Tomba! Special Edition PS5 Review. Thanks again to the efforts of the team at Limited Run Games, another legacy title of cult fame has been given the chance to jump onto a new platform and gain a new audience. In the case of Tomba! Special Edition, that jump is closely followed by a bite and a throw into a beautifully remastered 2.5D platformer from the original PlayStation.
In typical Limited Run fashion, this new version of the game almost immaculately preserves the game for a new generation while offering a staggering amount of supplementary material for both returning players and those who have less of a nostalgic connection. In that way, Tomba! Special Edition is more than a rerelease, it’s a borderline time capsule.
Tomba! Special Edition Review (PS5) – A Charming Classic Returns
A Jump, Bite and a Throw Away
Tomba! has always been a unique instance of the 2D platformer and was especially unique at the time. Forgoing the traditional level-to-level platforming and just reaching a goal, Tomba! instead chooses to focus on exploration and slower-paced platforming through a connected world. On paper, this sounds like a distinct and standout way to set itself apart from its contemporaries on the same system.
Missions often involve searching for particular items before being allowed to progress beyond a roadblock and solving riddles in order to receive a reward. Compared to other platformers, this emphasis on exploration teeters on slipping into Metroidvania territory. Backtracking is a core part of the Tomba! experience – with each area being connected through hidden shortcuts and paths. This even evolves into jumping into the background and foregrounds of the environments you explore, becoming another instance of the 2.5D platformer.
On top of this are RPG-adjacent mechanics of finding and equipping items to enhance your abilities. As someone who wasn’t around when Tomba! first hit the scene in 1997, I was surprised to see such a focus on finding and using items throughout the world. Instead of jumping over areas and forgetting them soon after, I found myself being forced to learn the items on each screen to complete hidden objectives offered by a variety of colourful characters.
Bursting With Charm
The charm of Tomba! remains strong with this special edition. The original game is already bursting with colourful and unique enemies and a style that feels ripped right out of a 90s anime series. The gameplay employs a distinct mix of 2D rendered sprites against 3D backgrounds and each environment feels well-realised and relatively fun to explore (forgiving some slippery controls).
This collection features a fully remastered soundtrack that brings the classic tunes into a modern era with far clearer audio and new instrumentation to contrast the synths of the original. That original soundtrack is also included in this release of the game, so purists can enjoy the game as they remembered way back when. In either version, the soundtrack is full of memorable tunes that manage to fit the areas they play in, if slightly too repetitive.
(Generously, some of these songs have loops of around 30 seconds – with some repeating themselves even before that point. It’s certainly repetitive, if by obligation.)
From the expressive 2D animations peppered throughout the campaign to the sprite work, Tomba as a character is incredibly appealing and manages to stand out among a sea of other platformer mascots. As someone without the nostalgic connection to either Tomba! game, I’m sad that I wasn’t introduced to this feral caveboy that bit sooner. And I can’t help but feel even sadder that it’s taken this long for him to make his return on modern platforms.
Shifting Standards
Over 25 years since its launch, standards for game design have shifted in some significant ways. And while there is still space for ambiguous objectives and confusing riddles in the modern gaming space, I found Tomba! dipped far too liberally into downright confusion and tedium with some of its design. Simple things that should have been communicated felt like they weren’t in a lot of cases.
Objectives and items are generally left up to the player to puzzle out and I found myself running into walls far more often than I would have liked. And each one feels like something that could have been addressed in his remaster. While some might appreciate the lack of signposting, I would have liked there to be some indication if I had missed a particular item or line of important dialogue.
Rarely for me, I found myself making legitimate notes on where I had been and what items I had found in case I needed to refer to a guide out of frustration – which isn’t something I admit lightly. Whether this comes down to me being used to modern conveniences, I found myself struggling with some aspects of the game. These interruptions weren’t ever enough to totally discourage me from playing Tomba!, but the game definitely felt like a PlayStation 1 game – in more ways than one.
Old Meets New
That isn’t to say that Tomba! doesn’t have any new tricks up its sleeve! There are more than a few modern conveniences that help to smooth out the experience overall. Most significant is the decision to allow players to save at any point during their gameplay. The original game had you save through periodic signposts that are far from obvious at a glance. This has been (rightfully) removed and replaced by the lifesaving ability to pause and save the game at any time – with a slightly clunky save state feature.
You can still choose to save the old way if you want to preserve the original experience, but this is much better for a pick-up and play session.
On the same line as this, the ability to rewind time with the simple press of a button is a great addition that massively helps in reducing some of the frustration that can arise out of some particularly slippery moments. While I know some may turn their noses up at this kind of feature, it ultimately comes down to the player’s choice as to if they want to use it.
If it means anything – I certainly used it.
With these small improvements to the overall experience, I found that other frustrations were being unfortunately highlighted as I questioned “why weren’t these fixed?”. The lack of a comprehensive in-game map feels especially out of date and doesn’t mesh with the other modern features that have been included here. While those features were closer to quirks in emulation, I would have still liked to have seen the remaster go a little bit further in this respect.
An Interactive Time Capsule
The game part of Tomba! Special Edition is only half of the story, as a staggering collection of development materials and concept art is stashed away in the gallery menu. More and more developers are becoming comfortable with sharing the history of their development and it stands as a great way to preserve history for the ages.
Absolutely everything about the original game is contained here for interested players to comb through. From the box art of the original game for all regions to concept sketches of areas and characters, all the way to exclusive interview footage.
This part of the remaster is exhaustive and full of goodies for longtime fans to engage with. You could argue that it could be presented in a bit more of an elegant way, but the important thing is that these materials are preserved above all else.
That sentiment rings true for this rerelease of Tomba! in general – I’m glad it’s here and preserved for future generations. For all of the archaic design choices from the period, Tomba! still stands as a distinct platformer that is valuable from a historical perspective if nothing else. An underappreciated part of PlayStation’s history is given the chance to shine once again – and that’s good news for everyone.
Tomba! Special Edition is out now for PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch, with a PS4 version following at a later date.
Review code kindly provided by publisher.