Look at the cover! It looks generic beyond belief. The actual game looks pretty good actually, but that's a terrible cover. I think we can safely say that the cover is to blame.
I have been tempted to pick up the wii-make of the first game. Klonoa 2 was a game I really wanted but never ended up getting. That'll probably happen with the wii-make! 
I never played a Klonoa game.
BTW, what is the main character? Cat? Dog? Panda bear?
I never had a PS so I'm unfamiliar with the franchise. I guess its 2.5d and most platformers had moved onto full 3-D so its awkwardly caught in this semi retro, semi advanced state.
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Listen to Wu-Tang and watch Kung-Fu
I guess the character doesn't have that mainstream appeal as a Mario, Sonic, Kirby, or even Starfy. Even though it's a miracle a character like Mario would become the greatest video game character ever.
Klonoa games are all great and all received good reviews though. So at least it has that going for it.
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Now Playing: Golden Sun Dark Dawn, God of War Ghost of Sparta, and DKC Returns
It was one of the games that defined the system early on and it got incredible scores like a 9.2 from IGN and a 8.9 from Gamespot.
But sadly, the game was a commercial failure.
I'm ashamed to admit I even overlooked it....until recently.
I'm loving this game! I can't believe I missed out on it after all these years. It's the standard for 2.5D gameplay ever created IMO. What a great gem! It really is a timeless masterpiece.
But what sucks is how games like these sell so poorly (even in Japan, it was like the 85th best selling game the year it was released), while Sonic and his mediocre games sell generally well year in and year out (sorry Dvader, but you have to admit that Sonic games have been terrible for awhile).
But why does Klonoa do so badly? Is it hidden under Mario's shadow or lacking Sonic's name recognition? DOes he look less cool or are his games a bit harder (they are definitely a little bit more complex than just jumping or running fast).
I don't know. He should be popular but he's not.
I think Klonoa and his games are the most overlooked mascot-games. And what hurts most is that his games have been all great and all of them have gotten rave reviews, yet they still sell poorly.
It's obvious the creators of Klonoa do it for the love and for art.
PS: I also picked up the GBA games. They're great too, two of the highest rated GBA platformers ever created...that nobody cared about.
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Now Playing: Golden Sun Dark Dawn, God of War Ghost of Sparta, and DKC Returns