Bandai Namco has been responsible for plenty of memorable games for the past few years, even before the merger of Bandai and Namco in 2005. One of the games that has been considered a cult classic is theKlonoaseries, where players control an adorable titled Klonoa through an innovative mascot platformer. While Klonoa has made various cameo appearances in other Bandai Namco games likeTekken 7, it has been a neglected IP that the company hasn’t used in over 13 years.
The lastKlonoarelease was back in 2008, being a Wii remake of the 1997 PlayStation original, complete with voice acting, revised graphics, and other additions. While thisKlonoaremake received positive reviews, it wasconsidered a commercial failure, putting the kibosh on potential plans of a remake of its sequel and a third game. Fans however were given a spark of hope in 2019, in the form of a trademark being registered under “Klonoa Encore” in Japan, with more being filed in 2021.
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Earlier in September,Bandai Namco filed a trademark forKlonoa, under the title of “Wahoo Encore” which is actually Klonoa’s catchphrase. Another trademark was then recently registered in the UK, as discovered by twitter user mushroom32x. Registered under the title ofKlonoa Phantasy Reverie Series, this lead to a theory that the two trademarks were linked.
It was speculated that “Wahoo Encore” was a possible remaster of the first two games,Klonoa: Door to PhantomileandKlonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil. This is evidenced by the remake ofBandai Namco’sKatamari Damacybeing called “Katamari Damacy Encore” in Japan. This trademark potentially seems to corroborate these remasters, withKlonoa Phantasy Reverie Seriespossibly being the English title. This of course should be taken with a grain of salt until more official information surfaces from the company.
Alongside the Klonoa Encore trademark, Bandai Namco also registered trademarks for Mr. Driller Encore and Splatterhouse Encore around the same time in 2019. One of these ended up being released last year, that beingMr. DRILLER DrillLandorMr. Driller: Encorein Japan, a remake of the originalGBA game on the Nintendo Switch.Klonoamaking a similar return would be a treat for long-time fans who have been a part of the series since 1997. It would definitely help give the franchise a new lease on life, and possibly even a new title in the series as well if it sells well.
