GBA Longplay #39: Klonoa: Empire of Dreams
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Klonoa: Empire of Dreams (Japanese: 風のクロノア 夢見る帝国, Kaze no Kuronoa Yumemiru Teikoku lit. Klonoa of the Wind: Dreaming Empire) is a video game published by Namco for the Game Boy Advance and released in Japan and North America in 2001 and Europe the following year. Falling somewhere between Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil, Empire of Dreams is a two-dimensional adventure game with puzzle elements that takes place in the new realm in the Klonoa series, the Kingdom of Jillius.
Empire of Dreams works like a typical 2D sidescroller with the player moving Klonoa left or right on a scrolling screen while defeating enemies using his "wind bullet", a special ring that can shoot a small gust of wind forward and draw an enemy in, allowing Klonoa to lift them over his head. From this position, he can either throw them straight forward like a projectile, taking out any enemy they hit, or he can perform a double-jump, allowing him to reach places he couldn't normally. In addition to enemies, Klonoa can also pick up large square blocks and place them wherever the player chooses. By holding the jump button after Klonoa has left the ground, Klonoa flaps his ears and can float in mid-air for a short duration, which also somewhat increases his jumping height.
The game is progressed by finding the exit to a stage after collecting three stars within the level. Other items like crystals and hearts can be collected in addition, and 1-up items (resembling Klonoa's hat) are usually hidden within a level as well. Hearts can also be found to increase Klonoa's health.
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams is a side-story to the main console series, and follows the adventures of Klonoa after he mysteriously awakens one morning in the Empire of Jillius and is dragged by the emperor's royal guards to his throne room for seemingly no reason. Emperor Jillius himself informs Klonoa that he broke the sacred law of his kingdom by dreaming, which he views as a worthless endeavor and a total waste of time. The Emperor himself suffers from insomnia, and decrees that if he cannot be allowed to dream, then no one can. Rather than punish Klonoa outright, he instead offers him a challenge: defeat the four great monsters that are wreaking havoc on the land, and he will be set free. Joined by his friend Huepow, Klonoa has no choice but to travel to the surrounding lands and do battle with the monsters living there, hoping to earn his freedom and bring peace to the kingdom at last. As they defeat the monsters, Klonoa and Huepow become suspicious that someone is using people's dreams for their own ends, as the monsters are in fact transformed versions of various people from each region (including Chipple). Once the duo figure out the culprit is at the imperial castle, they engage Jillius in a fight and manage to defeat him. Only afterwards it is revealed that Jillius' minister, Bagoo, was behind everything. Bagoo, revealing himself to be the King of Despair, explains that through Jillius he had orchestrated a master plan to create his own kingdom of stolen dreams, even if it meant turning all dreamers in the empire into monsters. Klonoa and Huepow manage to destroy him and Jillius afterwards seems to die in Klonoa's arms. It all turns out to be a dream that Jillius himself had had and he decides that to give his people their dreams and to protect them as well is his real purpose, thus remaking his empire into the Empire of Dreams.