Luckily as a distraction, Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil fits the bill quite nicely. It's a game that treads heavily on the toes of it's ancestors. Count Sonic Adventures, Pandemonium and Crash Bandicoot amongst those relatives for it borrows elements from each, while adding it's own flavour to the mix.

Polygon-fanatics, stop reading now. Klonoa's not your cup of triangles. What you'll find here is a richly detailed world that keeps its influences heavily seated in the realms of 'toon fantasy. That means bright colors and whacky designs rule here. It's supposed to be like that. Get over it.

So what's it all about? Klonoa (our hero) must search out several mystical bells that hold evil in check. With the aid of some friends he travels far and wide, from cities to snowfields, searching for them, but others also quest for these items, and they don't seem to be too friendly... It's the typical good vs bad scenario. It's hard to be original story-wise but it's not so much what the story is about, but how it's told. A mediocre storyline can be enjoyed greatly with skillful execution and direction. Klonoa tries hard with it's many plot interludes and key moments, but comes away with a feeling of being sedate rather than compelling.