Klonoa 2 was released very early on in the PS2's lifespan, and wasn't especially successful commercially. Perhaps its because by 2001, the 2d sidescrolling platformer as a major genre was virtually extinct, and with the advent of 3d platformers like Rayman 2 and Jak and Daxter, both of which were released for the Playstation 2 as well, people probably overlooked this little gem. I'm playing it in 2010, 9 years after its release, and I can safely say that this title is already a modern day classic in my book.
Klonoa 2, it seems to me, much like its lauded predecessor on the psx, has been designed with a very specific audience in mind. For everything in the game oozes the old world charm of the NES days of gaming, back when platformers were a dime a dozen, and were probably the most popular genre. Its also very self consciously Japanese in everything from speech, to character design to the soundtrack. The gameplay itself reminds me a lot of Ristar for the genesis, largely because how exquisitely simple it is. In Ristar, all you had were your hands, with which you grabbed enemies and hooks and propelled yourself forward. In Klonoa, you blow your enemies up into little balls and then use them to jump higher and hit switches. You also grab hold of floating balls and ascending copters. If you have played Yoshi's Island for the SNES, you'll find yourself especially at home with Klonoa. However, Yoshi's Island was something else entirely, and comparing the two doesn't make sense. Klonoa's approach is essentially a lot simpler. There are no special moves whatsoever to learn, and while that may sound boring to some, its not. It leads to a more focused feel.
The controls are very tight. You'll rarely if ever find yourself dying because of difficulty in controlling Klonoa. In fact, you'll rarely die at all. One of the drawbacks of this game is that it's a little too easy sometimes. It all depends on how you look at it though: I was looking for a fun platforming experience, and I came away with something so much more. It IS easy, but that's hardly the point of the game. The actual enjoyment in Klonoa lies in the platforming. Its so fun grabbing enemies and jumping up and solving the many simple yet satisfying puzzles thrown in that you'll soon forget that you've never died till now.
Graphically, Klonoa is gorgeous, with weird and wonderful 3d backgrounds and Klonoa and gang themselves cel shaded, lending them a cartoony look. 2.5D platforming needs more love. I'm not kidding. There are people who seriously miss old school gaming, myself included, and the 2.5D way keeps both sorts of people happy: you get your graphics, and you maintain the classic gameplay too. And that is exactly what Klonoa does. It plays like a lavishly designed NES platformer, albeit with 3D thrown in for good measure. The colors are vivid and psychedelic. Character design is impressive and the cutscenes inbetween visions are decent. And, most importantly, skippable. But having a story egging you on is very fun as well.
The soundtrack, now, is where you'll finally see how much heart this game has. The soundtrack, ladies and gentlemen, is absolutely incredible. Its beautiful, sad, happy, fast-paced, thoughtful and more. It proves that a good soundtrack complements a game tremendously, making it a transcendental experience in gaming, once in a while. Klonoa very surely delivers in this regard. It reeks of a beautiful fantasy setting, mystical, charming and at times haunting, all at once. It's good enough to be listened to separately!
So there you have it. Klonoa 2 is a brilliant combination of old school, classic platforming, superior music, and quirky and delightful graphics and it's sure to delight platforming fans and help introduce many to the genre as well. Highly recommended. 9/10.
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