Tomba! is one of those overlooked games you probably never heard of, and after seeing it, leaves you wondering why you never played it. The main plot is that our hero Tomba is on a quest to find his grandfather's gold bracelet, which was stolen by some evil nasty pigs! Yeah, that is the amazing plot. It's a 2,5D-platformer where you can jump between different depths of the screen! Awesome!!

This run lands in on an in-game timer of 0:34, compared to the SDA-run, which crashes on 0:41, in-game. The real-time of the SDA-run is somewhere around 1 hour and 5 - 9 minutes, whilst mine is 0:52isch.

Used those for recording, it syncs with the sound-plugin.

Movement

Jumping is the fastest way to get around. It's faster than running, and it follows some strange patterns. The rise-pattern is different from the descend-pattern, which is... well... awesome I guess. Picking up pants and equipping them increases running- and jumping speed.

Attacking

Tomba can attack his enemies in several ways, like using the Flail or the Grappling Hook, but the one way to kill them is to lift them up, throw them into something and watch them fall off the screen. Good stuff.

The things that you can interact with. Items, chests (not that kind, pervert), enemies etc.

Items

There are a lot of items in this game. I grab a handful of them, and quite frankly, I'm not entirely sure what they all do. In order of appearance:

A major issue with this game is that you have to talk to people about an event in order for the actual item to appear, causing some nasty detours.

The Village Of All Beginnings

So the game starts! The first quest is to raid the mailbox of the Mansion (Try to remember this mansion, okay?) and then set off to the right! The game freezes almost instantly as Charlie, the monkey, escapes from me. What a little coc... eh, right. I land on the first pig because I have to, and then moves on. The strange way of getting over the green springy thingy is, as ugly as it looks, optimal. Some more talking with the guy with a hat, who must have run around the entire world as he left to the left and appears to the right. Anyway, further on! I had to break the bubbles to get to the platform, and once I get up there I use the Furious Tornado to get rid of the Mist (Yeah, you guys are starting to see where this game is going). I trend past the evil flowers and break the largest egg in the history of mankind, to find a tiny bird, small enough to get stomped by Tomba. I pick it up (Yep, that is how Tomba picks stuff up) and then proceed to the next room where a huge ape is bullying me, then bribes me with me Bananas, and sends me back on the tortoise ._. Not beaten by this, Tomba advances back to the left, further than one can expect, and catches up with Charlie. He's pissed because of the color of my hair, so I give him Bananas. He teaches me an ability which was worth the trip back. Bananas = Animal Dash! Figure out that equation. After getting the most useful ability ever, I progress with the story by breaking more eggs, climbing a mountain, slapping a bird and reaching an old man! He's a 100 years old. That's, really old. The video is unskipable, unfortunately. After puking up the birds and mugging the man, I run away, as fast as I can, and pick up a set of totally gay Charity Wings. I return to the man, hoping that his senility has made him forget that I just stole the key and leap up the rope faster than a slow wind, into the not-so-awesome Dwarf Forest.

Dwarf Forest

New location! Awesome. I jump across the bridge because that is the safest way to cross bridges, then I find the first Dwarf. Oh dear, he is talking and I can't understand a word! Sucks. After the first pretty giant Dwarf flees from me, I carefully ambush the second one, jump on him, forces his head into my crotch and learns a few words of Dwarfish (Most likely "GET OFF OF ME!!" and "RAPE!"), a technique which is horrifyingly close to the one I used to learn German a couple of years back. This process is repeated as I cross the entire forest, and I eventually reach the village. Wasn't The Village a lame ass horror movie? Anyway, all of the dwarfs throw you off in a pre-set direction, which sucks. I progress through the village and reach the Dwarf Elder, who I am not allowed to talk to, because I need to rescue all of the dwarfs lost in the forest. I double back across the village and enters the deep forest, where I find dwarfs in balls. Lulz. I touch their balls to rescue them. Giggles. Ok a serious matter here, I do not fully know how the "Escape dwarf getting happy for being saved"-trick works, but I don't do it where it doesn't work. That's as easy as that. I also find a kid far into the forest and picks him up on my back. I find it hilarious that he cries all the time. I pick up the purple, awesomely hot Jumping Pants which increases my running speed by like 1px/frame and sets a different speed pattern while jumping. I go back to the village and leave the kid because I need the space on my back for later. Once again, out into the middle of nowhere, Tomba enters the forest and makes his way through the balls and spikes, and finally into the cabin where there's a... dog? Wait, what? Oh well, I rescue yet another one of them horrible dwarfs and makes it back out. I climb high in the trees and grabs the doggie and then returns to my quest in beating pigs/saving dwarfs. I get some Charity Wings and then saves the final dwarfs and return to the village with my new dog friend. Next up, the Dwarves want to thank me. And I don't like it. This sequence is unskipable, and the text boxes can not be skipped. Even if you remove them as soon as possible, the Dwarf still stands there and blows Tomba's invisible co... uhm, yeah lots of talking and one of them wants to shake my hand. Jeez. I leave the doggie and name him Baron and gets sent out on a quest to find Healing Herbs for him. Awesome. On to the Elder who actually is helpful and gives me a Pig Bag! Holy shit! That is the best gift ever. Anyhose, progress has to be made so I flee from the village and enter the 100 Flower Forest in search for the princess. What? This isn't SMW? Damn. In search for the gold bracelet then >=(

