[bemuzzled]

Okay, since I am the official referee and Versus Month is coming to a close I will offer once last chance for each side to offer closing statements.

How this will work; Each side will choose one person on their team to make the closing argument. Only  one chance.  Then I will lock the thread.  Choose your representative wisely!  Make sure to use everything at your disposal and don't hold back!  You have until the end of the 31st to make your last statement.

[bemuzzled]

Has the representatives been chosen?

[the_darai]

There are many great games out there, some that truly do something truly unique. And for those games, there are few that truly improve the original game, games like Donkey Kong Country 2, A Link to the Past, and Super Mario Bros 3 come to mind. Though there is one little game that comes to I want to talk about that really deserves that praise as well, and that game is Lunatea's Veil.


Lunatea's story that doesn't have any connections to the original game--at first glimpse (we'll get more into that later.) Lunatea has a rather complex story, hero was summoned into the world to save it from a threat only to find out that the 'threat' itself is the one that summoned him, pulling the strings to help him to bring sorrow back to Lunatea. In the end the hero finds out that the 'threat' isn't truly evil and decides to help him. On this end, Lunatea ventured to do something unique and put a twist on the story.  That says A LOT in how the story is played out because it didn't follow the traditional good vs evil methods most games at that time seemed to follow. It did it's OWN thing and did a damn well job doing so.

One of the biggest points Lunatea has to offer is character design, which is shown throughout the game. The inhabitants of Lunatea look and feel as if they belong in that world.  Take  Lunatea's Klonoa as opposed to Phantomile's Klonoa. Gone are the cat eyes and large collar. Well yes, the collar was memorable, the zipper shirt that Klonoa has sports a more sleek design that everyone knows, that has became more or less the de facto design of Klonoa, even so much that was included in the remake of Door to Phantomile on the Wii. But not just Klonoa who got a sleek and nimble look, Lolo sports it as well, as well as numerous NPCs throughout the world. Hell, give them a silhouette and I GUARANTEE you that you'd be able to figure out the main cast by that alone.

Lunatea's characters also grow as the story grows. That also makes characters dynamic, something the player to relate to. Lolo wants to be more self-reliant and the arrogant Leorina learns after swallowing her pride to be an ally of Klonoa rather than fight against him and his friends. Even the 'villian' King of Sorrow is like this--he only wants to be accepted rather than ignored, and you find that it was he that needed/summoned Klonoa in the first place.

Lunatea feels like a living world. There's plenty of stuff going on during the background as well as the levels are sort of telling a story without words, levels like the Dry Sea of Tears where you see the Ark off into the distance and slowly but surely you see Klonoa catching up to it and getting launched to it. Things that make it feel alive, like in Volk it's running out a building  being bombed.  Bird and rat creatures scurrying away.  Crowds at Joilant enjoying a show while Klonoa circles around the arena.  Phantomile simply doesn't offer that kind of connection to the world and when it does, it's only through cutscenes, but these little things alone keep Lunatea fresh.

Level design is another thing Lunatea has going for it as it offered new mechanics and abilities in the game, such as using the bell to knock over obstacles in La-Lakoosha or using a Moo to get past deadly and invincible Ow-Gows. Lunatea is the first game to introduce the hoverboard levels with add some face paced action to the game. Also to mention each of the levels feel smooth and unified, even a bit more linear whereas most levels on Phantomile felt disarrayed, splitting off any different directions, not sure which is the 'correct' path to go if you're a first time player. Not only that, but Lunatea's Veil also offers new enemies to give Klonoa even MOAR abilites on top of the original set he had from the first name. See? Keeping the kickass elements from the first game and then even expanding upon it. That's improvement!

I want to bring this up this presentation because I feel like this is just as important. While overall Phantomile does have a unique artstyle to it and it work very well, however it has a flaw--camera angles. What Lunatea lacks in artstyle  it picks up with in angles, leaving to to awesome and breathtaking shots of the game, such as the camera panning towards the castle where fireworks are being shot or or evading missiles or watching zepplins fly off into the distance. With Lunatea each level tells a story through its use of angles. It also lets you capture more of its world too.

The music overall is very catchy and to that end fits perfectly for each level, especially when there's a level where they transition moods. They especially make use of different instruments and sounds like the clanging of metal in Volk's Factory or the eerie laughter of Forgotten Path the music definitely sets the tone. If you don't believe me, I DARE you to drive down a dark winding highway listening to Lightning Moo. It's quite creepy. But then it's SUPPOSED to be, because the song itself sets that tone, to be weary, to be cautious, there's something ominous lurking out there, waiting for YOU...

Anyway, that's what I really want to say about Lunatea. As I said before, yeah it has its flaw, that I won't deny. Its boss battles aren't as tough and Perhaps King of Sorrow wasn't truely threatening, but the game makes up for that by making BELIEVABLE characters. Or maybe the story doesn't have an emotional tear-jerker like the original but c'mon mang, it did a FANTASTIC job by making levels that filled you with glee like Joliant or may have down right anxious like the Dark Sea of Tears. Lunatea also left quite a few loose ends that TRULY give it the the title of Veil, such as Goddess Claire's orgins, Hyuponia's connection to Phantomile, and other little pieces of theory which keep people coming back for MORE OF IT. Phantomile may be the game that introduced the series, but Lunatea got to refine, perfect, and build upon the first game. For that you got to give Lunatea some credit; it definitely improved from the original.

[Aura24]

Phantomile. Nostalgic Klonoa fans know of this name. It's the name of the world that first introduced us to Klonoa, and is part of the title of the first Klonoa game. The Door to the world of Phantomile is what started the Klonoa series, it's the beginning of how we came to know about Klonoa himself, and the characters around him. It is our childhood masterpiece, eventually becoming remade.

This ancient kingdom of lore, charm and beauty of the ages is the Phantomile we grew up to love and cherish. From the tribal savages to the mythical godly spirits, from whimsical inhabitants to the forward and backward waterfalls of Jugpot, ancient weaponry, a catankerous stonemason and a rare OCTOMOOO~. Although filled with danger, this world is still a magical place.

The story of Phantomile brought us wonder, laughter and sadness. The soundtrack really pulls you in and you find yourself exploring a world beyond your wildest dreams. Yes, you may face danger and nightmares that stand in your way, but regardless you thrive on to save the Phantomile you grew to love no matter the cost.

Sure, Lunatea has updated visuals and a story that continues to explore Klonoa's true role, but the Door to Phantomile will always remain the untamed starting point of the series. It is a classic masterpiece that you never want to forget. It is our origin of Klonoa.

[bemuzzled]

I am just in awe in how much heart was put into these amazing pieces!  It's this  that truly shows why both are you are admins of this place ^^

But sadly I must choose which one is the winner.  Ms.  Aura,  as much as I love  your walk down memory lane,  your piece is fantastic for those played Phantomile first.  However nostalgia can only go far explain  so much.  Darry provided a strong argument that explained in detail of each aspect of the game,  giving away such imagery  and examples that really hit his point home.  The pictures were a very nice touch  too. So I must declare Darry as the winner.

This isn't the final results!  I will declare the overall winners of Versus Month in another thread~!