Klonoa: Door to Phantomile: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 23:44, 13 July 2025

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is a 2.5D platform game released for the PlayStation in 1997 (in Japan) and 1998 (the rest of the world).

History[edit]

Concept art
🇯🇵 1997

Focusing on Klonoa's design

Download File

Press kit
🇺🇸 1997

Excerpt from Namco's E3 1997 press material (featuring an early English logo)

Download File

Press release
🇪🇺 May 1998

From SCEE, released for E3 1998

Download PDF

Staff photo
🇯🇵 1998

Download File

Several pages of concept art from Famitsu's official guidebook (Japanese; February 21, 1998)
IGN published a multi-part history of the game's development (among other topics) in 2009 to promote the Wii remake:
- "The Concept of the Original" (part 2, wherein Hideo Yoshizawa explains the inception, setting, and story of the game; March 5, 2009)
- "Character Design" (part 4, wherein character designer Yoshihiko Arai touches on Klonoa's design; April 7, 2009)
- "The Sounds of Phantomile" (part 5, wherein sound designer Kanako Kakino mentions the experience of composing the game's songs; May 7, 2009)
- "Level Design" (part 6, wherein Yoshizawa discusses just that; May 18, 2009)

Previews[edit]

CoroCoro Comic
🇯🇵 July 1997

Download File

CoroCoro Comic
🇯🇵 August 1997

Download File

Edge
🇬🇧 August 1997

Download File

GameFan
🇺🇸 August 1997

Short preview of various PlayStation games previewed by Namco at E3 1997, Door to Phantomile included

Download File

Computer & Video Games
🇬🇧 September 1997

Part of the magazine's E3 coverage

Download File

CoroCoro Comic
🇯🇵 September 1997

Download File

Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 September 1997

Download File

Famitsu
🇯🇵 September 1997

Download PDF

CoroCoro Comic
🇯🇵 October 1997

Download File

GameFan
🇺🇸 October 1997

Download PDF

NOURS
🇯🇵 Winter 1997

From Namco's official magazine

Download File

CoroCoro Comic
🇯🇵 December 1997

Download File

Ultra Game Players
🇺🇸 December 1997

Erroneously calls the game Kinoa

Download File

Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 January 1998

Download File

Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine
🇺🇸 January 1998

Download File

PSExtreme
🇺🇸 January 1998

Download File

PSM
🇺🇸 January 1998

Download File

Ultra Game Players
🇺🇸 January 1998

Download File

Computer & Video Games
🇬🇧 February 1998

Download PDF

Super Juegos
🇪🇸 February 1998

Download PDF

Computer & Video Games
🇬🇧 April 1998

Also includes a very short aside comparing the game to Yoshi's Story

Download PDF

Official Australian PlayStation Magazine (Next Gaming)
🇦🇺 April 1998

Download File

PlayStation Magazine Edición Oficial Española
🇪🇸 May 1998

Download PDF

Gameplay footage from E3 1997

Short preview from Game Catalog II (a Japanese TV show run by Famitsu; December 4, 1997)

Video preview taken from a CD-ROM bundled with issue 39 of Next Generation (dated March 1998)

Magazine covers[edit]

Game-X
🇧🇷 1998

Download File

Features[edit]

Dengeki PlayStation
🇯🇵 January 30, 1998

Guide to the endgame

Download File

Dengeki PlayStation
🇯🇵 January 30, 1998

Guide to every boss fight

Download File

Dengeki PlayStation
🇯🇵 February 13, 1998

Guide to beating the final boss

Download File

EGM2
🇺🇸 April 1998

Guide to the game

Download PDF

Super Game Power
🇧🇷 April 1998

Short guide to unlockable content

Download File

Tips & Tricks
🇺🇸 April 1998

Guide to the game

Download PDF

Super Game Power
🇧🇷 May 1998

Guide to the game

Download PDF

PSM
🇺🇸 June 1998

Explanation of how to unlock the sound test

Download File

Dengeki Urawazaō 2000-2001 Kanzenhan
🇯🇵 ~1999

Guide to various secrets

Download File

Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine
🇺🇸 June 2001

Blurb about the demo included with the issue's cover disc

Download File

Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine
🇺🇸 June 2001

Description of the demo included with the issue's cover disc (also including a screenshot from the sequel)

Download File

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile Official Guide Book (Japanese publication by Shogakukan; February 10, 1998)
Official Famitsu guidebook (Japanese; February 21, 1998)

Reader submissions[edit]

Nice Games
🇯🇵 Spring 2001

A reader shares their impressions of the game at length

Download PDF

Advertising[edit]

