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 the Klonoa series, where players control an adorable titled Klonoa through an innovative mascot platformer. While Klonoa has made various cameo appearances in other Bandai Namco games like Tekken 7, it has been a neglected IP that the company hasn't used in over 13 years.

The last Klonoa release was back in 2008, being a Wii remake of the 1997 PlayStation original, complete with voice acting, revised graphics, and other additions. While this Klonoa remake received positive reviews, it was considered 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.

Earlier in September, Bandai Namco filed a trademark for Klonoa, 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 of Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series, this lead to a theory that the two trademarks were linked.

GUYS!! GUYS!! New trademark registered in the UK: "Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series". Perhaps this is finally Klonoa Encore? Maybe something new? I dunno but HYPE! pic.twitter.com/BjnTnhjabv

— 🎄Mushroom 🍄 (Axl Low loving hours) (@mushroom32x) December 18, 2021

It was speculated that "Wahoo Encore" was a possible remaster of the first two games, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil. This is evidenced by the remake of Bandai Namco's Katamari Damacy being called "Katamari Damacy Encore" in Japan. This trademark potentially seems to corroborate these remasters, with Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series possibly 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 being Mr. DRILLER DrillLand or Mr. Driller: Encore in Japan, a remake of the original GBA game on the Nintendo Switch. Klonoa making 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.



Posted: Dec 20, 2021 8:02 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://gamerant.com/bandai-namco-klonoa-trademark-uk/