sony’s gray and solid console, with a certain Crash Bandicoot ready to steal the show, the attempt to imitate the gameplay and successful atmospheres of the big-name characters who dominated platformers was more than understandable, even if not always fully successful.

Klonoa managed to stand out, in any case, and it was also for this reason that the series still consists today of various sequels and spin-offs that expand the story and increase interest in the adventures of the cat-rabbit in question (I couldn't resist).

Door to Phantomile presents itself in every respect as a side-scrolling platformer with 3D backgrounds, quite a sight considering those years: colorful graphics, gameplay that is fairly easy to master in a short time, and a story that, although not exactly miraculous, has in its favor the introduction of support characters who are still well-defined and a bittersweet ending you would not expect. Basically, we will move our avatar within 2D areas, facing enemies with a curious weapon (which cannot help but remind you of certain rings from a certain game with a very, very fast hedgehog), capable of firing small but effective bursts with which to draw enemies toward Klonoa and literally use them to jump higher, for example, or throw them against various objects and obtain bonuses and upgrades, in the most classic of 2.5D platform traditions, as they are commonly defined.

Ed and this is precisely, in my opinion, Klonoa's weak point, its burden but also, upon closer inspection, its charm: DTP oozes classic appeal from every pore, or rather from every hair on Klonoa's cat-like ears: with this first chapter of a saga that over time will try to explore new ideas and gameplay modes, effectively daring to do so: here, on the contrary, we find ourselves playing a more than valid title, yet the aftertaste of an opportunity not fully seized remains with us in the end.

Eppure there are some decidedly appreciable elements and gems, thanks to which Klonoa proudly rises above the mass of side-scrolling platformers that came before and those contemporary to it: the protagonist’s cap with Pac-Man, a legendary symbol of video games and the irreplaceable mascot of Namco, is a tribute that exudes emotion and respect.

The alternation of dynamic and well-structured levels, both in terms of architecture and the precision of responsive controls, with sections featuring puzzles that stimulate the player’s brain matter as well as their fingers, elevates Klonoa Door To Phantomile, granting it a respectful ennoblement that, personally, I believe it deserves.