From the Manufacturer
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TOMBA 2: THE EVIL SWINE RETURN delivers a true sequel; it
introduces a new moother learning curve taht makes this the
perfect game for kids 12 and under. With two paths to follow;
young gamers will be taken on a whimsical journey without a
hitch; and more complicated sub-quests will challenge the most
experienced gamers.
Review
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After its predecessor sold surprisingly well, the sequel to
Whoopee Camp's offbeat adventure platformer, Tomba, has finally
arrived. Tomba 2 is pretty much the same game as before, this
time sporting more quests and a spiffy new 3D engine. Fans of the
first game are sure to be pleased with Tomba 2, but those who
didn't care for the original will probably feel the same way
about this title. The evil pigs from the first Tomba game are
back, and only Tomba, that pig-humping wild man, can stop them.
To make matters worse, the evil pigs have kipped Tomba's
"childhood friend," Tabby, and imprisoned her. To find the
grass-skirted tart, Tomba will once again have to brave a panoply
of puzzles, fight through many fetch quests, and bag the evil
pigs. All of Tomba's old friends, including Charles the monkey
and Yan of the Hidden Village, and some new ones, including a new
winged interpreter, Zippo, have followed him to this new island
to help and hinder him Tomba 2, like the prequel, is an unusual
hybrid of the adventure and platform genres. While there's plenty
of swinging, pig humping, and mace hurling to be done, there are
also 137 small quests to complete as well. While moving around
the gameworld, Tomba can talk to people and use items so he can
complete a wide variety of unusual tasks. While the perspective
may be less 2D in appearance, the game still controls in a
largely 2D fashion similar to that of the first game. Tomba moves
along predetermined paths and is prompted to switch to new paths
where additional paths intersect with his current one. For the
most part the camera and perspective are excellent and don't
stand in the way of gameplay, but there are a few frustrating
areas in which you will be required to perform jumps that are
made more difficult by the perspective. Besides this difference,
Tomba's gameplay is still largely the same - Tomba can find a
variety of weapons to help him deal with enemies, he can jump and
wrestle pigs, and he can use items from the sub screen. You can
now find ability-altering suits - a cooler variation of the
swappable pants of the first game - to help Tomba progress
through the game. The flying squirrel suit will let Tomba glide
long distances and the pig suit will let Tomba talk to friendly
pigs, for example. Additionally, Whoopee Camp has made it easier
for Tomba to move around the vast gameworld to complete the
various quests that stand before him. Tomba 2 does have a few
problems, but they're relatively minor. While you should be able
to get through the game without too much trouble, a number of the
game's less necessary puzzles are downright difficult. However,
many times the sheer number of little quests you are bound to run
into will make the game feel a little overwhelming, even with the
help of the adventure journal. Also of some annoyance is the
nature of the pig bosses. Like the disappointing boss battles of
the original game, all you have to do is locate one of the
mystical bags and throw the pig in the bag. These battles
wouldn't be so bad if the boss pacing was a little more regular,
but many of you will probably end up defeating all of the bosses
during the back half of the game, making the battles a little
repetitive and tedious. Tomba 2 is easily one of the
PlayStation's best-looking games. The crisp, colorful 3D world is
alive with detail and animation, making the game feel like a 3D
animated cartoon. The camera pans about smoothly and there are
very few signs of the usual 3D issues found in games of this
type. Tomba 2's music has been reworked from the Japanese release
and retains the reggae-ish timbre of the original title's music,
but for the most part it isn't as repetitive or potentially
annoying as the original's music. Additionally, Sony's
surprisingly competent voice-overs help bring the game's wacky
world and characters to life, something disappointingly absent
from the first game's US release. For the most part, the
localization is clean and complete, something Sony should be
commended for. Tomba 2 may be a repackaging of the original game,
but it's a slick and refined one at that. Fans of the original
game are in for a treat, but not enough has changed to make the
game attractive to those who didn't click with the original.
--Peter Bartholow
--Copyright ©1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written
permission of GameSpot is prohibited. -- GameSpot Review