The 100 Flower Forest

Here, I need to teach an actor to act. Oh yeah! I go and pick up the Happy Mushroom, and then fall and grab a ledge and pull myself up. Doing this disables the otherwise forced laughing sequence for 1 jump. I then glitch myself up (LAUGH AT THE GLITCH) and grab the next ledge and then do the jump to the chest. Breaking it open removes the forced laugh entirely. This was 21 frames faster than taking the laugh, glitching and then normally jumping to the chest. Awesome. I go to the actor Dwarf and LOL him in the face, and then he says "Teach me to cry :<" so I double back and pick up the saddest mushroom at the end of the forest, and with it comes a Healing Mushroom. With great sadness comes great cures! Anywho, back to the actor, cry a bit, make him move, go back, laugh again (This time, the glitch wouldn't have saved time), and move on to the next awesome area.

Phoenix Mountain

This place is awesome while doing it Super Mario Bros-style. From left to right, everything is awesome. Wind in my back etc. Tomba is moving at an incredible speed here. Sooner or later, I reach the end, where I enter the awesome next area.

Lava Caves

This place is so not cool. I only enter to leave again, so that I get this place on my Visited-locations. Also, I get pants.

Phoenix Mountain

This play is horrible while going to the left. The wind is absolutely retarded, and it's a minor miracle that I made it back alive. I step away from the SDA-style and skip the Dashing Pants for now. As I ride the Phoenix, he crashes, and I with him.

Baccus Village

Enter Town Hall, read about baby, leave Town Hall, find baby, enter Town Hall, talk about baby, read about wine, leave Town Hall, leave Baccus Village. Deed done. I do like this catchy tune.

The Haunted Mansion

Jumping with a dude on my back is so much fun! I break a couple of eggs on my way to the lake, nothing big.

Baccus Lake

Go! Fetch the Pipe! Use the Pipe! Leave!

The Haunted Mansion

Doubling back to the village, breaking a few more eggs in the process. The eggs need to be broken in order to reach the 1000 year old man later on.

Baccus Village

Talk to some dudes, and most importantly, the dude in front of the table at the exit. Do note how I hover away from the village.

The Haunted Mansion

Time to do stuff! I've got a huge checklist, collect 5 Key Parts, get a Small Key, break a shitload of eggs AND get home in time for dinner. After breaking all of the eggs, I can finally break the egg behind the door which is locked with the Small Key. Doing that removes flames which were in front of the 1000 year old man. He gives me a key! And I show my gratitude by flying away to the Lava Caves. My overall route here is different from the SDA-run but mine is measured to be faster by 800 or so frames.

Lava Caves

Another Pig Bag!

Phoenix Mountain

A Grapple!

Baccus Village

Treasure Chest raiding. The chest appeared when I talked to the dude before leaving the last time around.

The Haunted Mansion

I laugh at the door, and it opens. Reminds me of Johnny English. Anyway, it's time for a boss! Yes, that is a boss fight. You catch a pig, and toss it into a bag. Done deed. The fire at the Lava Caves dies a horrible death after this. I use all of the Large Key Panels, get a Large Key, use the Healing Mushroom and equip the grapple! Wow this part fucked up the music. I go and get another Pig Bag, then moves on to the Lava Caves.

Lava Caves

All I do is leave. I feel bad about it.

Phoenix Mountain

I go get the Dashing Pants! About time. I also get Healing Herbs for my doggie, and a Red Evil Pig Bag! Then, I set off to the Lava Caves. Again.

Lava Caves

Another awesome boss battle. This one clears the Haunted Mansion, un-haunting it. After that, I run around in the caverns, picking up Bunk Flowers. I need 5 of them to heal the Phoenix. I do get them, and then climb the top of Phoenix Mountain. Here, I feed the bird the flowers, and all is well! This time, he doesn't crash, and instead drops me off in the Deep Jungle.

Deep Jungle

Here, I jump across the entire jungle in like 10 seconds. I pick up Bananas and almost drown. Charlie saves me. Charlie is a good man. Or ape. He also gives me a hat which I can use as I take damage back (Running is for wusses) and give the big man his hat. I then am allowed into the Village of Civilization.

