New trademarks hint at the return of Mr. Driller, Klonoa, and Splatterhouse

New trademark filings in Japan could herald the return of Mr. Driller, Klonoa, Splatterhouse, and other classic Bandai Namco games for modern platforms. According to a report from Gematsu, the publisher filed for a quintet of new trademarks for titles like Mr. Driller Encore and Klonoa Encore, which could point to remakes or remasters of those dormant franchises.

Bandai Namco has used the Encore titling scheme in Japan for two titles already: Katamari Damacy Encore (released as Katamari Damacy Reroll in the West) and the forthcoming Kotoba no Puzzle: Moji Pittan Encore (a Nintendo Switch puzzle game based on a Wii release from 2008).

If Bandai Namco plans on remastering more of its games for the Encore line, it has two good Wii candidates in Mr. Driller W, a WiiWare exclusive, and Klonoa, the 2009 remake of the 1997 PlayStation original, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. Those two games could serve as the basis for Mr. Driller Encore — Bandai Namco’s registration for that title also includes a logo — and Klonoa Encore, respectively.

As for Splatterhouse, it’s possible Bandai Namco could re-release the 2010 reboot, which debuted on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 to a chilly reception.

The other two titles that Bandai Namco filed for Encore trademarks were Wagyan Land and Genpei Touma Den, two Namco series from the 1980s that have less exposure in the West.