Klonoa
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| Klonoa | |
|---|---|
| Game series | Klonoa series (By Namco) |
| First game | Klonoa: Door to Phantomile |
| Created by | Hideo Yoshizawa Tsuyoshi Kobayashi |
| Voiced by | Kumiko Watanabe |
Klonoa (クロノア, Kuronoa), sometimes referred to as Klonoa of the Wind (風のクロノア, Kaze no Kuronoa) is an anthropomorphic video game character created by Namco and Klonoa Works, and has starred in several games bearing his name since 1997.
There is much speculation as to what Klonoa actually is, though he most closely resembles a rabbit, cat. The latter is probably the most fitting description, as Namco has stated in various interviews that though he is primarily a fantasy character, they mostly consider him a cat with long ears. Klonoa also has his own unique language, with such exclamations as "Magya!" (an exclamation shouted by him whenever he is hurt), "Rupurudu!" (Let's Go!) and "Wahoo!", which have become his trademarks. While it would be easy to label Klonoa's language as cute gibberish based on Japanese, there does seem to be an underlying syntax order. For example, most of the time Klonoa silences the letter N, pronouncing his name as "Klo-oa." In all of his appearances, Klonoa is voiced by Kumiko Watanabe.
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[edit] Design
Klonoa was designed by Yoshihiko Arai. Arai's first design, "Shady", had a shadow-like appearance. However, he felt that the lack of color did not seem tasteful, and dropped the design. His next design was created with cat eyes and long ears, as Arai felt that a person's eyes and silhouette are the features noticed when they are first met. He added a large hat and necklace to give the character a childlike and energetic quality. The design was kept and used for Klonoa.[1]
[edit] Biography
Though a comprehensive account of Klonoa's games is still forthcoming, all that is currently known about him is contained within the various scenes in the klonoa series. He lives in the world of Phantomile in a small village called Breezegale with his grandfather, who he and everyone else refer to affectionately as "Grandpa". It is unrevealed what his parent's status is, or if they simply live somewhere else.
It is also known in the first game that this world was not actually his universe, but rather another universe also called Phantomile. Klonoa was sent by Huepow to the Phantomile of that game to save the world and its dreams. After saving it, he was sent back to his own world by the Song of Rebirth, sung by the Diva Lephise (damsel-in-distress of the first game).
Not unlike Nintendo's character Kirby, Klonoa is described as a "Dream Traveler", who is fated to travel to various places where the state of dreams is in danger. During his travels to several Dream Worlds, he has met several characters who would later become mainstays in the series, such as Popka and the young priestess Lolo. He has also made a rival of a gun-toting mercenary named Gantz (Guntz in the Japanese version, an intentional translation by Namco in order to downplay his use of firearms).
[edit] Appearance
Klonoa's appearance has changed since his introduction in his first game, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, though he has retained his most recognizable features such has his large ears, dark blue and white color scheme, and cap depicting an image of Namco mascot Pac-man eating a dot. In Door to Phantomile, Klonoa was much more feline in appearance, with large, yellow eyes and noticeable fangs when smiling. He wore magenta pants, a light blue cap, and had a large collar around his neck. Later, in Klonoa: Moonlight Museum, Klonoa's appearance was changed slightly, and his eyes were given a more traditional, animated look, as well as making him somewhat taller.
The biggest change to Klonoa's design came in his third appearance in Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil, where he went through a radical wardrobe change, gaining a blue shirt with a large zipper pin, dark blue shorts, and a blue cap. His face was altered a bit as well, and gave more focus to the fur around his mouth.
Klonoa's design was slightly altered once more in Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament, making him have rounder, orange eyes and slightly bigger fangs. This is Klonoa's current design.
[edit] Personality
While most protagonists tend to be consistent with their level of bravery, Klonoa has a wide range of fear levels. For instance, when around water or heights, Klonoa can become uneasy, but he remains relaxed/confident when around even the nastiest ghosts or monsters. He also can be quite absent-minded and unclever at times. However, Klonoa is kind and gentle, and does anything to protect friends and to help others.
