So I picked up Klonoa for the Wii today.

Klonoa is game that I always kind of knew about. I had never played it or had any friends who had, so my knowledge was second hand. I had read the EGM reviews and heard through various other sources that it was this little known treasure on the PS1.

It mattered little to me in 1997 though, I was 17 and my head was stuck on little more than girls, guitars and games that were named Tekken and FFVII. I had a pretty happening social life for the first time in my life and had little time for gaming, so I stuck with the biggies and with fighting games stuck in there for a quick fix here and there. I hadn't the time nor the want to play a 2D platformer with a 3D schtick. Besides, as far as I was concerned, the 2D platformer had already been perfected in Yoshi's Island. Anything else would've been a step back in my hormone driven mind. Gaming in my world was played on more than one axis at that point in time anyway. I was looking for next thing--the bigger, brighter and better thing. In a way, that's how a 17 year old is supposed to think, so I guess I shouldn't be making any apologies.

At 29, the brain works differently though. Maturity as it were, does have it perks. I can drink at bars and stay out all night, but I can also appreciate all the small things. I know that, sometimes less is more. It works for music and it works for video games. 

Klonoa works because it's not trying to push boundaries. It pales in comparison to Killzone 2 in both polygons and textures yet it's just as pleasant to look at. It makes it's new home on the Wii, home of waggle-tastic Wii-mote and yet, it's best played with it sideways like an NES controller. Truly, this is less is more philosophy put to good use in a game. 

 This is only my first impressions of the first 3 levels, but I doubt these will change much. I will report more if this does .