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Wild Man of The PS1
The PlayStation 1 was no stranger to mascots. As we have discussed before, we have seen Crash, Spyro, Croc, Rayman, Gex, and a boatload of others trying their hand at taking the torch for themselves. Then came 1997, and with it, a bizarre pink-haired feral child: the one, the only, Tomba! Trying to cash in on the Metroidvania craze, we were given a 2D side-scroller, complete with power-ups, side quests, and an open-ended world to explore. Solid enough title, but fairly lackluster in terms of sales. Honestly, I didn’t even play the first one until it was rereleased on PSN. Despite that, we did end up getting a sequel in 1999, Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Returns (from this point we will only call it Tomba 2).
Long and Extensive History
This was a game I had an extensive relationship with, to say the least. I remember I played the demo on a compilation disc, got the game on PS1, never finished it, lost the disc, played it again when they released it for PS3 PSN, it got destroyed, and sadly I lost my login information and couldn’t redownload it, and finally, they just released it on PS5. Yes, I did finish it — three consoles, three generations, 25 years — but I finally beat it. Does this hold up? Is this a lost PS1 classic for modern days? I can happily say, for the most part, absolutely.
Running Through This Crazy World
Tomba 2 is a direct sequel to Tomba 1 (shocker). Tomba is living peacefully in the countryside when he gets a letter in the mail: his best friend Tabby is kidnapped by the evil pigs! He sets out on a daring rescue with his buddy Charles and his new Jiminy Cricket-esque sidekick, Zippo, exploring a decently vast world for its time. Let me just say, this world is magnificent, with a Metroidvania-Final Fantasy approach to its design. That being said, the title is a 2.5D action/adventure/RPG. Tomba controls on a 2D tilted axis that allows for a 90-degree turn onto the intersection to explore new paths. Tomba controls well when he’s running and jumping. However, the platforming, especially when it comes to trying to reach ledges that are right above and below, can be a little awkward. It’s not terrible, but it definitely takes some getting used to. The combat is nothing special, but it’s functional and fun enough. The rewind feature and quick save here will definitely lighten the load.
Exploring this Crazy World
You are given a surprisingly diverse assortment of weapons: a spiked ball and chain, a boomerang, and even a literal fire hammer from Santa (check out our holiday list for more info). This game also has boss battles, and this is bar none the worst part of the game. All the Evil Pig bosses have a good variety in terms of design, but in terms of mechanics, all you literally do is jump on them and throw them like just like any other enemy, only difference is you have to do it 3 times into a bag. Where this game most certainly shines is its music and level design. We will find a tropical fishing village, a coal-mining town, and even a circus world, each area has a handful of characters Tomba can interact with and go on quests for. Typical RPG fashion — oh, this person’s son is missing? Go find him and bring him back. You get the idea. One aspect I really like about this is the scope these quests have. As mentioned before, finding someone’s missing son, for example, he’s not just right outside the house waiting, or maybe a little bit up the road. No, he will be a good two or three worlds away before you find him. In fact, unlocking an object in one world will have you able to complete a side quest in another. This encourages much travel and exploration. However, one could also say it leads to excessive backtracking. Thankfully, power-ups are acquired to allow fast travel throughout the world. The quests are fun and varied enough, but some of them are not even worth the headache (looking at you, trolley). The PS5 version has two OST options: the original Japanese and the American localization. Both are fine, but I personally prefer the American version. A huge shortcoming is the inability to switch between the two during the game. Once you pick a version and start the game, you are stuck with it.
Certified Classic
Despite some notable shortcomings, this is bar none one of the most underrated and beautiful games of the PS1. Anyone who is a fan of old-school action RPG titles will definitely have a fun time with this title. As mentioned above, this was a game run 25 years in the making, and I have to say it was one of my favorite gameplay playthroughs I ever had. I cannot thank Limited Run enough for their contributions to video game preservation and getting these titles to modern consoles and players. Unleash your feral side and dash your way into the adventure
Verdict: 8.5 /10
