So today I open up my inbox and find this Namco Bandai survey about Klonoa. Here's question number 2:

*2. Please read the following game description:

Klonoa is a sidescrolling action-platformer. The player defeats enemies by utilizing Klonoa's special weapon called the "Wind Bullet", a device resembling a ring that can fire a small burst of wind straight forward. When this "bullet" hits an enemy, it will pull them into Klonoa's arms, allowing him to lift them over his head. Klonoa can even throw enemies at special "eggs" that can be seen floating around certain areas. By doing this, the egg will break usually containing certain items including diamonds, extra lives, or key puzzle items needed to advance.

Based on this knowledge, how interested are you this game?

1 – Very Interested
2 - Interested
3 - A little interested
4 – Not interested at all
5 – Don’t know

Am I supposed to be interested by reading that? I mean I've seen screenshots, I once had the soundtrack and I'm sort of interested in picking the game, especially since I skipped the Playstation original, but if that was the only info I had on the game, I'd answer "don't know" at best and "not interested at all" at worst.

The following questions show pictures of Klonoa and some new character, or a new version of Klonoa, and they ask questions about which characters looks better and how likely you are to purshase the game if it features version a and version b. Then they ask you to grade different parts of the designs like ears, shoes, clothes... it's the weirdest survey I've ever filled. Oh and NO question about the music. How unforgivable. I said I wanted some added remix of the original songs in the NA version. They better listen.

I hope you replied with "very interested" anyway.  Or else I'll have to shoot a wind bullet at your heart.

With love,

Klonoa Fan Angie

Representin' the Klonoa love right hurr. Never got no Bamco email, but if'n I did, I'da put most interested!

Survey's here:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=2 … 6kFQ_3d_3d

Another point of note is Bamco is considering redesigning Klonoa for the West. Do your duty, people. SPLAT THE BAT.

Took the survey.

Wow.

I gave Namco a nasty virtual earful.  The new design is awful.  They'd better not change him.  Also, what is up with the question about the game's difficulty being judged by the character design?  I put "neutral" on both designs for that.  Adventure Island was pretty cute, but that sure as hell wasn't easy.

By the way, is the soundtrack going to be just a remastered version?

I wish someday I'd get a Klonoa soundtrack from which all Nakanishi and Okubo tracks are removed.

Survey's closed already They better not bastardize Klonoa into something like the disaster Sonic has turned into...

The latest issue of NP reveals that the survey went strongly in favor of the original character design and that the game is coming to the U.S.  Woo-hoo!

Don't you mean "Wahoo!"?  ;)

Picked the game up today -- the only copy my local Gamestop got in, apparently, since I was the only one who preordered.  The $30 price point was a nice surprise, and the instruction booklet is of the rare, yummy colored variety.

I'm just a couple of Visions in, but so far, the title remains purely Klonoa.  As I've said, though, it's been ages since I played the original Door To Phantomile, so I can't make direct comparisons.  What I can say is that the game looks and runs as silky-smooth as Lunatea's Veil, and comes off as noticeably more eye-catching in its native 480p setting.  I tried out all four control schemes (Horizontal Remote, Nunchuck Combo, Classic Controller, and Gamecube Controller), and they all work really well.  Surprisingly, I've found my preference lies in the Gamecube Controller, just for the fact that it can use both d-pad and, more importantly, the analog stick for movement. (The Classic Controller, sadly, is relegated only to the d-pad).  Kudos to Bamco and Paon for allowing full button configurations for all the control schemes, too; I know I'd be irked if I couldn't change the default [Jump as the "A" button/Attack as the "B"] to [Jump as the "B" button/Attack as the "Y"] on the CC.

In regards to voices, you have the option to change it to either the full English dub or the Phantomile setting.  I'm kind of torn as to which to play as.  On the one hand, having actual English dialogue is far more expressive than the usual Klonoa mumble-jumble way of speaking.  But on the other hand, it just doesn't feel like Klonoa without his trademark voice and "Wahoo!"  (And if this is indeed a re-dub, it sounds convincingly close to what I'm used to.)

