Two games with enjoyable level design and cute characters.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a little
The main character uses a magic ring with "wind bullets" to take out enemies and navigate environments. This weapon inflates creatures into balloon versions of themselves that can be flung in different directions, which pop in explosions of confetti. One character dies peacefully in Klonoa's arms, and all boss characters are defeated in explosions of light.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
There's a cutscene where a cat puppet villain is being held by Klonoa and calls him a "perv" as he searches for an artifact on her person. The visuals suggest nothing of the sort, and since this character is mischievous, she's likely toying with Klonoa.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Both games involve the timeless, heroic goal of saving worlds from falling into darkness. You not only save multiple side characters from being corrupted, but also restore environments from being polluted and plundered so their inhabitants aren't displaced. Teamwork and trust are highlighted with the help of friends being crucial to victory. The second game's key theme is particularly powerful, which teaches that people should be able to express negative emotions like sadness among loved ones without shame so they can process them properly.
Ease of Play
some
Gameplay is kept to a small and consistent set of mechanics. The default controls are solid, but players can customize their button configurations. There are a couple minor difficulty spikes toward the ends of both games with tricky platforming that requires overly precise accuracy and button mashes, but the majority of the experience is balanced well with difficulty. Players can select a new difficulty option with limitless lives and more health. Another player can join in to add boosts to the main player's jumps.
Positive Role Models
a little
Klonoa's elders mostly serve to guide you on your journey, but even though they aren't integral to the story, they do encourage and remind him of his reasons for fighting. The second game has side characters who model healthy expressions of friendship by being there for each other whenever someone feels dispirited.
Diverse Representations
very little
Both games mostly feature anthropomorphic characters among others who are vaguely human. While the first game is largely centered on Klonoa, the second has more female side characters—two of which are arguably more developed and important to the story's themes than Klonoa himself. One of these female characters has dark skin.
Parents need to know that Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a downloadable collection of two action-platformer games (originally released in the late 1990s) with updated graphics on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox One X|S, and Windows PCs. Both games feature an anthropomorphic black cat named Klonoa who must save two "dream worlds." His first adventure finds him aligned with a spirit tied to a special golden ring, which he must use the powers of to stop the villain Ghadius from enveloping the world in nightmares. In his second adventure, he meets Lolo: a priestess in training who asks for your aid as she travels around the world to save it and prove herself. Players use a ring weapon to comically inflate enemies, which results in pops of light and confetti when they hit objects. One side character is shown idly smoking a tobacco pipe in some cutscenes. "Damn" is uttered twice toward the end of the second game.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a very well made remake for the two original 2D side scrolling platformers from the years 1997 and 2001 respectively.
At a glance, Klonoa might seem like an overly colorful and cheerful action-adventure game, yet its undertone is quite melancholic and bittersweet.
The controls are simple (which can also be modified via options), and both games have a decent amount of levels that do not take a really long time to complete, and occasionally include some puzzles and problem solving. Two player mode is also included.
As for content, enemies explode into confetti when defeated and bosses' designs are not too scary looking. One character does smoke a Tobacco pipe on-screen in the first game, but not much attention is paid this.
The game's only DLC is not necessarily needed to enhance play for it only includes a 30-page digital art book, the game's extensive soundtrack and a couple of hats to customize Klonoa's appearance.
What’s It About?
KLONOA PHANTASY REVERIE SERIES consists of two separate games. The first takes place in the land of Phantomile, where protagonist Klonoa has a dream of a flying ship crashing into the side of his town's mountain. After waking up and seeing this come true, he finds a tall man in a dark cloak and golden bird mask named Ghadius, who was trapped for hundreds of years and now seeks revenge by shrouding the world in nightmares. The second game finds our hero in a new world called Lunatea, where he meets Lolo: a young girl training to be a priestess. She has failed to pass the required tests many times before, but with the help of Klonoa and his ring, she can prove herself by collecting the "Elements" spread across several kingdoms. But antagonist Leorina wants to obtain the Elements as well by creating a ring of her own, but what are her motives? What is Klonoa summoned to save this world from exactly? Only by helping his new friends will answers be found.
This title brings two classic action games together for new players and fans of the original to enjoy. Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is comprised of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil. Your character's basic abilities boil down to jumping and shooting, but don't be deceived by the simple controls. The challenge rests not in your skills, but in how you harness enemies as tools to progress with a golden ring that shoots magical wind bullets. These allow you to hold onto and turn foes into balloons, which are used to jump higher, attack other enemies, and activate switches. The first game uses these mechanics to great effect with a pleasingly challenging experience that smoothly transitions into its hardest sections to test your puzzle-solving and timing skills. Both games have some annoying moments where a shocking amount of accuracy is required to hit some things, but these are manageable, rare frustrations. The sequel builds on its predecessor with more enemy types that introduce new abilities. Along with a series of interesting design gimmicks for levels (such as one where you can reverse gravity), the sequel dreams bigger with its gameplay.
While both games involves movement on a 2D plane, both games are presented in 3D with unconventional levels that twist and turn on each other, sometimes involving collecting items or completing puzzles by transitioning between the foreground and background. It helps that the HD upgrades give more clarity to the colorful, imaginative environments and characters. In particular, the sequel can be a wonder to behold with the camera panning out to show off cities and castles as you literally fly across levels to different sections. Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a charming, engaging set of games with a spunky cast of characters suited for young kids, and since a second player can join in to help the main player, parents can join in on the fun, too.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about expressing negative emotions. When you feel sad, angry, or jealous, how do you act on these feelings? What are some ways to create spaces where you can be open and honest about emotions with others?
How should you respond when someone lies to you with good intentions to potentially protect you? What questions should you ask to to see where the other person was coming from? Are there things you and the other person could do to create more trust and vulnerability in your relationship, even when it feels difficult?
When you don't live up to your own or other's expectations, hope and motivation can be lost, so how should you approach setbacks in your life with goals? What can you do to surround yourself with loved ones who lift your spirits? How can you encourage yourself and others?
ESRB rating:
E10+ for Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco
Last updated:
December 1, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Joey Thurmond
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
