Can’t teach an Old Pig new tricks
Tomba! or as best I know it as Tombi! is a classic platform adventure game originally released for the PlayStation and is a game I am excited to get back into as I had a blast playing this growing up. Now anyone confused by the name, the European version of Tomba! was known as Tombi! which still seems to be the case today as the version of the game I have on PlayStation 5 displays it as Tombi! Special Edition although the home screen background, game title and marketing of the game lists it as Tomba! so that’s what we will go with.
In Tomba! Special Edition you play as a feral pink haired wild child who has his grandfather’s bracelet stolen by evil pigs that now plague the land and now he sets off on a journey fully throwing pigs around himself while doing so. So what is Tomba! Well the game itself is a platforming game with RPG elements. From the offset it looks like your average platformer. You collect apples, throw enemies and swing across the dangerous terrain in order to progress but underneath all of this is an adventure that has more to it than meets the eye.
As already mentioned Tomba! is a platformer with some RPG elements so aside from platforming you have a world of NPC’s all eager for some help and just from the beginning of the game you will find yourself with a few tasks which pop up on the screen with an AP reward which when finished adds to your total AP which is shown in the top right corner. To begin with you will complete these tasks as you go such as getting the tornado and using it to clear the fog into the next area, This is a must as you cannot progress otherwise. The game also has an inventory system and you can pick up quest items which can be used from there also, there are useable items such as feathers which will will whisk you away to other areas. There’s also various weapons and pants which you can equip which can alter your attack and mobility and change how you interact with the environment.
After meeting the 100 year old wise man you gain the ability to open chests and you will be able to open ones that you previously went past as well as any future ones. Not all chests though as there’s many different types. Remembering where these are is important as you will need to backtrack once you get the ability to open them. You will also come across AP boxes which can spew out rewards and these will become available once you have amassed enough AP as shown on them.
Tomba! is a colourful game , not only is it vivid and full of colour but is also wacky and crazy in many ways. Once you get to the forest full of laughing and crying mushrooms you will understand why.
Tomba! is by no means a big game but there is so much crammed into its small world that some events are well hidden and won’t be found by your average player. You don’t need to do these to finish the game, but if you want to absolutely 100% everything then it’s certainly worth trying to mess around with the terrain no matter how insane that may seem. Those pink plants that excrete gas in the beginning of the game for example are not just for show. Tomba! is definitely one of those where do I go next kind of games as in that I definitely do remember getting stuck when I first played it and admittedly it is one of those games I did not finish however after a bit of perseverance I can say I have now finished it and enjoyed it just as much as I remember.
Now while I have talked about the game as a whole how does it differ from it’s 90s counterpart? Well Tomba! Special Edition does indeed come with some new features. Most notably is the rewind feature allowing you to rewind the game should you fall into difficulty, again Tomba! is not a difficult game but some areas are tricky to navigate like the pesky mushroom forest and this alleviates the annoying of waiting for the game to load again should you lost a life, you can get straight back in without much downtime now. You can also save anywhere now whereas you would previously have had to use the signs which can be found at the start of each area. The game does not feel it has improved in any capacity in terms of graphics but actually seems to have aged quite well. What you do get however is the ability to play with different display methods and also use different borders to display around the game screen, a nice retro touch and if you wish to play with the original audio you can also do that but if you want something a bit more modern then that is an option too as the whole soundtrack has had a remaster. The games sound and music is top notch although the mushroom forest is where I did turn it down just for the sheer annoyance of that zone, you will see for yourself if you don’t already know. The game also features a museum crammed with a load of original artwork, documents and creator interviews if that’s your sort of thing.
So is Tomba! Special Edition worth picking up? Most certainly, it is a charming game full of character and does feel like a retro cult of the 90s. It’s one of those hidden gem kind of games and one which at the time was certainly unique in every aspect. The game looks and plays as great as I remember and I look forward to uncovering all the hidden secrets I missed as a kid.
A PlayStation 5 review code was provided by Limited Run Games
