Tomba! Special Edition

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 171 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 171 reviews
music positive mentions
monetization negative mentions
  • Tomba is a nostalgic classic that retains its charm and fun gameplay, making it a joy to revisit for fans of the original.
  • The addition of features like saving anywhere and a rewind function enhances the experience, making it more accessible for new players.
  • The remastered soundtrack offers a fresh take on the original music, while players can still switch back to the classic tracks for a nostalgic experience.
  • The port is criticized for being a lazy emulation of the original game, lacking significant graphical improvements or modern features.
  • There are numerous bugs and issues, such as audio problems with the remastered soundtrack and glitches that affect gameplay.
  • The game suffers from long loading times and a lack of customization options for controls, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • music104 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players preferring the original soundtrack over the remastered version due to various bugs and awkward looping issues that detract from the experience. While the remastered music is praised for its quality and the option to switch back to the original is appreciated, players have reported problems such as music cutting out, starting during loading screens, and affecting gameplay immersion. Overall, the original soundtrack is often recommended for a more nostalgic and seamless experience, despite the remastered version being a notable addition.

    • “Switch on the original soundtrack and just let yourself experience this masterpiece.”
    • “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.”
    • “Not only that, but the 'remastered' soundtrack is bugged.”
    • “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.”
    • “The remastered option allows you to listen to the remastered music during gameplay, well it's only part true.”
  • graphics37 mentions

    Overall, the graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of significant updates or remastering. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm of the original visuals, others criticize the grainy appearance and outdated design, feeling that the remastered version did not meet expectations for graphical improvements. Despite these critiques, a few players noted that the blend of 3D environments and 2D spritework still holds a certain appeal, particularly for those seeking a nostalgic experience.

    • “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.”
    • “The graphical fidelity of the emulation is pretty much up to snuff with the likes of DuckStation, so this is quite crisp and very clean.”
    • “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 on spotlights 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.”
  • story18 mentions

    The game's story is characterized by a blend of classic RPG elements and a straightforward narrative, featuring a variety of quests that can be both engaging and frustrating due to their convoluted design and missable content. Players appreciate the nostalgic feel reminiscent of 80s and 90s games, though the NPC interactions and overall plot depth are considered simplistic. The mix of 2D and 3D platforming adds a unique twist, but the quest structure can lead to confusion and backtracking.

    • “I played this game for hours, picking up quests (called events), hunting down the evil pigs, and putting the world to right.”
    • “If you like what you see in the trailer video or silly story-filled metroid-likes, then this game is for you.”
    • “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.”
    • “Its an entirely missable quest if you break it, and it never returns.”
    • “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 is 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.”
  • gameplay15 mentions

    The gameplay retains the core mechanics of the original game, featuring a rewind function and the ability to save anywhere, which enhances the experience, especially during challenging sections. While some players appreciate the nostalgia and solid gameplay, others criticize the lack of modern updates, such as widescreen support and customizable controls. Overall, the gameplay is functional and enjoyable for fans of the classic, despite some technical issues and limitations.

    • “The rewind mechanic is a great touch for this classic gem.”
    • “Gameplay-wise it's nice to be able to save anywhere and the rewind 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.”
    • “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.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    Overall, user experiences with optimization vary significantly; while some report random lag and performance drops, others find the game playable with no noticeable issues, particularly on more modern hardware. Cutscenes and videos are generally well-received, indicating that performance is stable for many players.

    • “Performance-wise, it was playable.”
    • “Additionally, I haven't noticed any marked performance issues while playing, either.”
    • “Cutscenes and videos play fine, and performance seemed great.”
    • “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 from a laptop from the Stone Age.”
    • “Performance-wise, it was playable.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized as quirky, creative, and hilarious, though some players find it amusing that certain features, like text speed adjustments and Japanese language support, have been removed.

    • “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.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability has significantly improved compared to the original, with smooth performance on platforms like the Steam Deck. However, some users have reported minor glitches, such as characters exhibiting unusual floating behavior during hits.

    • “It runs significantly better than the original and performs excellently on the Steam Deck.”
    • “The game maintains a smooth frame rate throughout, providing a stable and enjoyable experience.”
    • “I've experienced no crashes or major bugs, making for a very stable gameplay experience.”
    • “I have noticed a few weird glitches where my character will float in a strange way when getting hit, almost like he is holding a parasol and a gust of wind caught him.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress without losing progress.”
    • “I experienced several instances of the game freezing, which disrupts the overall gameplay experience.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy has been criticized as a lazy cash grab, indicating that it prioritizes profit over player experience.

    • “Unfortunately, this is a lazy cash grab.”
    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game's whimsical atmosphere leaves a lasting impression, with players consistently appreciating its captivating visuals even after many 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.”
  • 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 repetitive and lacks variety, making it a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
    • “I find myself spending too much time on grinding instead of actually enjoying the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
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