Last night, Twitter account Klonoa Archives posted an update showing Bandai Namco filed a new trademark for its long-dormant Klonoa franchise. The trademark details are mostly in Japanese but can be found here.
The filing is for Klonoa of the Wind Encore. That might sound like a brand-new game to Western ears — something many have long hoped for — but Klonoa of the Wind is actually the original Japanese name for what we know as Klonoa: The Door to Phantomile.
Tacking “encore” onto the title is also what Bandai Namco did for the remake of Katamari Damacy, leading most to believe Klonoa of the Wind Encore this is another remaster of a classic — not a new entry in the series.
Some are saying that’s not necessarily true, though, that Door to Phantomile was already remade on the Wii in Japan, and Bandai wouldn’t work on another remake.
However, it’s worth noting the Wii version is 10 years old now, released in a time when cat stars like Klonoa weren’t as appreciated as they are now. It also didn’t feature all that many upgrades or improvements over the original, save in the visuals department.
Katamari Damacy Reroll enhanced the original Katamari Damacy with some quality of life tweaks, namely in controls and cutscenes, and improved the game’s graphics. Given Door to Phantomile‘s age, a remaster isn’t entirely out of the question or unwarranted.
Meanwhile, the publisher has also filed trademarks for several other “Encore” titles, including Splatterhouse and Mr. Driller, among others.
We’ll likely know more about these mysterious new filings soon enough, whenever Bandai Namco officially announces the new Klonoa project and other Encore initiatives.
