Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return
- November 24, 2000 14:47 PM PST
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It's hard to describe Tomba 2!: The Evil Swine Return without saying "it's just hard to explain," but Sony and Whoopie Camp have served up an intriguing and bizarre sequel to one of the oddest games in the history of platformers.
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I Smell Bacon
You may have thought you vanquished the Evil Pigs in Tomba!, but they're back, and this time they've kidnapped Tomba's childhood friend, Tabby. You must guide Tomba through some of the PlayStation's best-looking real-3D 2D landscapes (read on? that'll make sense) to save Tabby. Along the way you'll encounter various characters that will give you quests to do, rewarding you with items or money or more quests. The first Tomba! was a milestone: the first quest-based 2D/3D platformer. Now Tomba! 2 brings those classic Tomba! chops to a much more impressive 3D world.
In Tomba! 2, you have a helper named Zippo who pops out of your pocket from time to time and gives you advice. You'll run, jump, swing, flip, and climb your way through the over 70 various quests, gaining a crude version of experience points which gain you access to certain treasure chests throughout the world. You have complete access to return to most areas, allowing you to finish quests you may have missed earlier. The emphasis on quests sets Tomba! 2 apart from any other 2D-platformer on the market.
Wild Jungle Shenanigans
Tomba! 2 boasts some of the best graphics available on the fading PSX, with wild and colorful environments that swoosh, pan, and scroll as Tomba moves within them. Rather than being purely 2D, Tomba! 2's environments are rendered in true 3D, while Tomba himself moves stricly on 2D planes. What this means is that at certain points you're given the chance to walk up a ladder or along a railway that's perpendicular to the direction you were headed, and the camera will pan to make the new direction the "official" 2D plane. It has to be seen to be understood, but it's definitely a cool effect, even if the camera angles could use a little tweaking to make the game more playable.
Tomba controls well, and making him jump, run, climb and swing is a snap. There are a few tiny problems, though, like trying to land a jump too close to a climbable wall (you'll latch on to the wall if you get too close), and the 2D-plane-shift is awkward until you get the hang of it. Overall, Tomba! 2 controls fine.
The music in Tomba! 2 is basically frisky-but-generic background tunes with a touch of a jungle beat, and they generally sound nice. Sound effects consist of cartoony accents to Tomba's movements; they're nothing to complain about. The biggest surprise is the quality of the voice acting. Every character speaks with a voice that's at least as good as anything you'll hear in a Saturday morning cartoon - though Tomba himself speaks only in grunts.
"It's Just Hard To Explain"
Tomba! 2 may be a hard game to explain, but it's an easy game to like. Its off-the-wall theme and storyline should keep you interested long after most other games would wear off, and the multitude of quests will keep you busy for a long, long time. If you're looking for a bizarre, cartoony and fun adventure, take a look at Tomba! 2.
