Klonoa

I think Phantasy Reverie Series debuted at the perfect time. The original games came out when "cutsey" 2D platformers were in the low part of the Popularity Polynomial. But with the sudden surge of mascot platformers making a comeback, combined with being more readily accessible on multiple consoles, I think it's really helped people rediscover how good the series actually is.

I'm more happy to know a new audience will finally experience Lunatea's Veil for the first time. I really loved that game's story.

I'm happy for the series that Reverie is doing well but I don't really understand why it's selling like this lol. Like, what happened? I understand Klonoa fans are dedicated but I didn't think they were so dedicated to the point of this selling approximately a million copies on Steam.

From my layman's perspective (that is, not actually knowing it but feeling it), I think Phantasy Reverie is selling so well because social media has expanded so much since 2008-09 that it more or less circumvents Invisible Advertising. Like, even though Facebook and the like existed when the Wiimake was released, most people were still getting adjusted to those sites and thus traditional advertisements were still super important for a game/show/movie to succeed. But nowadays, almost everyone uses social media, and this allowed Klonoa fans to really spread the word about Phantasy Reverie to folks who would have an interest in a game like Klonoa but would never have heard of it if not for fans shouting about it on Twitter.

Though I think Klonoa has also garnered "respect" of sorts in the gaming community, if that makes sense? Like, Phantomile is a cult classic on the PS1 at least, and those who've played Lunatea love it to bits. The relatively few who played those games when they first came out would go on to spread the word about them, be it through fanart or LPs, and by this point enough people in the gaming community actually got to know Klonoa and value it as a classic 2.5D platformer series. I know that The Autarch at least became interested to try out the Klonoa series when showcasing the King of Sorrow's theme. And so, once Phantasy Reverie was announced, those people would take the chance to actually try out Klonoa while making sure the series could get a resurgence as Crash and Spyro did.

I think the lack of a strong push by the American branch by Bandai Namco in advertising has also spurred a lot of people online to really get the word out; the fear about the weak marketing potentially hurting sales (and thus likely a possibility of future Klonoa titles) is a big motivator for many fans.

Klonoa has gotten a rather sizable cult following and social media has vastly expanded since 2008. Klonoa fans are doing all of the actual marketing since Bandai Namco still insists on not marketing the franchise and then blaming the IP when the games don’t do well.

Didn't the the dog girl play Klanoa? I wouldn't underestimate the pull VTubers have right now.

She infact did.

Fubuki and Korone also did a cover of Stepping Wind.

I played through the original Door to Phantomile recently as my first experience with the franchise, and I have to say, it was very fun! The grabbing/throwing mechanic is very well-realized, the graphics and soundtrack are sublime, and the very bittersweet ending (which I unfortunately got spoiled on beforehand) was the icing on the cake. I would easily consider it to be my favorite 2D platformer on the original PlayStation out of the ones I've played.

I have always wanted to try Klonoa and I'm happy to have the chance to play him now.

Plus Klonoa fans had been waiting on an official followup (not counting spinoff games) for over a decade now.

YMMV.Klonoa 2 Lunateas Veil

• Contested Sequel: While Lunatea's Veil is widely regarded as being a great game, there is some debate on whether or not it is better than Door to Phantomile. Many fans adore Lunatea's Veil and regard it as being an Even Better Sequel due to it being longer and expanding upon the gameplay with many new ideas, while also introducing fan favorites such as Lolo and the King of Sorrows to the series. That said, a number of fans do prefer the first game for its simplicity, atmosphere and story.
• Even Better Sequel: Although Door to Phantomile is regarded as being a classic and there are some who prefer that game. Many view Lunatea's Veil as being the better game overall, as it fine tunes the 2½D gameplay and level design from the first game to a tee, while also expanding upon it with a plethora of new mechanics and ideas, such as cannons that shoot you to new areas, enemies that give Klonoa various movement options if inflated, tornadoes that launch you in the air and the board levels. It also introduces a number of well loved fan favorites to the franchise as well, such as Lolo and the King of Sorrow. This is also reflected in reviews at the time, with most of them giving it higher scores than the original game.

Contested Sequel and Even Better Sequel are mutually exclusive as Even Better require most fans see it such while Contested requires a mixed opinions. Which is the best fit?

Should I keep Contested and move the Even Better part to Author's Saving Throw (as the gameplay improvements are seemingly uncontested)?

I'm honestly not sure why Contested Sequel is even there. I've never heard anyone complain about the second game.

YMMV.Klonoa Door To Phantomile

• Ron the Death Eater: Huepow gets some of this due to the ending, which reveals that he gave Klonoa fake memories and initially pretended to be his friend in order to have him help him defeat Ghadius. Even if it was done with good intentions and he clearly regrets it by the end, many fans found it hard to forgive him for having manipulated Klonoa for the entire game, with some such as BrainScratch Commentaries calling him the game's true villain thanks to it.
• The Scrappy: There are very few fans who like Huepow, as many detest him due to his babylike voice (in the original game), his creepy looking true form being arguably one of the worst in the entire series and the ending, which reveals that he gave Klonoa false memories in order to get him on his side. It doesn’t help that the Wii remake gives him extra dialogue, while Klonoa himself receives noticeably less than the original, leading fans to dislike him more for taking focus away from the titular character.

Ron the Death Eater is a trend of fanworks vilifying them such as opposed to ignoring the contentious parts of them. Not sure if the case. The Scrappy requires they're consistently disliked. My impression is that Huepow wasn't that disliked outside those unpopular late game reveals, which his later appearances in the series outright ignore if not contradict. That the case?

This sounds more like Fanon Discontinuity or Fan-Disliked Explanation. Thoughts about moving?

I'd say Huepow is a Base-Breaking Character. I do know some people who genuinely hate him for his actions in Klonoa 1, but I've also seen plenty of people who also like him as well.

I guess I don't hate him, what he did was messed up but I understand he had to do it and it's not like he wanted to do it.

Just finished Lunatea's Veil this evening after completing Door to Phantomile last month. Really love Lunatea's Veil and really got attached to the characters. I pray to Goddess Claire that the sales of Phantasy Reverie Series might motivate Bandai Namco on fully revisiting the Klonoa Franchise. I need a Klonoa 3 to become a reality!

Huepow's kind of an idiot who made things harder on both Klonoa and himself.

Klonoa would have at least tried to help him without the brainwashing until Word of God says otherwise.

I know this is horribly late by a month, but I want to say that the song they have for Phantasy Reverie's launch trailer just lives rent-free in my head right now:

And fun fact, the song they use and the portion of the commercial covering the DTP portion are extended recreations of a Japanese commercial of the original PS1 game (minus the "Namco!" and "PlayStation!" parts, obviously).

Seriously, I love the song so much, I went and snipped it so it's available on its own. I even gave it a name: "Klonoa no Uta" (which should translate to "Song of Klonoa").