Tomba! Special Edition

About

Tomba! Special Edition is a single player action game. It was developed by Limited Run Games and was released on July 31, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Tomba! Special Edition is a remastered version of the classic platformer game where you play as Tomba, a fierce warrior on a mission to defeat nefarious pigs. This edition includes quality of life improvements such as save anywhere, rewind, and analog control toggle. It also features a museum, new soundtrack, and an interview with the creator, Tokuro Fujiwara.

Genres & Tags

Action

Play Modes

Single-Player

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 412 reviews

music30 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Tomba! is a nostalgic love letter to 2D platformers, offering a whimsical and unique gameplay experience that many players cherish from their childhood.
The addition of features like saving anywhere and a rewind function enhances the gameplay, making it more accessible and enjoyable for both new and returning players.
The remastered soundtrack and museum content provide a nice touch for fans, allowing them to relive memories while also exploring behind-the-scenes material.

The port is criticized for being a lazy emulation of the original game, lacking significant graphical improvements and quality of life features that modern players expect.
There are numerous bugs, including issues with music cutting out, save icons not functioning properly, and performance drops, which detract from the overall experience.
The game does not support widescreen, has awkward controller layouts, and lacks volume control, leading to frustration for players who want a more polished experience.

music
217 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
85%
1%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the remastered soundtrack's quality and the option to switch back to the original. However, issues such as music cutting out during gameplay, awkward looping, and the remastered tracks starting during loading screens have detracted from the experience. Overall, while the remastered music is seen as a nice addition, many players prefer the original soundtrack due to its nostalgic value and fewer technical problems.
- “The music is wonderful; I would deliberately mess around in a few areas just so I could hear it for a while longer.”
- “Maybe best of all is the brand new soundtrack; I was cautious about it before release because I enjoyed the original so much, but so far pretty much every track has felt like an improvement or at least of equal quality.”
- “The remastered music is really nice, but you can switch back to the classics whenever you feel like it.”
- “The only issue I have would be the music on Haunted Mansion bugs out a lot.”
- “The remastered OST is just overlaid by the front-end and starts during loading screens, in some situations it completely ruins the mood it was supposed to set.”
- “I played through the entire game with the original soundtrack, partly because of the bugs with 'remastered' audio being lazily overlaid over original audio, which causes issues with music starting at the loading screen, and looping issues which kill immersion.”
graphics
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
79%
4%
The graphics of the remastered game have received mixed reviews, with many users expressing disappointment over the lack of significant improvements compared to the original. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and the blend of 3D environments with 2D spritework, others criticize the remaster for its grainy visuals and poorly designed menus, suggesting that it feels more like a quick cash grab than a true upgrade. Overall, the visuals maintain a retro aesthetic that may appeal to long-time fans, but they fall short of modern expectations for a remaster.
- “The visuals are a nice blend of 3D environments mixed with 2D sprite work, and it is honestly pretty amazing and ambitious for a game developer's first outing in the 90s.”
- “This whimsical atmosphere has stuck with me for 20 years, and I still couldn’t help myself from just enjoying the visuals in my most recent playthroughs.”
- “Tomba is a classic 2.5D metroidvania for the PS1, a very extremely weird one, if you don't know anything about this game get ready to either get lost or use a guide, it has a very catchy soundtrack (both the original and the remaster, which you can switch at any point) and very nice graphics.”
- “Horribly remastered (the new menus and graphics seem to be designed by someone that has learned graphic design in a 1 hour training), but I give all honors for bringing back to the spotlight probably the most misunderstood and underrated game ever produced.”
- “The visuals also seemed grainy from what I have seen; I was expecting somewhat of a remaster and not just a straight-up copy-paste (which I could have lived with if I was able to actually play it).”
- “As far as I can tell, there's no graphical improvements or upscaling at all.”
story
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
86%
6%
The story of the game features a charming yet simplistic narrative, reminiscent of classic 80s and 90s titles, with a focus on quirky characters and a variety of quests. Players control Tomba, a feral jungle boy, as they navigate a convoluted map filled with side missions and RPG elements, though the quest design can be confusing and lead to missed opportunities for completion. Overall, while the story is engaging for fans of the genre, it lacks depth and can be hindered by unclear quest guidance and navigation challenges.
- “The story puts you in the shoes (or lack thereof) of Tomba, a feral jungle boy armed with a deadly blackjack and a sick mane of pink hair, quite possibly making him the only male to rock the color and not have preferred pronouns!”
