Tomba! Special Edition has returned for the PlayStation and Nintendo Switch in 2024. The cult classic Metroidvania platformer from the 1990s developed a devoted following, and Limited Run Games saw no other recourse but to bring it back for modern gaming audiences. Initially released in 1997, the developers took nearly three decades, but at long last, the game is available. Overload PR was gracious enough to send Total Apex Gaming a review copy so we could get our hands on it early, and here’s what we think of the classic game.
Tomba! Special Edition Pros
There is a level of appreciation within Tomba! that is present in the Special Edition. The levels are well-designed and the developers clearly believe that fun matters in a video game. That is a bit of a breath of fresh air in an age where games like Elden Ring and others see rampant complaints about being too hard. There’s nothing wrong with a challenge (and Tomba! has its fair share of them) but games are played to have fun. With a silly main character and clever levels, the team at Limited Run Games has a grasp on that concept.
Furthermore, the levels are not what one would expect from a game that debuted in 1997. They’re mostly linear, but there is depth to them. It’s like if Mario could turn down a hallway and enter a new level of depth in Super Mario World. It is considered a 2.5D game rather than 2D or 3D, and that only adds to the charm and makes the levels that much more fleshed out. If these levels are proving to be too challenging, there is a rewind feature much like what the Nintendo Switch Online service has. That can be seen as an easy copout by some, but it’s appreciated here.
The music is also excellent. Featuring a remastered soundtrack, the music plays smoothly and only adds to the fun of each task you’re doing. Tomba! Special Edition knows that the classic tunes are what everyone wants to hear if they’re returning to the game, but also understands that game music design has evolved a lot since 1997. Music is often a very important part of gaming, and it adds to the charm of Tomba! this time around.
Cons of Tomba!
Tomba! Special Edition is not a perfect game. While the levels are cleverly designed, they feature a staple of some older platformers that modern gaming has rightfully done away with: backtracking. It’s great fun to travel through a level to get to an endpoint, but it’s a little less fun when you’re tasked with going back and doing it again to achieve something that theoretically could have been achieved the first time. It’s a smart way to extend the length of a game, but it gets old quickly.
Players of Tomba! and its protagonist of the same game must explore their home island to uncover a special bracelet and fend off evil pigs. It’s as crazy as it sounds. For gamers who grew up on this sidescroller, those are interesting quirks that make the game unique. It stands apart in the gaming world because of it (although that wasn’t enough to keep it relevant beyond one forgotten sequel).
For those who are unfamiliar with the IP, it can be a strange world to jump into without any experience. To those who played it, it’s a fever dream that it’s back and relevant in 2024. For everyone else, it just seems a little random. That ultimately has little to do with the actual game and more to do with the unfair obscurity of a series that did have its fans back in the day. Sometimes, games just don’t catch on.
The gameplay is pretty good, but there are parts of it that feel very much like an ancient game. While it has been tweaked for modern audiences, it’s still very much the same game from 1997. That keeps the charm but also some frustrations. Certain tasks are difficult only because of the imprecise controls. Jumping from branch to branch doesn’t seem to follow the game’s own stated rules for doing so, which is entirely common for older games. It’s not a fair criticism of a 1997 game but a fair criticism of something in 2024. The fact that that wasn’t at least tweaked for modern gamers is a bit of a bummer.
All in all, this is a very solid platformer for a cheap price. Those who are familiar with Tomba and his journey should be thrilled that a forgotten game has returned to such prominence. Those who didn’t play it at all can pick up a short, fun game for a good price. In the era when even platformers cost $60 or more to buy, the $19.99 price tag for Tomba! Special Edition is a real treat. It is available on Steam, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch! Limited Run Games is also selling physical copies for various prices. There are also some collector’s editions, proving that Limited Run Games is treating this game with the utmost respect and reverence.
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