Following the merginemerging of [[Namco]] and [[Bandai]] to form [[Bandai Namco Holdings]] in 2005, [[Bandai Namco Games|Namco Bandai Games]] vice president Shin Unozawa expressed interest in reviving the ''Klonoa'' series due to its large fan community.<ref name="Siliconera"/> The company chose to remake the original ''Klonoa: Door to Phantomile'' for its 10th anniversary, using it to determine if the series would be suitable for a proper revival, and chose to develop it for the [[Wii]] due to its wide appeal, allowing the game, like the original, to appeal to both older and younger players.<ref name="nintendopowerUS">{{cite journal|date=January 2009|title=Klonoa: The Platforming Masterpiece Returns!|journal=Nintendo Power|publisher=[[Future Publishing]]|issue=237|pages=68–71}}</ref> Development of the game began in October 2007.<ref name="Siliconera">{{cite web |author1=Siliconera Staff |title=Klonoa Now And Then: Hideo Yoshizawa Returns To Phantomile |url=https://www.siliconera.com/klonoa-now-and-then-hideo-yoshizawa-returns-to-phantomile/ |website=[[Siliconera]] |publisher=[[Curse, Inc.]] |accessdate=10 February 2020 |date=20 March 2009}}</ref>
[[Image:Klonoa character redesigns.jpg|thumb|200px|Klonoa's character redesign (left) and Klonoa's proposed North American redesign (right)]]