While in Klonoa 2 he had more laid back and neutral, albeit flakey personality traits, it seems in his original design and storyline from his debut title he was childish and very optimistic, although both of his incarnations have kind hearts and strong wills.
His kindness was reflected in Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil, in which a strange voice was calling him, known as a "Dream Voice", and was later found out to be the King of Sorrow, for he was sad because people had forgotten him. When Klonoa acknowledged who the voice was, with an open heart, he helped the King of Sorrow by ringing the Fifth Bell of the Kingdom of Sorrow, and made sure that Lunatea would never forget sorrow. While that, Popka comments that Klonoa reminds him of the Goddess Claire.
In addition to kindness, Klonoa never gives up through fights against evil and challenges.
[edit] Abilities and techniques
Klonoa's small yet notable abilities have faithfully been retained in nearly every game he has been featured in, and very little has been changed about them throughout the years, despite changes in game engines and console hardware. Most of his talents come from his particular attributes such as his large ears or his special "Wind Ring" which can be used for a variety of effects.
[edit] The Wind Bullet
The magical jewel at the end of Klonoa's ring can fire a concentrated blast of wind known as a "wind bullet" that serves as his primary means of attack. When this bullet is fired against an enemy, their bodies inflate and become rounded, filling up with a light substance that makes them float. Klonoa can then pick them up over his head and either toss them straight forward into other enemies or use them to perform a second jump in the air, allowing him to reach places he normally couldn't (and kicking the enemy he is holding downwards in the process). Many of the levels in the Klonoa series of games have been designed with this ability in mind, with large vertical obstacles being a common hindrance. It was revealed in 'Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil' that the ring couldn't operate if Lolo (the ring's power source in the game) is not inside it. However, there have occurrences in several games where Klonoa's ring could fire wind bullets without anyone inside.
[edit] Floating
Klonoa can often use his large, floppy ears to his advantage by flapping them in order to add a few more inches to his maximum jump height, or to remain in the air for a moment longer. This move has been important in games where precise jumps are needed, and leaves smaller room for error with judging Klonoa's landings.
[edit] Board Riding
In addition to Klonoa's other talents, Klonoa has demonstrated the ability to ride a special "Air Board" in several of his titles. Resembling a snowboard that hovers slightly off the ground, this board is usually only available in certain circumstances, but it allows him to travel over large areas of snow or water. His ears are also usable when on the board, as well as his Wind Ring, allowing Klonoa to make impossibly large jumps and stay in the air for an extended time. Lunatea's Veil was the first to use it for boss battles.
[edit] Dive Suit
Introduced in Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament. A special mechanical suit that was designed for Klonoa because of his inability to swim. It was also used in Klonoa Heroes: Legend of the Star Medal for both breathing underwater and in space (or more specifically, the moon).
[edit] Tornado Attack
One of Klonoa's specials in Klonoa Heroes: Legend of the Star Medal and Klonoa's Super Attack in Klonoa Beach Volleyball. In Heroes, Klonoa wanted to learn a special attack strong enough to beat Guntz. He claims that he can 'see the wind' and it inspired him to think up of the attack. When using the attack, he flies in the air then unleashes a massive amount of tornadoes around him. In Beach Volleyball, a single tornado appears wherever the ball lands on the opponents side, pulling them in.
[edit] Tornado Attack EX
Used only in a cutscene in Klonoa Beach Volleyball. Klonoa used the attack only for it to backfire and to damage the Breezegale Windmill. The attack itself is unknown.
[edit] Thunder Hurricane
The second special from Klonoa Heroes: Legend of the Star Medal and his ultimate assault in Namco X Capcom. In the Volk City level in Heroes, Klonoa is defeated by Joka I and is thinking of a new attack. He then trips on a wire and gets electrocuted. This inspires him to create the 'Thunder Hurricane'. When using the attack, he begins to spin as bolts of lightning spark around him.
Klonoa also has other weapons such as a hammer, sword, parasol, arm cannon, and boomerang, all of which were introduced in Klonoa Heroes: Legend of the Star Medal.
