Klonoa Wii remake confirmed for Europe

Namco Bandai's cheery Wii platformer Klonoa: The Door to Phantomile has been confirmed for release in Europe sometime this year.

The game is a remake of the PlayStation original, boasting a graphical update, some new secrets and Wiimote-enhanced controls, although classic control is an option for the wagglephobic.

It was originally released neraly 12 years ago, and the romps of the big-eared cat hold a cosy fireside place in the hearts of many an ageing PlayStation owner, and for good reason.

A 2.5D affair, with flat sprites on a charmingly rendered 3D background, Klonoa is all bright colours and fluffy niceness. What gave the original the edge over its countless competitors, however, was the robust puzzling gameplay.

Enemies can be grabbed with Klonoa's 'wind bullets', (shot from a ring with a ghost in it, as if it matters) and can then be thrown about, used to access new areas or painted brightly and used to decorated children's parties. [This is clearly made up. -Ed]

Reports are that the port has been blessedly unsullied with unnecessary gimmicks and remains faithful to the endearing qualities of the original. Head over to the gamepage for a look at what we've seen of it so far.