Better Than Bacon: A Tomba! Special Edition Review

By Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PC

Created by legendary ex-Capcom game designer Tokuro Fujiwara (Ghosts 'n Goblins, Bionic Commando, Sweet Home), Tomba! was the first game released by his then-new company Whoopee Camp way back in 1997. It originally released on the original PlayStation, and became something of an instant cult classic. Though not a huge commercial success, it did spawn a sequel in 1999, as well as a PSOne Classics release in 2011. We're a bit over 25 years since its original release, and Limited Run Games has saw fit to drop Tomba! Special Edition (Which I'm simply going to refer to as "Tomba" from now on.) on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC. We're going to be taking a look at the Nintendo Switch version today, and see if time has been nice to this game. I do have some experience with the original release, but it's been years since I've played it. This is going to be a fun one, so let's dive right in!

Tomba isn't just the name of the game, it's also the name of its main character. You take on the role of Tomba whose bracelet is stolen by a group of pigs. His quest to get back said bracelet, a gift from his grandfather by the way, takes him to the hut of the 100-Year-Old-Wise-Man who tells him all about the menace of the Seven Evil Pigs. These Pigs have used magic to corrupt the land, and the 100-Year-Old-Wise-Man points him in the direction of bringing them down. Tomba probably wouldn't have gone this far, but he does want that bracelet back after all. This road to recovery takes him to the nearby Dwarf Village, where The Dwarf Elder bestows upon him the knowledge needed to defeat the Evil Pigs. You may see a pattern forming, as this seemingly simple quest ultimately takes Tomba all around the game's world, and into the path of various other NPCs and enemies. Though the plot may sound simple as far as my outline goes, there's a surprising amount of depth to it, especially when considering that this this is mainly a platformer at heart. Platformers rarely have strong narratives to go along with their gameplay-heavy focus, and this is just one of the many ways where Tomba is ahead of the game so to speak. It's not the best story one will ever experience, but it's one full of twists, turns, and plenty of humor. Seeing as we're off to such a positive start, let's move on and discuss gameplay next.

Describing Tomba's gameplay is a bit of an odd topic, as it crosses several genre lines. First and foremost, it's a platformer, and it sees you take Tomba through all sorts of areas that test your platforming skills. There are also some light Action RPG elements here too. Tomba's abilities increase from items picked up and/or equipped, and there is a full inventory system to keep track of. The game is also packed with over a hundred "events", which pretty much act as quests. These events vary in complexity and importance, but they're also how one progresses in the game. Lastly, and probably most interesting of all, Tomba is also a Metroidvania title, long before that genre classification was even a thing. Tomba's world isn't a straight line from Point A to Point B, as locations open up as skills and events happen. There's lots of backtracking, and it may eventually become a bit convoluted if you're hoping to uncover all the game's secrets in a single playthrough. These genre shifts might sound like they'd bring conflicting gameplay elements into the mix, but they don't do anything of the sort. They instead come together to create classic game that defies simple classification, even if it did make this section of the review a bit more complicated than it probably needed to be.

Though Tomba gains additional skills over time, the two actions you'll mainly be doing are jumping and attacking. Attacking is rather self-explanatory, with the effects of your attack being determined by your currently equipped weapon. Attacking may kill an enemy, stun them, or even break down barriers needed to progress. Jumping works as not only a means of getting around, but also as a sort of secondary attack. Jumping onto the backs of most enemies won't harm them, but they'll usually be held down by Tomba's bite. You can then throw the enemy in ways that can either kill it or stun it, or even cause a chain reaction that takes out multiple enemies at once. This doesn't work on all enemies though, as some enemies have sharp backs that make jumping on them dangerous. It's a rather simple system, but there's a lot of nuance to it. Tomba can also hang off of ledges, climb walls, climb and spin on poles, swing from ledges, and do all sorts of other skills that are too numerous to outline here. Besides the offensive capabilities, Tomba can also talk to NPCs, enter houses, and even use items from his inventory to advance or complete events. Also, since this is a 2.5D game, you sometimes have the ability to jump into and out of an area's background. Doing just about anything in-game, especially completing events, grants you adventure points that allow certain chests to be unlocked, or even open up further progression in the game. It honestly sounds more complicated than it is, and most of these mechanics can simply be pushed from your main if all you want to do is enjoy some platforming action.

Even though it sounds like I've been describing an Action RPG up to this point, Tomba has a very standard vitality and life system. Tomba starts with four hit points, with enemy attacks usually taking one, but you eventually can upgrade your life bar further if you're thorough in your exploration. Tomba also has lives to consider, and losing all of one's health, or falling into a pit, takes one of those lives away. If Tomba loses all his lives, it's game over, but thankfully that's something I've never experienced during my time with the game. This isn't a roguelike though, so it most likely will take you to your last saved game. Extra lives are gained through adventure points or item pick-ups, and Tomba call heal himself by eating fruit, or by visiting certain areas or NPCs. That last point is actually one of the strangest aspects of the game, as all items, including healing fruit, do not respawn. Enemies do though, and this means that revisiting areas where you cleared of all fruit become just a little more challenging the second time around. Since backtracking is a must, this is something you'll encounter a lot over the course of your playthrough. The game may be a bit unfair in this regard, but thankfully the rest of the experience makes up for it. It also helps that there are some areas in the game where you can fully heal if you know where to find them.