- “It’s full of charming characters and cool quests that keep you engaged.”
- “If you like what you see in the trailer video or silly story-filled metroid-likes, then this game is for you.”
- “Now, 20 years later, I understand why; the convoluted map and quest design and cut content has you traveling back-and-forth a ton to figure out where you need to go and when.”
- “The NPC and story are typical classic old school style with simple messages like those classics in the 80’s and 90’s games with subtle clues, so don’t go expecting a deep cast or story.”
- “It would be nice if the quests told you where the quest giver was so you could remind yourself of what you are doing.”
gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
The gameplay remains largely unchanged from the original PlayStation version, featuring smooth controls and nostalgic mechanics, with the addition of convenient save points and a rewind feature that enhances the experience. While some players appreciate the classic charm and the over 100 mini-events, others criticize the lack of modern updates, such as widescreen support and customizable keybinds. Overall, the gameplay is solid and enjoyable for those who can overlook its outdated graphics and minor sound issues.
- “Gameplay-wise, it's nice to be able to save anywhere and the rewind feature has been great for when I'm feeling impatient with some of the trickier platforming sections.”
- “The gameplay is still very solid, and if one can see past the 'outdated' graphics, the charm and fun of the game will be quite apparent.”
- “It’s a unique game with odd mechanics including over 100+ mini events to do, some requiring using cryptic messages from NPCs, finding items, acquiring an ability, solving minor puzzles, or finding people.”
- “The only real changes to the gameplay are being able to save wherever you want and the rewind feature, and both of those are nice, but it's still pretty much the same game that released on PlayStation, for better or worse.”
- “It has no widescreen support, terrible keybinds on keyboard (with somehow Xbox glyphs being shown during gameplay) that you cannot rebind from the game, the simplest CRT filter known to mankind, and a save state/rewind functionality that any emulator could've provided you in the last 20 years.”
- “There are even videos that clearly show the gameplay is visually unchanged and clearly an emulation.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users experiencing significant performance drops and random lag, while others report smooth gameplay without any issues. Overall, many players find the game playable and free of stuttering, suggesting that performance may vary depending on the hardware used.
- “Additionally, I haven't noticed any marked performance issues while playing, either.”
- “Cutscenes and videos play fine, and performance seemed great.”
- “That being said, I personally have had no issues with performance.”
- “Dropped in performance quite a bit and would just start lagging randomly then stop.”
- “The reviews saying that there are many performance issues are likely on a laptop from the stone age.”
- “Performance-wise, it was playable.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and creative elements, which many players find hilarious. Some users noted the amusing decision to remove certain features, such as text speed adjustments and the complete removal of Japanese, adding to the game's comedic charm.
- “It's so quirky, creative, and hilarious.”
- “It's so quirky, creative, and hilarious.”
- “It removed some minor features like adjusting text speeds, and removed Japanese entirely, which is just kind of funny.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game demonstrates significant stability improvements over the original, particularly on the Steam Deck. However, players have reported occasional glitches, such as characters floating oddly when hit.
- “It runs so much better than the original and performs excellently on the Steam Deck.”
- “I have noticed a few weird glitches where my character will float in a strange way when getting hit, almost like he is wearing a parasol and a gust of wind caught him.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's whimsical atmosphere leaves a lasting impression, with players consistently appreciating its captivating visuals even after many years. This enchanting environment enhances the overall experience, making it a memorable aspect of the game.
- “This whimsical atmosphere has stuck with me for 20 years, and I still couldn’t help myself from just enjoying the visuals in my most recent playthroughs.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect to be somewhat tedious, particularly due to the repetitive nature of back-and-forth tasks, though it is not considered a significant issue.
- “Nothing major, but it can be a little tedious when you go back and forth.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a lazy cash grab, indicating a lack of effort in providing value to players while prioritizing profit.
- “Unfortunately, this is a lazy cash grab.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

Tomba! Special Edition is a action game.

Tomba! Special Edition is available on PC and Windows.

Tomba! Special Edition was released on July 31, 2024.

Tomba! Special Edition was developed by Limited Run Games.

Tomba! Special Edition has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its optimization.

Tomba! Special Edition is a single player game.

Similar games include Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return Special Edition, Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series, Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, The Disney Afternoon Collection and others.

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