You need to play this underrated PS1 classic on Nintendo Switch
The original PlayStation birthed lots of iconic franchises. From Crash Bandicoot to Gran Turismo to Tomb Raider to Resident Evil, many series that got their start in this era are some of gaming’s biggest franchises today. Other games released around this time were just as good as those classics but not as lucky when it came to commercial and long-term success. One prime example of this is Tomba, a cult classic that first released in North America in 1998 but just got a new lease on life.
Tomba is an ambitious 2.5D platformer from Whoopee Camp that’s still a joy to play today because of its freeing structure and satisfying platforming. When I stumbled upon the PSP classics re-release game years ago, I was astounded that Tomba wasn’t more popular. Is it because it played from a 2D perspective and not in 3D like Crash Bandicoot? Or was its main character just not as immediately appealing as Lara Croft of Spyro the Dragon? Whatever the reason Tomba didn’t go mainstream is, I’m still disappointed that this series was relegated to cult classic status after just one sequel.
That’s why I’m also thankful that Limited Run Games just released Tomba! Special Edition on PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. While I don’t expect Tomba to throw Mario to the wayside anytime soon, I’m glad there’s now an easy way to play this fantastic experience.
An open-ended platformer
Like most mascot platformers from its era, Tomba puts players in the shoes — or bare feet, in this case — of its titular character as they set off on an entertaining adventure full of obstacles for them to jump over, around, and through. In this case, a golden bracelet that belonged to Tomba’s grandfather was stolen by some evil pigs, so Tomba sets out to defeat the seven evil pigs in charge and get it back.
The overarching story isn’t that original, but the writing in Tomba is hilarious and still holds up today. One of my favorite early game bits is Tomba learning the language of dwarfs by jumping on and grabbing
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