I have to admit that there were times where I found Tomba's basic mechanics a bit repetitive or frustrating, but there's something to the game that just drives you forward. There's a charm here that's indescribable, and there's a reason why this game is as well-loved in spite of its relatively small impact on the gaming scene as a whole. The event system always gives you something to work towards, you can sequence break certain parts of the game, and there are plenty of ways to min/max everything if you've learned the main route inside and out. There's always something new to discover, and the game always opens up to something new if you give it the chance. You'll constantly have to think of new tactics to take out enemies, and the boss encounters provide the perfect mix of challenging but fun gameplay. This Special Edition also features quality of life enhancements that make it all the more worth playing. I'm not afraid to admit that I made heavy use of the Rewind feature, and the ability to save anywhere took away some amount of frustration I had with the game's original release. Even though some may scoff at the use of such tools in a classic game, I for one think that they help fix some of the more antiquated gameplay elements that haven't aged quite as gracefully as the rest. I probably would be a bit harsher in this review if the constant knockback deaths couldn't be undone with rewind, or if I wasn't able to save before a challenging platforming section. While players can easily forego these features entirely if they so desire, they are probably the single best aspect of this re-release.

Graphically Tomba barely shows a hint of age, and it features some impressive 2.5D characters and environments. The world is colorful, and the animated cutscenes looks like they could've been ripped from a television cartoon of the same era. Even though I have a love for early 3D games of the mid-90s, I think that part of the reason that this game still looks so good today is due to the fact that it didn't lean too much into those trends. There is a depth to the world and its characters, but this is essentially still a 2D platformer. Tomba's animations are all silky smooth, and the game feels tight and responsive despite the rather large character you have control over. I've played plenty of platforms that look great in screenshots, but are total disasters to play, but Tomba dodges those pitfalls perfectly. Besides looking great overall, there are lots of options for the player to mess with if they choose. The background can be changed, the screen stretched or left as a perfect 1:1, and one can even add a CRT filter to give off that extra retro feel. I've been one to bother with that sort of thing, but everything is there for those who do. It also runs very well on the Nintendo Switch, especially following a post-launch update. It might not be the complete and total remake some fans probably were hoping for, but it's a very competent re-release nonetheless.

Sound in Tomba is a very mixed bag, and that mainly has to do with the remastered audio options that are exclusive to this release. There are actually two soundtracks available for the game, the original PlayStation version, and the new remixed and re-recorded version. The new soundtrack also features a new intro track, but I couldn't help but wonder why it was created at all since the game already had a great one. Besides the general feeling I had that the redone music feels a bit off when compared to the original, there are also a lot of audio bugs that only pop up if you're playing with the new soundtrack. Music starting up on a loading screen, the incorrect music playing for certain scenes and levels, and other bugs make playing with the new soundtrack quite possibly the worse way to experience the game. I was already a bit on the fence as to why the soundtrack had to be redone in the first place, since the original was clearly still available, but these added annoyances made me wonder why Limited Run Games bothered with it in the first place. It's also the option that's chosen by default, so there are probably many players out there who wouldn't realize that the music they're hearing isn't the original soundtrack. All those issues aside, I always dug Tomba's music, and it's a delight to hear this awesome soundtrack decades later. You're truly in for a treat if you go for the original soundtrack, and it's my advice you switch to it as soon as you start up the game.

Being something of an open-world platformer, Tomba has quite a bit of game to it. It can easily take new players 10-15 hours to beat their first time through, and that'll probably be with many missions left unfinished, and secrets still to be found. Even if one knows what they're doing, this is still a long game. This new release doesn't offer any new content as far as gameplay goes, but what's here is was always more than enough in my opinion. Though there's no new gameplay scenarios here, this Special Edition does pack in plenty of extras. These include art of various kinds, and several video interviews regarding the game's original release, and the processes leading up to this Special Edition coming to fruition. Combined with the quality of life features, and the addition of the new soundtrack, this is easily the definitive way to play the game. Considering that one is able to pick up the PSOne Classics version for under $10, the price for this Special Edition had to be great if it was going to draw new players. I think that $19.99 is the perfect price point, even if this new version still has a few kinks that have to be ironed out. I'm of the mind that there's more than enough content here to justify its current price, and there's honesty no reason to play the game in any other fashion now that this release exists. 

While I have some reservations regarding the remixed soundtrack, I still think that Tomba! Special Edition is worth picking up. It was one of my favorite games of the 32-bit era, and it is the very definition of a hidden gem. This is definitely the best way to play the game, and I think it'll be a great experience for gamers of all types. Fans of platformers will find nothing but fun here, Metroidvania fans will find the genre's roots ever-present, and casual players are sure to enjoy all the pig-throwing action. There aren't many games that have aged as well as this one has, and it's worth grabbing now on whatever platform you can. Now here's hoping we get a Tomba! 2 Special Edition soon! See you in the next one!

Check Out Tomba! Special Edition on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/tomba-special-edition-switch/

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Story: A
Gameplay: A-
Graphics: A
Music/Sound: A-
Value: A

Overall: A

Pros:
+ An updated classic that doesn't try to reinvent what made the original so great in the first place.
+ Something for everyone. Tomba is part Metroidvania, part platformer, and part Action RPG.
+ The charm and the humor are sure to get you through the game, and it's a rather long journey too.
+ Tomba's graphics look as great as they ever did, and there's even some awesome animated cutscenes.
+ Has an amazing soundtrack, and there's even a remixed one for those who want a more modern take.
+ The ability to rewind and save anywhere are real game changers, and players can ignore these features too if they so desire.
+ The addition of promotional art, adverts, the original manual, and plenty of interview make this the definitive way to play the game.

Cons:
- Not every aspect of the game has aged perfectly, and there are still some archaic game design choices like knockback deaths and a useless lives system.
- Since Metroidvanias weren't really a thing yet, the non-straightforward nature of the game can sometimes make it confusing as to where you're expected to go next.
- The remixed soundtrack wasn't my cup of tea, and it actually was surprisingly buggy overall.
- Part of me wishes there was more added into this release, maybe even Tomba! 2 included at a higher price point.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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I remember seeing this ad in magazines in my youth!

#Tomba