by Oliver Linton
Released in Europe in 1993, and re-released on the Virtual Console in 2008, for the Mega Drive and developed by Sunsoft, this side-scrolling shooter promises a blast to anybody who decides to play it. The plot is told via cutscenes near the beginning and can be surmised thusly: O-papa, the protagonist’s Father was fatally (not faithfully as the game’s text may have you think) wounded by the Dark Menon force, who threatened to take over the Fantasy Zone, and could yield to no other than, you guessed it, Opa-Opa, the main character. The ending is not quite as dark as Rolo to the Rescue but I am sure the thought was there.
Released in Europe in 1993, and re-released on the Virtual Console in 2008, for the Mega Drive and developed by Sunsoft, this side-scrolling shooter promises a blast to anybody who decides to play it. The plot is told via cutscenes near the beginning and can be surmised thusly: O-papa, the protagonist’s Father was fatally (not faithfully as the game’s text may have you think) wounded by the Dark Menon force, who threatened to take over the Fantasy Zone, and could yield to no other than, you guessed it, Opa-Opa, the main character. The ending is not quite as dark as Rolo to the Rescue but I am sure the thought was there.
The gameplay is brilliant if you are in to shoot ‘em ups, perhaps a tad simple compared to the shmups that crop up these days but it still has its moments, and the casual player would be greeted with a certain amount of difficulty when playing for the first time. The object of the game is to destroy the scattered enemy bases in a given level, whilst evading enemies and enemy fire and collecting gold, which can be spent on upgrades and other items in the shop. When all the bases are destroyed, the boss appears and, as if by magic, a boss battle commences.
As stated, there is some degree of challenge but the fun comes from the strange peculiarities that frequent the levels including a sentient ship, a pumpkin as a boss, and a shop contained within a balloon of some sort. A running theme contained within this nostalgia bucket is the strangeness that seems inherent in all the games that inhabit it, probably just my preference really… The levels are diverse and the colours are bright and shiny (except the dark cave level where the colours are dark and well dark). The shop provides an opportunity to purchase items that can help progress or potentially hinder progress if say like me you purchase the turbo jet and shoot off hull over heels (the ship has heels) into an enemy. Some items allow for safer travel throughout a particular level, for example the torch lights up the aforementioned dark cave level, and rubber boots allow Opa-Opa to stand on an electrified floor in a later level. The bosses also present some hardship but they remain fun, nothing especially innovative but nothing lacking in creativity either, which is my main gripe with Tombi. All of the above creates an interesting and dynamic gameplay experience. You can see what I mean below.
As stated, there is some degree of challenge but the fun comes from the strange peculiarities that frequent the levels including a sentient ship, a pumpkin as a boss, and a shop contained within a balloon of some sort. A running theme contained within this nostalgia bucket is the strangeness that seems inherent in all the games that inhabit it, probably just my preference really… The levels are diverse and the colours are bright and shiny (except the dark cave level where the colours are dark and well dark). The shop provides an opportunity to purchase items that can help progress or potentially hinder progress if say like me you purchase the turbo jet and shoot off hull over heels (the ship has heels) into an enemy. Some items allow for safer travel throughout a particular level, for example the torch lights up the aforementioned dark cave level, and rubber boots allow Opa-Opa to stand on an electrified floor in a later level. The bosses also present some hardship but they remain fun, nothing especially innovative but nothing lacking in creativity either, which is my main gripe with Tombi. All of the above creates an interesting and dynamic gameplay experience. You can see what I mean below.
The soundtrack is great. Nothing more needs to be said, although I do know some people who don’t share my tastes in the OST so perhaps I am mistaken, but I feel that each level has a catchy, upbeat tune that blends into the overall nature of the game, and the boss theme is equally fitting with a sense of urgency as best as the Mega Drive sound chip could manage, which is all I can ask for. As I stated prior, I think there are some good tracks but others may call bullship (insert rapturous applause for another bad joke, though I stress this is not an elephant joke, despite male elephants being called bulls, I swear it was unintentional…)
Join us next time for another look in the Bargain Bin
Anyway, this leads me to my conclusion, I think this is a good game worth playing. You, however, may not agree and so as per usual, your thoughts and all that are appreciated and encouraged.
Take advantage of our comment section below if you feel like venting. Thanks for stopping by!
Take advantage of our comment section below if you feel like venting. Thanks for stopping by!
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