Village of Civilization

The main quest here is to restore the power in the engine room. Before I can do that, I need to get some juice from the big man, so I climb the tower and turn the Bananas into juice, and then flees the scene.

Deep Jungle

Back to Charlie, I give him my juice, and as a thank you, he teaches me how to swim! Awesome! After that, I fly back to Village of Civilization again.

Village of Civilization

I run up the clock tower again and talk to the big man, he grants me access to the main hall, and once I go there, a dude is crying because the door to the engine room is locked. Oh shit. I go back and talk to the dudes who have captured a... flying jellyfish?! Uh...u...

One of them tells me where there's a bomb for me, so I go and get that bomb. Because bombs are fun.

Deep Jungle

I climb up the first tree I can find, and would you look at that, a bomb AND a pig door! Sweet beans! This boss is pretty nasty, but I can handle it. After beating him, it's back to the village with the bomb.

Village of Civilization

Enter the main hall, and use the bomb. Door opened, problem solved. Tomba moves on his own in the engine room, so I can't run there. After doing all of that, I gain access to the 10000 year old man! Wohoop!

Village Of All Beginnings

I just rush through to the next area. You can not have "animal dash"-speed while getting out of the water.

Trick Village

I jump across the water, fall through the chimney and end up through the door. There's something strange going on here... I think the old man is walking on the wall, but I'm not sure. He tells me about a mermaid and 10 math beads, and I set off, leave through the chimney and pick up a necklace. After collecting it, I teleport away to the Haunted Mansion.

The (no longer) Haunted Mansion

New, awesome music. Here, I run and talk to a mermaid. After giving her the gold, I jump into the water as she starts to talk, making me stand at the bottom of the lake. That could make for an awesome screenshot. She teaches me to dive at this point of the game, I get some Might Fish Food, and then leave the room and teleport back to the old man. The last one of them.

Trick Village

I take damage on purpose to be able to fall down in the water. I get all of the Beads, then teleport back to the house and get the next key! With this, I can open yet another set of Chests. I get back into the water and go for the next Pig Bag. After finding it, I enter a sewer line and ends up in the Jungle.

Deep Jungle

What I do here is pick up the Knowledge Fruit and the next Pig Bag, then I teleport back to Dwarf Village.

I must add that once again my route differs from the SDA-route, but this route is the fastest.

Dwarf Forest

I talk to the lady who took care of Baron and give her the Healing Herbs and the Knowledge Fruit. She then informs me that old friend Baron would be better off if I got him some weed, so I once again have to leave on a quest.

The 100 Flower Forest

I dash all the way to the left, picking up a Charity Wing on the way, and finally reaches the Ape again. This time, he tells me that I can go on a "one way trip" with him. Right. I follow him on his boat to the other side of the sea, and if you remember the Mansion I told you about, well, there it is. Taking the back door and picking up some weed, I finally end up in another Pig's Lair. This pig dies as easily as the other, except I had to throw her twice, because of the place she decided to spawn.

Dwarf Forest

BARON IS ALIVE! Baron is like a set of Charity Wings, except unlimited, and slower. I use him to go back to the Watch Tower-area of the Dwarf Forest, and then turn into the Lower Parts of the forest. Since that place sucks, I leave again. As you might have figured out, I only entered to get the place on my visited list. Once I'm on my way, I enter Charity Square and jump up on the platforms and progress to the next Pig Door! Another boss, sweet beans. Well, he dies. After defeating yet another pig, I go to the Underground Maze and talk to a dude about an unbreakable wire. He tells me that it can be found in the Unhaunted Mansion, so I go there.

The Haunted Mansion

I find the dude who's half my size and tell him to give me the wire. When he refuses, I pout, and he gives it to me. Awesome. Time to hunt pigs!

Village of Civilization

An evil pig has hid inside of the clock tower. This battle is somewhat amusing. I have to follow the vortex to be able to hit the bag. Sucks to be me.

Dwarf Forest

Using the Wire, I can open all doors here and make my way to the really old man. He has a million year old wish, which I grant by slaying the seventh and final pig. Yes, it's over! Do take notice of the DNA-strain following me in this level.

.... or not. It seems that defeating all of the pigs led me to this door, which is locked. And I need to find 7 friends to get it open. What the christ. Well I get 6 friends, most of them I've never seen before, then go back. I use Baron as the final friend and open the door. Behind it is the final pig (Really). Killing him is a breeze, and then I do some talking, and it's game over!

In conclusion, this game kinda reminds me of Final Fantasy XII, where all the hero does is run around doing other people's bidding all the time. Well, that game was good too!

Thanks to:

The SDA-runner first of all. Really nice route. Also everyone who watched my WIPs and told me that the run would be awesome. Holer!

adelikat: Good viewer response. Accepting for publication.

Aktan: Processing...

Spikestuff: Sync Note: In order for this to run on pcsx-rr you must compress the bin/iso to the bz format.