Booklet
🇺🇸 1997

Excerpt from a booklet outlining then-upcoming Namco games

Download File

Print ad
🇯🇵 ~1997

Download File

Print ad
🇺🇸 1998

Taken from the thirty-ninth issue of Nickelodeon Magazine (dated March 1998)

Download File

Nickelodeon Magazine
🇺🇸 March 1998

Blurb from the issue's "advertising directory"

Download File

Print ad
🇺🇸 1998

The infamous STD ad, taken from EGM's 104th issue (dated March 1998)

Download PDF

Print ad
🇪🇸 1998

Taken from the eighteenth issue of PlayStation Magazine Edición Oficial Española (dated June 1998)

Download File

Print ad
🇬🇷 ~1998

Download File

Store display
🇺🇸 ~1998

Download File

Store display
🇺🇸 ~1998

Closeup picture

Download File

Klonoa Door to Phantomile budget rerelease ad blurb in Namco Soft Lineup 2000 through 2001.png

Namco Soft Line-up! 2000-2001
🇯🇵 ~1999

Blurb from a promotional booklet advertising a budget rerelease

Download File

Japanese TV ad (with English subtitles by the uploader, Chris Aaron)

Japanese store promo video

Interviews[edit]

Interview with several developers (originally printed in The PlayStation magazine in 1997; translated into English and posted online by shmuplations)
Nintendo Power interview with Hideo Yoshizawa about many games he worked on, including Door to Phantomile (July 2009)
Heidi Kemps and Johnathan "ProtonJon" Wheeler interview Hideo Yoshizawa and Keiji Yamagishi for gaming.moe, including some questions about Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and its Wii remake (March 27, 2018)
Famitsu interview with Tsuyoshi Kobayashi (a designer) and Yoshihiko Arai (who worked on the plot & graphics) about Door to Phantomile and its sequel (June 23, 2022)
- Unofficial English translations (partially done via DeepL): Part 1 & part 3^{[note 1]}

Reviews[edit]

PlayStation Magazine
🇯🇵 December 18, 1997

🇯🇵 1997

🇯🇵 1997

🇯🇵 1997

🇯🇵 1997

🇯🇵 1997

🇯🇵 1997

Panel review

Download File

🇯🇵 ~1997

Newspaper excerpt, possibly from Asahi Shimbun

Download File

Computer Games
🇸🇦 ~1997/1998

Printed right to left & watermarked

Download PDF

Consoles +
🇫🇷 February 1998

Import review

Download PDF

GameFan
🇺🇸 February 1998

Panel review

Download File

GameFan
🇺🇸 February 1998

Full review

Download PDF

Ultra Game Players
🇺🇸 March 1998

Download File

GamePro
🇺🇸 March 1998

Download File

PSExtreme
🇺🇸 March 1998

Download PDF

PSM
🇺🇸 March 1998

Download File

Strana Igr (Gameland)
🇷🇺 March 1998

Download File

Super Game Power
🇧🇷 March 1998

Download File

Game Informer
🇺🇸 April 1998

Download File

PSX Extreme
🇵🇱 April 1998

Download PDF

Computer & Video Games
🇬🇧 May 1998

Download File

PSM (Italy)
🇮🇹 May 1998

Italian translation of the English PSM review

Download File

Riki
🇸🇰 May/June 1998

Download File

Consoles +
🇫🇷 June 1998

Download PDF

Next Games
🇫🇷 June 1998

Download File

PlayStation Magazine Edición Oficial Española
🇪🇸 June 1998

Download File

Neo Plus
🇵🇱 July 1998

Download PDF

PSM
🇺🇸 September 1998

The game makes #19 on the magazine's revised top 25 list

Download File

PSM (Italy)
🇮🇹 November 1998

The game makes #19 on the magazine's revised top 25 list (translated from the American magazine's equivalent feature)

Download File

Game-X
🇧🇷 1998

Download PDF

🇯🇵 1998

Download File

Hardcore Gamer
🇺🇸 January 2007

Retro review

Download PDF

Flights of Fantasy review

Sales[edit]

Japan[edit]

Date	Copies sold that week	Total sold	Chart position
1997-12-14^[4]	48,950	3
1997-12-21^[4]	24,309	73,259	20
1998-01-04^[4]		112,575

Dengeki PlayStation
🇯🇵 January 30, 1998

The game ranks eighth in the issue's "Top 20"

Download File

North America[edit]

Note that the below data was largely taken from the NPD Group's TRST system, which only accounted for approximately 81% of American game retailers (as officially stated in 2000). In addition, Walmart pulled out between July 2001 and July 2011, impacting all data within that timeframe.

