Bandai Namco has registered a new trademark for Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series in the UK, as spotted by VGC. The registration has kicked off rumors that the seemingly defunct franchise may be getting a new instalment, or perhaps even remastered versions of some of its older titles.
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile made its debut in Japan in 1997 before arriving in North America and Europe in 1998. The 2.5D platformer put players in the shoes of the titular Klonoa as he teamed up with his friend, Huepow, to prevent an evil spirit from filling the world of Phantomile with nightmares. A second mainline title, Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil was released in 2001, with Klonoa collaborating with more friends to save the world of Lunatea. There have also been a few 2D handheld titles, a Beach Volleyball spinoff title, and a Japanese-exclusive action RPG, the latter being the last title to be released in 2002.
Attempts have been made to remaster the titles before. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was remastered for the Wii, this time simply titled Klonoa. As well as upgraded graphics and voice acting, the game included several unlockable features that weren’t found in the original PlayStation release. Its arrival in Japan in 2008 was followed a few months later in 2009 for North America and Europe, but while the game received critical acclaim, its sales were considered a commercial failure. Plans to remaster Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil were swiftly dropped, as were any plans for a third mainline title. An anime movie was also canceled in 2019.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series isn’t the first Klonoa trademark to appear recently. Bandai Namco registered a Klonoa Encore trademark in Japan in 2019, sparking speculation that both Door to Phantomile and Lunatea’s Veil would be remastered. Indeed, Phantasy Reverie Series seems to suggest there may be more than one title involved in whatever Bandai Namco is planning, and we’ll hopefully find out what that is soon.
[Source: Video Games Chronicle]
