

Yoshizawa established the dream concept because he was interested in exploring the idea of where dreams go when they are forgotten. This idea was dropped for a dreams motif and a more comical story. The main character was a robot that would defeat enemies with spinning iron balls. The original concept was more serious and featured robots and an "ancient ruins" motif. The idea for Door to Phantomile originated when Yoshizawa wanted to create a more cinematic game following his dissatisfaction with other developers not prioritizing story. Yoshizawa is known for having previously directed Ninja Gaiden (1988) for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was developed by Namco and directed by Hideo Yoshizawa as his tenth project. Klonoa is then sucked through a portal back to his own world. After this final battle, Huepow explains that Klonoa actually came from another world and was given fake memories when summoned to Phantomile. Huepow reveals himself to be a prince and helps Klonoa defeat Nahatomb and restore peace to Phantomile. Klonoa eventually defeats Ghadius who unleashes a nightmarish beast known as Nahatomb as he dies. One of Ghadius' henchmen eavesdrops on the conversation, and ventures off to steal the pendant and kill his grandfather before Klonoa can arrive back.

Klonoa and Huepow travel to find his grandmother, who tells them that the pendant is at his grandfather's house. Klonoa ventures back to town where his grandfather tells him that his grandmother knows about the pendant. They find a dark spirit named Ghadius on the mountain searching for a magical moon pendant so he can turn Phantomile into a world of nightmares. Klonoa and his friend, a "ring spirit" named Huepow, decide to investigate. A furry anthropomorphic animal named Klonoa has been having dreams about an airship crashing into a nearby mountain, and one day an airship does indeed crash into the mountain. The game is set in Phantomile, a land fueled by dreams people have at night. Some stages end in boss fights which take place in circular 3D arenas or head-on against a 2D plane. The stages are laced with obstacles that must be traversed by using a combination of these techniques. Enemies can be thrown into the foreground or background as well as along the 2D plane. After grabbing an enemy, they are inflated in a similar manner to a balloon and the player can either throw them as a projectile weapon at other enemies, or use them as a springboard to perform a larger jump. Klonoa can grab enemies using a large ring inhabited by his spirit friend Huepow. Paths visible in the background may be traversed later in the stage. The path may often curve, overlap itself, or branch into different directions. The player moves the protagonist Klonoa along this path he can run left and right, jump, and hover for a short period of time. It is presented from a 2.5D perspective the environments are rendered in 3D but the gameplay takes place on a 2D plane. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is a side-scrolling platform game.
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It spawned a series of sequels, including Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (2001) for the PlayStation 2, and a 2008 remake for the Wii. In retrospect, it is considered one of the best 2.5D platformers and greatest PlayStation games of all time. Some critics thought it lacked in certain gameplay innovations and was excessive in its Japanese cuteness. Door to Phantomile received positive reviews, being praised for its clever platforming, impressive graphics, and cutscenes. The Klonoa character was designed early on and the environments and other characters were designed around him.

The game was directed by Hideo Yoshizawa, who conceptualized the setting as a dream world that could appeal to children and adults. Klonoa can grab enemies and throw them as projectiles, or use them as a jump boost to navigate through the stages. The player controls Klonoa through a 2.5D perspective the stages are rendered in three dimensions but the player moves along a 2D path. The story follows Klonoa and his friend Huepow in their efforts to save the dream world of Phantomile from an evil spirit intent on turning it into a world of nightmares. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is a platform game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation in 1997.