Date	Copies sold that period	Total sold
2000-07-01^[5]	325 (thus far that year) 86 (May 28 - July 1)
2001-03^[6]		25,834
2001-06^[7]		25,842
2002-12^[8]		25,851
2003^[9]		25,851

United Kingdom[edit]

Date	Total sold
2000?^[10]	1,794

Websites[edit]

Forum posts[edit]

"Length" (a brief conversation about how long it takes to beat the game on IGN's Klonoa board; began October 10, 2004, archived via Wayback Machine on February 22, 2005)

Miscellaneous[edit]

Dengeki PlayStation
🇯🇵 January 30, 1998

Blurb highlighting the game out of the issue's "Top 20"

Download File

Dengeki PlayStation
🇯🇵 April 10, 1998

Time attack challenge for a bonus level

Download File

Dengeki PlayStation
🇯🇵 April 10, 1998

Contest to win a Klonoa-branded pencil board

Download File

Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 October 2001

Short description of rising secondhand prices after the sequel's release

Download File

Tips & Tricks
🇺🇸 November 2001

Short description of the game's secondhand value at the time of publication

Download File

Notes[edit]

↑ Part 2 is focused on Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil.

References[edit]

[4] Part 2 is focused on Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil.

[1] Japanese print ad

[2] The official website "Klonoa @ home" lists this release date for Door to Phantomile.

[3] PSM issue 13 (dated September 1998)

[niche-5] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 Niche Barrier's record of Weekly Famitsu's sales charts

[6] June 2000 TRSTS video games report (archived by the Video Game History Foundation Library)

[7] March 2001 sales report (archived by the Video Game History Foundation Library)

[8] June 2001 sales report (archived by the Video Game History Foundation Library)

[9] Archived copy of a TRST spreadsheet reporting on December 2002 game sales

[10] Post by Steven Hurdle in the alt.games.video.sony-playstation2 thread "Has the videogame market finally stopped growing?" (September 17, 2003)