[edit] Klonoa series games
The Klonoa series began in early 1997 in Japan and was critically received by numerous gaming publications and magazines. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was not only Klonoa's first adventure, but also one of the first PlayStation platformers to feature two-dimensionsal character artwork on a rendered, three-dimensional backdrop. This led to the creation of the phrase 2.5D to distinguish it between other games that either relied totally on one or the other. Since Door to Phantomile, several other games have employed this method.
Many of Klonoa's trademark abilities such as the wind bullet were introduced for the first time, as well as several series regulars like the Moos, Klonoa's common enemies. This was the first title to establish Klonoa as a dream-traveling hero, seemingly ported wherever he was needed by the powers that be in order to set things straight.
Klonoa's second appearance, Klonoa: Moonlight Museum was released solely in Japan for the Japanese-only WonderSwan handheld system in 1999. It is noteworthy for being Klonoa's first handheld appearance and his first fully two-dimensional one. Despite lacking the artful style of the first game, Moonlight Museum set the standard for the approaching Game Boy Advance titles like Klonoa: Empire of Dreams the following year. Though it was very similar in style and execution to the previous game, it was developed for the more sophisticated Game Boy Advance hardware and was also available in North America and Europe. This was also the first game in the series to feature Klonoa's modern outfit.
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil was released for the PlayStation 2 with moderate success in 2001. It returned to the series' roots and had more in common with the original game than the other titles in the series. This game used a cel-shading method for the characters and also marked the first appearances of several prominent Klonoa characters, such as Lolo, Popka, and Tat.
A third handheld title, Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament was released for the Game Boy Advance in Japan in 2002 with a heavily belated release in North America three years later. Utilizing the same game engine as Empire of Dreams, Dream Champ Tournament was a similar gaming experience that benefited from more sophisticated puzzles and featured a newer cast of supporting characters.
His sole sports title, Klonoa Beach Volleyball released for the PlayStation in Japan and later Europe, featured Klonoa and his friends in a unique version of volleyball. A North American version was never made.
Klonoa Heroes: Legend of the Star Medal is the newest game in the series and was released solely in Japan in late 2002. Taking a unique twist on the series, the game is an Action RPG, rather than a platformer and is played from a top-down perspective.
[edit] Other appearances
- Klonoa had cameo appearances in Moto GP and Alpine Racer 3.
- Klonoa and his rival Guntz from Klonoa Heroes also appear as a playable duo in Namco's cross-over RPG, Namco x Capcom, developed by Monolith Soft. They retain similar moves featured in Klonoa Heroes, such as Klonoa's Thunder Hurricane. Other appearances are made by Lolo, Janga (in his only console appearance as of 2006), Joka, the Priestess of La-Lakoosha and various varieties of Moos.
- In Tales of Symphonia, the character Presea Combatir has a hidden costume based on Klonoa's outfit accessed by changing her title to "Dream Traveler". She also has a habit of saying "Wahoo" in a completely deadpan manner while wearing it (this happens during the optional skits and scenes wherein she wears the outfit, she talks normally whilst in battle and these lines are not voiced by her voice actor in the English version of the game. However, if one imports Titles to a New Game, Presea will occasionally say "Wahoo!" as an end-of-battle phrase, but only up until a certain plot event).
- In the (official?) manga, 'Shibuutenkoku Kaze no Klonoa', Klonoa and the Breezegale residents are the major characters. But many changes are made in this manga - it portrays Klonoa as a complete idiot, obsessed with being a hero. His sidekick, surprisingly, is not Huepow - he is replaced by a Moo, who is the postman of Breezegale. In the manga, Klonoa, Moo and the other characters are completely out of character. The residents of Breezegale in this manga are:
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- Garlen: Is the main villain, trying to catch Klonoa but failing every time, making himself look very idiotic.
- Lolo: She isn't herself. Her eyes have a permanently dilated, hypnotized kind of look, and she doesn't have Popka with her at all.
- Emperor Jillius: Suffers from insomnia, and never gets enough sleep. He is bothered by a poltergeist in the manga, which made him increasingly restless. Klonoa and Moo tried to find out the identity of the poltergeist, and succeeded.... finding something very, very weird indeed.
