Amazingly, I stumbed upon a used copy of Namco's obscure platformer for the PS2, Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil while traversing the scary and cramped halls of my local GameStop. And luckily for me, it was priced at only $8, making it a no brainer.

I'd first learned of Klonoa 2 a few years back, with most people saying it was a fairly enjoyable platformer. But little did I know how enjoyable the game really is. I purchased the game on Saturday, and have already put in a good 3-4 hours into it. I thought it was going to be one of those games that had a few good ideas, but quickly becomes boring. Not so. In fact, I have actually had more fun with Klonoa 2 than I did with Super Mario Galaxy. Surprising, I know, but true nonetheless.

In Klonoa, you play as the cute, yet strong-willed Klonoa, who is referred to as the Dream Traveller. Klonoa seems to be a hero that is summoned by persons that pray for help. The one that's in help this time is Lolo, a preistess in training that needs help ringing Lunatea's 5 magical bells, bringing about an era of peace once again. While the basic premise of Lunatea's Veil is nothing special (and quite clishe at this point), the way it is presented is fabulous. The game has this dream-like quality to it, with ethereal music sweeping your ear drums and characters talking in much the same manner. Most of the story is either boring or not very realistic, but because you feel like your in a dream-state as you play, everything just seems right. You feel as if you yourself are the Dream Traveller, with weird stuff going on all the time, but always feeling as if it's reality. It's very strange, but it's easily seen that that was the goal the whole time. The speed of the dialogue, the magestic and slow-moving music, and the vibrant color palette make Klonoa a game born from dreams, and it's simply fantastic.

As for the gameplay, it's amazing no one talks about it. It plays like a 2D platformer, but all the visuals are in 3D. Many of the levels let the player view the entire level design, but situates the player on different planes while traversing the land. A good example is the very first level, a chaotic beach with a sole ray of hope near its center. As you move around the level, you are always in direct line of sight with your goal, a glowing green island above the sea. The rest of the level is a muted rocky beach, so the green goal is always grabbing the player's attention. At certain points Klonoa will get shot to a different part of the level, much like what happens in Super Mario Galaxy when Mario flies around eah planet's orbit. In fact, it was so similar that I'm surprised no one ever talked about it. Most reviews defend the idea for looking awesome and creating this wonderful presentation, but no one other than them know how ironic that so many people feel the same way, but only because Mario set the supposed precendence 7 years later (Klonoa 2 was released in 2001).

What's also disheartening about how much praise Klonoa DOESN'T get is the fact that another player can play the game as Klonoa's sidekick, helping the main player beat the game's levels. Sound familiar? Yup, Nintendo used the same idea for Wind Waker and Super Mario Galaxy, touting the idea as their own. How Klonoa 2 is not in the history books as one of the best platformers is beyond me. I should have heard of this game the moment it was released, but nope.

I've only rang 2 out of the 5 bells, so I can't say too much about the game, but just know you should play Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil. If you thought Mario Galaxy was good, just you wait and see what Klonoa has to offer:)