''Klonoa Beach Volleyball'', known in Japan as , is a 2002

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developed and published by

Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company founded in 1955. It operated video arcades and amusement parks globally, and produced video games, films, toys, and arcade cabinets. Namco was one of the most influential c ...

for the

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. It is a spin-off of the ''

Klonoa ''Klonoa'' is a series of platform video games primarily developed and published by Namco. It stars Klonoa, an anthropomorphic creature who explores dream worlds. The series includes two main games: '' Klonoa: Door to Phantomile'' (1997) for the ...

'' game series, and has the distinction of being the last game Namco published for the PlayStation. Its release was limited to Japan and Europe, with the European release notably featuring the characters speaking in multiple languages, such as English, Spanish, French, Italian and German. This marks the first time the ''Klonoa'' series would include separate languages as options, which would not happen again until the release of ''

'', the

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remake of '' Klonoa: Door to Phantomile'', years later. This is one of the only ''Klonoa'' titles to feature a

multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...

mode, allowing up to four players to compete in pairs against the other team using a

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Overview

''Klonoa Beach Volleyball'' features three main modes: a multiplayer mode, a championship mode and a training mode which houses the in-game tutorial. In the championship mode, players choose a team of their choosing and make their way through a beach volleyball tournament that consists of five rounds. In the penultimate match, it is revealed that Garlen, the host of the tournament, intends to take over all sports resorts unless the player's chosen team happens to win. Winning the last match allows the player to watch an ending sequence featuring the leader of their chosen team as the credits roll. Gameplay-wise, ''Klonoa Beach Volleyball'' plays just like a proper 2v2 beach volleyball game, with the goal being to keep the ball in the air and return it to the other side of the net. If the opposing team drops the ball, the player's team earns a point, and the opposing team gains a point if the player's team drops the ball. If one team has ten points or higher, they win the match. In addition, all playable characters have a unique special move that is worth a maximum of nine points. The roster consists of numerous characters from across the history of the ''Klonoa'' series, and there are twelve in total each with their own unique stats. Below is a list of all playable characters. Unlockable characters are marked in bold. In addition to the playable cast, Huepow also prominently appears as the referee, and several other characters make appearances in some specific character endings.

Reception

According to ''

Famitsu , formerly , is a line of Japanese Video game journalism, video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly f ...

'', ''Klonoa Beach Volleyball'' sold approximately 3,230 copies during its lifetime in Japan. The game garnered an average reception from critics.

References

External links

* * {{Klonoa series 2002 video games Beach volleyball video games Klonoa Multiplayer and single-player video games Namco games PlayStation (console) games PlayStation (console)-only games Sony Interactive Entertainment games Video games developed in Japan