- Guntz: Narccistic, the bounty hunter seems to fancy himself. He carries around firearms, as expected, but is so terribly comical that no one really finds him scary.
- Pango: Made a very brief appearance. The armadillo carries around bombs as usual, and is jolly and friendly.
- Leorina: See above. She doesn't have Tat wth her.
- Klonoa, Guntz, Joka, and Janga appeared in the Namco x Capcom Anthology manga.
- Several Klonoa images are present in NamcoBandai's forthcoming game, QuickSpot, a 'spot-the-difference' game for the Nintendo DS.
- Klonoa made a cameo appearance in Point Blank 3 where you have to shoot a cardboard face that is identical as the target.
[edit] Confusion
There has been some confusion about what exactly Klonoa is, as he is referred to only as a "boy." Some say he is a cat. Others say that he is a rabbit. His long ears could portray him as a rabbit, but in Klonoa: Empire of Dreams, he refuses to eat the raw carrots given to him in a restaurant. Also, his favorite food is hamburgers. Since cats are normally meat-eaters, Klonoa is most likely a cat. Even the official gaming magazine, Nintendo Power, gave hints to him being a cat, with names including "Floppy Eared Cool Cat". It is also stated on the official Namco site that Klonoa is a cat. However, Klonoa is often referred to by fans as a 'cabbit' to avoid confusion (cat, rabbit).
[edit] Other Characters
Lolo: A priestess-in-training who was teleported to the Dream Champ Tournament along with her friend Popka. Though Klonoa worries about her safety in the competition, she assures him that her training has made her as viable a contender as anyone else.
Garlen: A round man with a mechanical claw for a hand who sponsors the Dream Champ Tournament to find out who is the greatest hero in the land. Using magic invitations, he is able to teleport all the participants to his arena, and sends them one by to neighboring lands to take part in his competition. There is a darker side to this shady character...
Gantz/Guntz: Called the "Golden Killer", he is an adventurer who wields a large handgun and rides a motorcycle. Since learning that Klonoa was in the tournament, he has made it is business to compete with him.
Suiryu: A blue dragon who competes with Klonoa at the Southern Resort. Though he lacks any real formalities, he has actually been trained as a Knight before entering the tournament. As an expert swimmer, he feels that he has a natural edge in the competition. In fact, he has another identity hidden from other competitors.
Chipple: A boxing kangaroo competes with gloves and a headguard that covers his eyes. Usually displays a positive attitude and encourages others to do the same. Although, he does happen to go into a depression fit when he fails to achieve a goal.
Joka: A maniacal clown who competes with Klonoa in the Northern Express. Often resorts to cheating and other underhanded tricks in order to win.
Popka: Lolo's talkative friend who resembles a dog with pointed features and a pair of green jewels for eyes. He is also competing in the tournament, and makes quick enemies with Gantz. Popka is a character featured in Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil for Sony PlayStation 2. He has also made appearances in Klonoa Beach Volleyball (released only in Japan and Europe) and Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament.
Popka is a small beige dog with brown ears and legs, striped arms and a tufted pink/purple tail; one of his more characteristic traits are his green shattered glass eyes. Popka also wears a red bandana around his neck.
First featured in Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil, Popka was used as a secondary character, noted as Lolo's sidekick and as comic relief. According to Klonoa Beach Volleyball, he was adopted by young Lolo as an abandoned puppy. Popka's quick-temper, talent for thievery and no-nonsense attitude seemed to clash with Lolo, who as a priestess-in-training, appeared slightly naive and rather prude-like in her actions.
King of Sorrow:The ruler of a kingdom that was supposedly ignored by the other kingdoms in Lunatea. He summoned Klonoa into Lunatea in order to help him. In the end however, the king decides to use Klonoa as a vessel for the pain he suffered in isolation, and was killed in the battle that resulted. Klonoa did however activate the bell in the kingdom of Sorrow so the kings legacy would live on, and people wouldn't ignore sorrow anymore. Also it is implied that the King of Sorrow was reincarnated in the end credits. This impression is given by a picture of an infant resembling the King of Sorrow in the arms of a high priestess.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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