Tomba! Special Edition [PC] | REVIEW

Man, I absolutely ADORED Tombi… I mean, Tomba! when it originally released back in 1997, with it feeling unlike any other platforming adventure that I’d played at the time. It also sticks in my mind as being a game that I never actually got to complete, with a combination of my younger age and having only rented it from Blockbuster meaning I didn’t get to see the little pink haired hero’s journey through to its conclusion.

Well, Tomba! Special Edition has finally given me the opportunity to re-visit (and complete) the adventure, and I had a really, really good time. Not only does the gameplay still hold up well today, but it also brings with it plenty of cool extras to ensure it stands out as another wonderfully nostalgic release from the team at Limited Run Games.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Tomba! Special Edition tells the story of the titular pink-haired caveboy, who looks to bring down the evil pigs that are causing chaos across the land after they steal his beloved bracelet. This means traversing across an array of colourful 2.5D environments, all whilst grabbing items and gear to help you out, completing quests for the folk you meet across the world, and, of course, beating up those evil piggies.

One of the things that makes Tomba! Special Edition feel so unique is its use of multiple planes across its level design, with the player having to move between layers of each area if they hope to uncover everything. This is cleverly done by having the player hit the up-button at certain areas of the level to switch over – admittedly, there were one or two occasions where it could be tricky to work out where exactly you’d do this, but the fact that you’d see things like enemies or items in the background normally gives a good idea as to where you need to go. It’s one of the things that I loved the most about the game when I played it as a kid, and it’s still something I really appreciated when re-visiting it now.

Then you have the abundance of quests to complete across the game, with players given PLENTY of fun and quirky tasks by NPCs to earn them some neat rewards or help progress through the story. Admittedly, most are simple in design, but they do require some exploration and clever-thinking in order to complete them all. My only issue with the quests is that they’re not fully tracked in-game, and whilst you can see a list of those which you have to complete, the location and quest-giver isn’t always clear. It could be a little bit frustrating and shows how the old-school nature of the game’s design could be detrimental at times – even IF the quests were typically pretty enjoyable to tackle.

“There are plenty of sublime platforming challenges to be found across levels, it’s satisfying to leap on to enemies and throw them around, the variety of levels on offer bring with them some unique mechanics… there really is a lot going on in the game, and even now, it demonstrates ideas that still feel fresh and exciting.”

Other than that, there are a lot of hallmarks of the platforming adventure genre to be found that help ensure that Tomba! Special Edition still remains a ton of fun to play. There are plenty of sublime platforming challenges to be found across levels, it’s satisfying to leap on to enemies and throw them around, the variety of levels on offer bring with them some unique mechanics… there really is a lot going on in the game, and even now, it demonstrates ideas that still feel fresh and exciting. And sure, the controls can take getting used to (especially when trying to pull off precision jumping in some of the trickier platforming segments), but it always feels really good to play.

Besides the fact that the game still happens to be a lot of fun to play today, Limited Run Games have included some extras in this release to make it more appealing for modern audiences. When it comes to gameplay, players are now able to rewind their actions, which can get you out of a few tricky situations when mistiming a platforming or action sequence. Whilst I know a lot of old-school gamers might scoff at the idea of using it, I found it made some areas of the game feel less frustrating. Players are also able to save anywhere (which is something I REALLY appreciated), whilst the multiple screen modes give players plenty of choice in how they want the game to display. There’s also a completely re-arranged soundtrack on offer, and whilst it is possible to use the original music if you prefer, I’d definitely recommend checking it out.

It also comes with a Museum that brings with it things like promotional and concept art, interviews with game creator Tokuro Fujiwara and composer Harumi Fujita, game design notes, and so forth, which is a wonderful bonus for long-time fans of the game. I love these kinds of extras in modern releases of classic titles, and Tomba! Special Edition really does offer plenty of cool things for players to scour through.

Check out some screenshots down below:

It is worth noting that whilst the visuals have been cleaned up with the transition to HD platforms, the game still looks like it did on the original PlayStation. This isn’t a remastered or remade release, but instead one that brings the original classic experience over to modern platforms. The wonderfully vibrant visual style of Tomba! ensures that it still looks great, but it’s worth bearing in mind if you were expecting to see a completely revamped look to the game.

Developer: Whoopee Camp
Publisher: Limited Run Games
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2851150/Tomba_Special_Edition/