Tomba! was first released on the PS1 back in 1997 and was developed by Whoopee Camp. At the time, the game received critical acclaim, praising its 2.5D mechanics and non-linear side-scrolling gameplay, which made it stand out from most platformers. Sadly, the game underperformed commercially. However, the game is considered a ‘cult classic’ and a hidden gem for the PS1. Despite the disappointing sales, demand was enough for Whoopee Camp to release a sequel two years later. Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return came out in 1999 and was again well-received by critics, albeit not quite as much as the first game. Tomba! 2 failed to gain commercial success, and Whoopee Camp disbanded. Since then, there has been no word of Tomba! making a return, until now.
During the Guerrilla Collective 2024 Showcase at this year’s Summer Games Fest, Limited Run Games and Whoopee Camp announced that Tomba! would be making a return for modern consoles and PCs. Tomba! Special Edition is a re-release of the original game with notable, quality-of-life improvements. The game will feature a remastered soundtrack that you can interchange with the classic soundtrack, a brand new save system that lets you save at any point during the game, a rewind function to aid you during more challenging platforming (exactly like NES and SNES games have for Nintendo Switch Online), a collage of concept art from the original game and this remaster, and behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the game featuring Tomba! creator, Tokuro Fujiwara. Limited Run also announced this month that they are producing physical editions of the game for each console it is coming to.
Sadly, this news is underwhelming for Xbox fans. Tomba!: Special Edition will not be released on the Xbox. A rumoured leak of an ESRB rating gave fans hope that Limited Run and Whoopee Camp would be bringing the game to Xbox.
However, Limited Run confirmed yesterday that this is not the case. Replying to a comment on X.com, the company claimed: “Xbox is currently not planned.” They did not rule out the possibility of the game coming to Xbox sometime in the future, but it is not a reality. The story is the same with Tomba! 2: Special Edition. An explanation for Limited Run’s decision is currently unknown. Rumours say the company feels the game would not gain much sales on the Xbox.
Tomba!: Special Edition is coming to PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PCs on August 1st, 2024. Pre-orders are available now on the Limited Run Games website.
Tomba! 2: Special Edition does not yet have a release date. Limited Run Games has announced that more news and updates of the game will come in 2025.
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