[11] "2000-STD-ANNUAL-SW-UK" (archived by the Video Game History Foundation Library)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[note 1]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Infobox
+{{InfoboxGame
   |image = Klonoa Door to Phantomile American cover.png
   |developer = Namco
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
   |mobygames = https://www.mobygames.com/game/klonoa-door-to-phantomile
   |tcrf = https://tcrf.net/Klonoa:_Door_to_Phantomile_(PlayStation)
-  |related = [[Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil]]<br>[[Klonoa: Empire of Dreams]]
+  |related = [[Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil]]<br>[[Klonoa: Empire of Dreams]]<br>[[Klonoa Beach Volleyball]]<br>[[Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament]]}}
-}}
 '''Klonoa: Door to Phantomile''' is a 2.5D platform game released for the PlayStation in 1997 (in Japan) and 1998 (the rest of the world).
@@ Line 66: / Line 65: @@
 |date=August 1997
 |country=JP
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=Klonoa Door to Phantomile preview in Edge issue 48.jpg
+|title=Edge
+|date=August 1997
+|country=UK
 }}
 {{GalleryCard
@@ Line 271: / Line 276: @@
 |country=JP
 |description=Guide to various secrets
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=Klonoa Door to Phantomile demo disc blurb from Official US PlayStation magazine issue 45.jpg
+|title=Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine
+|date=June 2001
+|country=US
+|description=Blurb about the demo included with the issue's cover disc
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=Klonoa Door to Phantomile demo disc column in Official US PlayStation Magazine issue 45.jpg
+|title=Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine
+|date=June 2001
+|country=US
+|description=Description of the demo included with the issue's cover disc (also including a screenshot from [[Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil|the sequel]])
 }}
 {{GalleryEnd}}
@@ Line 369: / Line 388: @@
 == Reviews ==
 {{GalleryStart}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=Klonoa Door to Phantomile Japanese review in PlayStation Magazine December 18 1997.jpg
+|title=PlayStation Magazine
+|date=December 18, 1997
+|country=JP
+}}
 {{GalleryCard
 |file=Klonoa Door to Phantomile Japanese review from Hideo Yoshizawa tweet 1.jpg
@@ Line 405: / Line 430: @@
 |country=JP
 |description=Panel review
-}}
-{{GalleryCard
-|file=Klonoa Door to Phantomile Japanese review from Hideo Yoshizawa tweet 6.jpg
-|title=
-|date=1997
-|country=JP
 }}
 {{GalleryCard
@@ Line 424: / Line 443: @@
 |date=~1997/1998
 |country=SA
-|description=Printed right to left
+|description=Printed right to left & watermarked
 }}
 {{GalleryCard
@@ Line 470: / Line 489: @@
 |date=March 1998
 |country=US
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=Klonoa Door to Phantomile Russian review in Strana Igr issue 22.jpg
+|title=Strana Igr (Gameland)
+|date=March 1998
+|country=RU
 }}
 {{GalleryCard
@@ Line 476: / Line 501: @@
 |date=March 1998
 |country=BR
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=Klonoa Door to Phantomile review in Game Informer issue 60.jpg
+|title=Game Informer
+|date=April 1998
+|country=US
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=Klonoa Door to Phantomile Polish review in PSX Extreme issue 8.pdf
+|title=PSX Extreme
+|date=April 1998
+|country=PL
 }}
 {{GalleryCard
@@ Line 499: / Line 536: @@
 |file=Klonoa Door to Phantomile French review in Consoles Plus issue 77.pdf
 |title=Consoles +
+|date=June 1998
+|country=FR
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=Klonoa Door to Phantomile French review in Next Games issue 2.png
+|title=Next Games
 |date=June 1998
 |country=FR
@@ Line 507: / Line 550: @@
 |date=June 1998
 |country=ES
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=Klonoa Door to Phantomile Polish review in Neo Plus issue 1.pdf
+|title=Neo Plus
+|date=July 1998
+|country=PL
 }}
 {{GalleryCard
@@ Line 544: / Line 593: @@
 {{#evu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHxgmWw6wqs|description=''Flights of Fantasy'' review|container=frame|dimensions=360|alignment=inline|valignment=top}}
-== Sales charts ==
+== Sales ==
+=== Japan ===
+{| class="wikitable"
+|-
+! Date !! Copies sold that week !! Total sold !! Chart position
+|-
+| 1997-12-14<ref name="niche">[https://nichebarrier.com/game/33972-klonoa-door-to-phantomile Niche Barrier's record of ''Weekly Famitsu'''s sales charts]</ref> ||colspan="2;" style="text-align: center;" | 48,950 || 3
+|-
+| 1997-12-21<ref name="niche" /> || 24,309 || 73,259 || 20
+|-
+| 1998-01-04<ref name="niche" /> ||style="background-color: gray;" | || 112,575	||style="background-color: gray;" |
+|}
 {{GalleryStart}}
 {{GalleryCard
@@ Line 554: / Line 614: @@
 }}
 {{GalleryEnd}}
+=== North America ===
+Note that the below data was largely taken from the NPD Group's TRST system, which only accounted for approximately 81% of American game retailers (as officially stated in 2000). In addition, Walmart pulled out between [https://kidscreen.com/2003/10/01/npd-20031001 July 2001] and [https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/walmart-lifts-restrictions-on-u-s-game-sales-data July 2011], impacting all data within that timeframe.
+{| class="wikitable"
+|-
+! Date !! Copies sold that period !! Total sold
+|-
+| 2000-07-01<ref>[https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/bd896d2e-2e0a-4404-90e4-88ef46eef949 June 2000 TRSTS video games report (archived by the Video Game History Foundation Library)]</ref> || 325 (thus far that year)<br>86 (May 28 - July 1) ||style="background-color: gray;" |
+|-
+| 2001-03<ref>[https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/3f281fff-9f88-4174-9ba3-f4496cbf673d March 2001 sales report (archived by the Video Game History Foundation Library)]</ref> ||style="background-color: gray;" | || 25,834
+|-
+| 2001-06<ref>[https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/6c32790c-a3b1-45a0-b389-c618e33e37c1 June 2001 sales report (archived by the Video Game History Foundation Library)]</ref> ||style="background-color: gray;" | || 25,842
+|-
+| 2002-12<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030213103356/www.theonionring.com/Dec_TRSTS.html Archived copy of a TRST spreadsheet reporting on December 2002 game sales]</ref> ||style="background-color: gray;" | ||rowspan="2" | 25,851
+|-
+| 2003<ref>[https://groups.google.com/g/alt.games.video.sony-playstation2/c/EITNdEOBAfU/m/9r2L6ZD0F44J Post by Steven Hurdle in the alt.games.video.sony-playstation2 thread "Has the videogame market finally stopped growing?" (September 17, 2003)]</ref> ||style="background-color: gray;" |
+|}
+=== United Kingdom ===
+{| class="wikitable"
+|-
+! Date !! Total sold
+|-
+| 2000?<ref>[https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/86726cb4-f512-4f32-9638-a9ab063af948 "2000-STD-ANNUAL-SW-UK" (archived by the Video Game History Foundation Library)]</ref> || 1,794
+|}
 == Websites ==