Tomba! Special Edition

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 259 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • story
Tomba! Special Edition Game Cover
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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.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 259 reviews
music18 positive mentions
atmosphere3 negative mentions
  • Nostalgic experience that brings back fond memories from the PS1 era.
  • Quality of life improvements like save anywhere and rewind features enhance gameplay.
  • The remastered soundtrack and additional documentary content are appreciated by fans.
  • The port suffers from technical issues, including long loading times and music glitches.
  • Lack of graphical updates and no widescreen support make it feel like a lazy emulation.
  • Some players experience launch issues, making the game unplayable for certain users.
  • music121 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the remastered soundtrack for its quality and nostalgic value, while others criticize its implementation, noting glitches, awkward looping, and issues with audio syncing during gameplay. Players appreciate the option to switch back to the original soundtrack, which remains a favorite for its charm and familiarity, but express disappointment over bugs that affect the overall experience. Overall, while the remastered music adds a fresh touch, it is marred by technical issues that detract from the enjoyment.

    • “I love the remastered soundtrack as well!”
    • “The music of the haunted mansion encapsulates a very foreboding aura.”
    • “The remastered music is really nice, but you can switch back to the classics whenever you feel like it.”
    • “However, the same can't be said for the original music soundtracks as I was quite disappointed to see that there was a noticeable slowdown that made some songs sound quite glitchy and generally unpleasant to listen to, unlike the remastered soundtracks.”
    • “The 'remastered' soundtrack, a mix of actually-remastered versions of the original music and poorly done remixes, is awkwardly faded into the game - which is made all the more blatant when you switch to using the original soundtrack and it syncs up perfectly with the game.”
    • “The original soundtrack is available but you have to manually switch over to it every time you boot up the game and certain Steam achievements won't pop if you're listening to the original soundtrack, which was annoying.”
  • graphics45 mentions

    Overall, the graphics of the game received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of significant updates or remastering. While some appreciated the nostalgic charm and smooth performance, others criticized the visuals as outdated and wished for enhancements akin to modern remakes. The inclusion of additional artwork and a museum feature was noted positively, but many felt that the graphical fidelity did not meet contemporary standards.

    • “Charming graphics and ridiculously fun.”
    • “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.”
    • “I admit that my expectations for this special edition were perhaps a bit higher than the final result; I was hoping for a bit of a graphical makeover so that the colors and lines would be more refined in the picture and would also be more striking to the eyes.”
    • “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.”
  • story31 mentions

    The story of the game is characterized by a series of engaging fetch quests that, while sometimes convoluted, are made enjoyable through exploration and interaction with charming characters. Players appreciate the nostalgic, old-school style of storytelling, though some express frustration with the quest tracking and map navigation, which can lead to confusion and missed opportunities for completion. Overall, the narrative blends platforming and RPG elements, creating a whimsical adventure that appeals to fans of the genre.

    • “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.”
    • “Tomba, or as I remember it as Tombi, was an interesting platformer as it blended 2D and 3D together into 2.5D, but it also threw in some RPG elements like leveling up, side missions, and a mission-based structure like an RPG's storyline.”
    • “Most of the quests are just a long series of fetch quests, but it seems to do it in a fun way that isn't too hard to keep track of as long as you talk to everyone and explore everywhere.”
    • “Now, 20 years later, I understand why; the convoluted map and quest design and cut content have 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 80s and 90s games, with subtle clues, so don’t go expecting a deep cast or story.”
  • gameplay23 mentions

    The gameplay of Tomba Special Edition is a blend of 3D characters on 2D planes, featuring puzzle platforming with Metroidvania elements that encourage exploration and creative problem-solving. While the core mechanics remain faithful to the original PS1 game, enhancements like the ability to save anywhere and a rewind feature improve the experience, although some players note issues with controls and emulation quality. Overall, the gameplay is solid and nostalgic, appealing to fans of the original while offering some modern conveniences.

    • “The gameplay is a neat mixture of 3D characters on 2 separate 2D planes.”
    • “After having played this game for myself and completed it fully, I can confidently say that Tomba Special Edition is a puzzle platformer with some Metroidvania elements incorporated into the gameplay.”
    • “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.”
    • “Unfortunately, due to the nature of these early games designed around such complex structures for gameplay, problems like these were bound to arise despite being a direct emulation of the PS1 game itself.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed feedback; while some users report smooth performance with no significant issues, others have experienced random lag and performance drops. Many believe that the game's emulation effectively preserves its original spirit, but concerns about performance may stem from outdated hardware.

    • “On the subject of emulation, while it may be perceived as a 'lazy' approach to bringing back our most beloved games from decades past, I have to say that LRG did a fairly good job of keeping the game's 'spirit' intact in terms of general performance and emulation bugs.”
    • “That being said, I personally have had no issues with performance.”
    • “Additionally, I haven't noticed any marked performance issues while playing, either.”
    • “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.”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is improved compared to the original, with smooth performance on platforms like the Steam Deck. However, players have reported occasional music glitches in specific areas and some odd character animations during combat.

    • “It runs so much better than the original and performs excellently on the Steam Deck.”
    • “The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
    • “I've experienced no crashes or bugs, making for a very stable gameplay experience.”
    • “A blast from the past, but the music glitches out in a few areas in the Dwarf Forest when the curse is lifted, specifically in the Watch Tower and Charity Square.”
    • “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.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized as quirky, creative, and hilarious, though some players noted the removal of features like text speed adjustment and the complete absence of Japanese adds an amusing twist to the experience.

    • “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.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is described as whimsical and nostalgic, perfectly capturing the essence of adventure games from its era. Players appreciate the visuals and the lasting impact this atmosphere has had on their enjoyment over the years.

    • “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.”
    • “It had a fitting atmosphere to play an adventure game in that era of gaming as a teenager.”
    • “The atmosphere felt flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players in the game world.”
    • “Despite the game's potential, the atmosphere was dull and failed to evoke any real sense of adventure or excitement.”
    • “I found the atmosphere to be lifeless, making it hard to stay engaged with the story and characters.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is noted for its unique blend of action-adventure elements, which allows for a nuanced experience that resonates with players on multiple levels. This combination creates a rich emotional landscape that enhances the overall gameplay experience.

  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy has been criticized as a lazy cash grab, indicating that players feel the game prioritizes profit over quality and player experience.

    • “Unfortunately, this is a lazy cash grab.”
    • “The monetization system feels exploitative and takes away from the overall experience.”
    • “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect to be somewhat tedious, particularly due to the repetitive nature of back-and-forth tasks.

    • “Nothing major, but it can be a little tedious when you go back and forth.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and often detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
    • “I find myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which makes the experience feel monotonous.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
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