I suspect that sometime after I've beaten the game, I would want to finally track down and play through the original PSOne version again for comparative reasons.  One thing I'm almost certain of, though, is that the game never gave you a full allotment of five life hearts.  Wasn't it always three?  Or was there a sliding difficulty setting in the original?  As such, the game feels like a slightly easier affair, since you can now take a few more hits before going down.  Likewise, there's a whirlwind move that allows you to temporarily stun nearby enemies, which I'm pretty sure wasn't in the original, either.  Anyone wanna verify on these?

I don't have the link, but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that this version gives you additional hearts over the original.  The Yoshi-like extra umph at the end of a double jump and whirlwind move are both new.  Bamco is marketing this game almost exclusively to kids (check out the awful TV ads if you don't believe me), so they've tried to soften the game.  The new mirror mode and challenge modes are in there for us diehards.

I only had time to try the first vision, and it's just as fun as I remembered.  I prefer the wiimote & nunchuck simply because I like the freedom of not having the two halves be connected.  I can't decide if I like the sharp but jaggy default graphics or the smooth but blurry filter option more.  Either way, it looks good.  As for the voices, Phantomillian is the only way to go. :-)

http://www.amazon.com/Klonoa-Nintendo-W … 901&sr=1-1

Well, it's out now, and MSRP = $30!

So, what do you think? IS this going to be one of those games that stays at $30 until it goes out-of-print and off the shelves (thus I might as well friggin' pick it up now), or should I wait until it's $20?

We Love Katamari was released at an MSRP of $30 back in 2005, and never went down in price, and that was also made by Namco.

What do you think?

Oh, man. I was so worried about that. Good thing nothing was changed for the worse (it seems).

It's the perfect platformer reborn. This'll tide me over until we see the next Kirby. I can understand the english dub for the kiddies, but like XLord said, Phantomile all the way.

Is this an entirely new Klonoa sequel, or is it a remake of Door to Phantomile?

Not that it's going to influence my decision to actually get it, I'm just curious...

I thought I alluded to that fact clear enough in my own post, but yes, it a remake.  And it is slick.

I had beaten the game, which unlocks the Reverse and Time Attack modes.  I've yet to try Time Attack, but I suspect it's going to be fun to tear through the game for the best times.  The Reverse Mode challenges, however, are freakishly difficult.

Ahh, see, I missed that post...

Thanks for the confirm! Definitely check this when I finish off my backlog...or I get tired of grinding through all the goddamn PS2 RPGs that were ever released in the NA...

How long did it take you to finish the game?

I'd have to check the in-game clock again, but for the main quest, I wanna say...... four hours?  Not a particularly long game, but it feels right for a platformer of this caliber.  Tack on another hour or two if you're looking to collect everything.

Finally picked this up. Not a long game by any means, but when you come home tired after a long day, and you just want to play a simple game for a couple of hours before going to sleep, it's ideal.

Man, it'd REALLY be nice if they re-released Klonoa 2 for the Wii, but somehow I ever doubt that; the Klonoa franchise has never been big on steam, either...

...I don't suppose a soundtrack was ever released for the Wii version? I know there's the soundtrack for the original PSX version, but I can only imagine that the music has been remastered and remixed more than all get-out.

Anybody have a gamerip for it?

From what I gather, the music has not been remastered and is in fact completely the same as the PSX version.

Here's the rip if you still want it though, courtesy of Pyrii at the FF Shrine forums:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=I865DLV0

Says I need a password to open the WinRAR archive...

D'oh!
Forgot to mention that.
The password is: huepow

Ehh, they spelled it wrong...

N/E way, thanks man! You're amazingu!

Actually, the PSX version originally did have his name spelled as Huepow.  The Wiimake had it re-translated to Huepoe:

http://www.giantbomb.com/huepow/94-1051/

Ahh. Still creeps me out when he transforms into a Teletubby, though, especially when the rest of the Moon people don't have that outfit scheme...at the absolute best, it's like he's wearing shiny footie pajamas with a cape...

P.S. Who's the character in your avatar supposed to be, Angie? Jessica Koopa?

Oh crud. They're BRSTM files...another esoteric file format strikes again...

Wendy, natch.  I know, it's the addition of the hair, isn't it?

Actually, you might be surprised at the somewhat gratuitous nature of the pic in its entirety.

That, and she doesn't look like a hooker off the street who'll kill you...

I'd figured they'd created a new Koopa Kid character who was supposed to be the good Koopa...

LoLz!