Tomba! Special Edition [Review]
Limited Run Games’ new release is a great way to experience this PlayStation classic.
Tomba! Special Edition. Credit: Limited Run Games
Tomba! Special Edition brings 1997 classic Tomba! to modern platforms. As someone who missed out on the original PlayStation release, I was excited for this opportunity to check the game out. Not only does the game feel fresh despite its age, it’s made even better by the quality of life improvements of this new special edition.
The story follows energetic, pink-haired protagonist Tomba as he searches for his stolen golden bracelet, a gift from his grandfather. He must defeat the evil pig wizards who stole it as part of their plot to use gold to fuel their dark magic. Tomba’s whimsical journey is filled with a colorful bunch of creatures to battle and allies to meet.
Tomba! Special Edition. Credit: Limited Run Games
Tomba! is a sidescrolling platformer with a clever 3D twist. While the gameplay primarily unfolds on a 2D plane, the levels are intricately designed within 3D space and are more complex than they appear. Tomba is able to jump onto background elements to climb onto different planes or can rotate the perspective to explore new paths. Although movement and collision detection can feel clunky at times, the level design keeps the experience feeling fresh despite its age.
Tomba can run, jump, climb, and attack using various weapons. He can also leap on top of enemies, bite them, and then throw them. There are other items Tomba can find and equip, such as speed-enhancing pants or an umbrella that will let him glide in the air for a short time. The game features a swinging mechanic where you can grab onto poles and spin to fling yourself into the air. It took me a while to figure out how to aim correctly; it was doubly frustrating because the collision detection for grabbing the next pole was wonky.
Tomba! Special Edition. Credit: Limited Run Games
Tomba! also has an adventure game element to it, where players must find key items to solve puzzles or complete quests. For this end, the game’s world is designed to allow for backtracking; as you progress you’ll open up shortcuts to make revisiting past areas more convenient.
The game’s visuals and writing have a quirky, charming vibe that adds to the appeal. I wouldn’t call the game funny, but it’s style is endearing. This special edition’s remastered soundtrack adds to the charm.
The game’s graphics are typical for the original PlayStation, blending real-time 3D environments with sprites. Town sequences are built with pre-rendered 3D backgrounds. The graphics are faithful to the original with no upscaling since the game runs through emulation.
Tomba! Special Edition. Credit: Limited Run Games
The emulation allows brings some welcome quality of life improvements. While traditional save points are still present, the game allows you to save and reload at any time via a menu. The special edition also includes a handy rewind feature that I fully recommend using. Although Tomba! is innovative for its era, its lives and game-over mechanics are dated by today’s standards. After experiencing a game over a couple hours in, I restarted and I’m not ashamed to admit I used rewind and save states without hesitation afterwards.
Tomba! Special Edition also includes some nice bonus content. There are galleries with high resolution scans of game design documents, classic printed ads, packaging, and manuals. A series of video interviews with Tokuro Fujiwara, the game’s creator, are also included. I love that Limited Run produced these interviews, but it’s worth noting that the inability to pause, rewind, or skip ahead in the videos is a significant oversight.
Tomba! Special Edition. Credit: Limited Run Games
Tomba! remains a great game that I feel is often overlooked when people discuss PS1 classics and deserves more recognition. The new special edition is the best way to experience this gem and I highly recommend it for fans and newcomers playing it for the first time.
Tomba! Special Edition is available now on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. You can also buy a physical copy directly from Limited Run Games.
Overall Score: 7/10
Played on: PS5
