Tombi! Special Edition Review – A Pink-Haired Blast from the Past

Originally released on the PlayStation in Japan back in 1997 (with other regions getting it a year later), Whoopee Camp’s Tombi! was one of the 90s’ lesser-known but much-loved platformers. Known as Tombi! in Europe and Tomba! elsewhere, the quirky naming has stuck all the way into its modern revival - now re-released as a ‘Special Edition’ by Limited Run Games.

Like other LRG re-releases, this is essentially the original game dressed up with some welcome quality-of-life upgrades. You can now save anywhere, rewind gameplay when you mess up (perfect for conserving precious lives), and even switch to analog controls. Visually, though, it’s still the same colourful, pixelated world we remember - no flashy remaster here.

An Event-ful Adventure

The story is simple but charming: Tombi’s grandfather’s bracelet has been stolen, and your journey to reclaim it is littered with “Events” - a mix of main and side quests. There are 130 in total, some mandatory, and many easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.

The game doesn’t hold your hand; an “Event Found” pop-up gives you the title, but figuring out what to do next is largely up to you. Sometimes an NPC will drop a vague hint, but most of the time it’s about thorough exploration and interaction - which means a lot of backtracking, whether you like it or not.

When Pigs Fly (Into Bags)

Boss fights are a mixed (pig) bag. Every encounter plays out pretty much the same: jump on the boss pig, then toss them into a Pig Bag to capture them. The main challenge is timing your throw when the bag is open - which can be annoyingly luck-based. Most bosses go down in seconds once you nail the timing, which is a shame, as there could have been a bit more variety in challenge here.

Oddly enough, it’s the regular stages that can feel downright punishing, with plenty of instant-death drops and tricky sections that chew through your lives. One windy area, in particular, will have you muttering unkind things about the little pink-haired hero every. single. time. It’s hard to imagine many kids in the 90s beating this without a lot of frustration.

Shrooms, Jungles, and Laughing Fits

Visually, Tombi! is still a treat — bright colours, oddball environments, and that unmistakable late-90s charm. You can tweak how the game is displayed, choosing different side bar backgrounds to accommodate the old resolution.

The world is split into memorable zones like the Masakari Jungle, Mushroom Forest, and various villages. Mushroom Forest, in particular, stands out for its gameplay-altering fungi — some make Tombi laugh uncontrollably, others make him cry — and both states can make your progress… complicated.

That’s part of the magic (and madness) of Tombi!: you never quite know what’s coming. Quests often feel like wild goose chases, and success means thinking outside the box - sometimes way outside.

Special Edition… or Just Special Enough?

As far as re-releases go, Tombi! Special Edition feels a little barebones. The new Museum mode is a nice bonus, offering concept art, interviews, and other extras, and the remastered music is genuinely great. But beyond that, it’s basically straight-up emulation. With better event tracking and some tightened platforming controls, this could have been an essential modern platformer.

Still, the charm, personality, and sheer oddness of Tombi! hold up, and hunting down all 130 Events is a satisfying challenge - if you don’t mind all the back-and-forth. This re-release makes us even more excited for the eventual arrival of Tombi! 2.

Tombi! Special Edition is available now for £16.69 on the Nintendo eShop.

Final Thoughts

A wild, pig-chasing ride that’s just as charming (and occasionally maddening) as it was in the 90s. Not perfect, but still more than enough to make you oink with joy.

In the end, we decided to give Tombi! Special Edition the Collecting Asylum rating of 8/10.

Are you interested in Tombi!? What do you think of it?
Let us know in the comments below!

- V x

Thank you to Overload PR for the Tombi! Special Edition Switch review code!