Klonoa 1 & 2 remasters may lead to more remasters and ‘expanding the IP’, its producer says
“The first goal is to spread awareness and reignite the IP”
The producer of the upcoming Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series has said he hopes the game will be successful enough to lead to more Klonoa titles.
Phantasy Reverie Series consists of remasters of PS1 game Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (specifically its Wii remake) and its PS2 sequel Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil.
But in an interview in the next issue of game journal Lock-On (which can currently be pre-ordered), producer Ryo Ishida said that while the main aim is to make players aware of Klonoa, he hopes it will lead to further releases in the future.
“With Klonoa, since there’s been large gaps between the release of the games, at this 25th anniversary’s timing, we decided to release this title so people can play the original [games] first,” Ishida explained.
“And if this remastered version is loved by the community, there might be opportunities to further expand the Klonoa IP and do other remasters of other titles as well.
“The first goal and idea behind the [Phantasy Reverie Series] itself is to spread awareness and reignite the Klonoa IP.”
Marketing manager Moa Ikeuchi added: “The main target is veteran gamers who still love Klonoa. As you know, Klonoa is a title and character that is still loved and supported by many people.
“It’s because of these veteran gamers and our existing fans […] that we were able to successfully reinvent and reveal the remastered version on the 25th anniversary.
“Alongside the memories that our existing fans have, we have also made the game more appealing and [suitable for younger gamers] and also people who haven’t [discovered Klonoa] yet.
“That’s why even though our main target is veteran gamers, we hope that a large variety of game fans will enjoy and experience the charm and appeal of the original Klonoa games.”
The original Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was released on PlayStation in 1997. Although it gained widespread critical acclaim and enjoyed modest success in Japan, the game struggled to sell well in the west. Despite this, it managed to spawn a sequel and a number of Game Boy Advance spin-offs.
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Klonoa’s remasters are also coming to PlayStation, Xbox and PC in July
The first game’s Wii remake was released in 2008. It too was met with praise but was considered a commercial failure, entering the Japanese charts at number 33. As a result, a planned remake of the second game was scrapped.
Bandai Namco will be hopeful that the Phantasy Reverie Series will be third time lucky for the platforming mascot.
Volume 4 of Lock-On, which will contain the full Klonoa interview and will only be published if it meets its funding target, can be pre-ordered here.
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