Product Info

Platform

Switch 2, Switch, PlayStation 5, PC

Publisher

Limited Run Games

Developer

Limited Run Games, Whoopee Camp

Series

Tomba!

Genre

Action, Adventure, Platform

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

4.6 GB

Release Date (NA)

Dec 15, 2025

Purchase From

eShop

PSN Store

Steam

Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return Special Edition revives a long-forgotten PlayStation sequel for current consoles. While the game features some modern upgrades, this new version still requires some additional polish in order to truly stand out as a special port.

A New Adventure Awaits!

Tomba and his friend Zippo are on a mission to find Tomba’s girlfriend, Tabby, who has gone missing. Clues about the Evil Pigs, the antagonists from the first series, have resurfaced and are causing chaos once again. Could they be behind Tabby’s disappearance? The story is more about a damsel in distress versus the prequel feeling more of an original storyline between Tomba and the Evil Pigs.

You will play as the pink-haired human, Tomba, with Zippo, a small companion who appears during conversations with in-game characters. Along the journey, Tomba and Zippo will encounter new characters and undertake various missions. These missions can assist the heroes in their quests by providing new items like special outfits. These outfits grant unique abilities, similar to those in Super Mario Bros., but with additional traits to aid in your travels. For example, the flying squirrel outfit allows for longer hovering in the air and climbing icicles. Once found, these suits remain with you throughout the game, so there is no need to worry about losing them.

The game presents an abundance of quests that quickly accumulate. Simply discussing a non-playable character attempting to unlock a door can trigger multiple quests within minutes. The game’s menu displays a list of ongoing quests and completed tasks. Additionally, the menu offers options such as changing outfits, accessing held items like a bucket, and more. There are items available to facilitate fast travel, as players can anticipate backtracking to confront Evil Pigs or fulfill missions.

A 3D Perspective

Those who grew up in the ‘90s will dive into nostalgia, reminiscing about their times battling against the Evil Pigs and navigating different 3D planes to solve puzzles. Similar to the prequel, Tomba 2! is a platformer that interacts between the back and front paths. The sequel uses more polygon shapes and additional visual depth when exploring these paths. Navigating between paths in the 3D environment requires a command prompt when Tomba is standing in the right location. It’s not a free-styled 3D platform like Super Mario 64. Camera angles also get in the way and are fixed in certain views, making the experience more difficult than it should be. Veterans will be familiar with how the controls work and pick it up quicker than newcomers.

Controlling Tomba feels stiff, and players have to be quite precise with their input actions. Understanding the mechanics of how Tomba maneuvers takes some time to adjust, such as swinging from one pole to another or jumping onto a new platform without falling to their deaths. Camera angles contribute to some of these cheap deaths.

The game itself is entertaining for fans and those who enjoy retro platformers. Wandering around from area to area, layers of secrets, fun soundtrack, and its unique visual perspective make it an entertaining title.

A Straight Port

Tomba! 2 offers some additional enhancements such as screen sizes, filters, borders, the ability to save anywhere, and rewind while playing to backtrack silly mistakes. However, it could use more improvements.

When comparing the original PlayStation version to the latest port, it feels like the Special Edition didn’t make as many adjustments and kept it more in line with the original, but with cleaner visuals that look sharper on modern televisions. Game mechanics, camera angles, and menu setups feel the same as the original and could have used more attention to make it more user-friendly. For example, adding a feature to look up game controls instead of showing them only once before starting or returning to your game.

Sound effects are available in the game’s menu allowing users to change the voice acting on or off, or adjust the sound effect and background music volume. However, if you want to change the volume or toggle the voice acting, you have to quit the game and return to the menu if you want to change them again.

Players can also choose between the Japan or United States original soundtrack before starting to play. However, once you start, you cannot change it again, which may feel limiting and not as user-friendly. The ability to change soundtracks and audio levels should be available in the special edition menu during gameplay that lets you adjust screen sizes.

After experiencing the first two Tomba! games with their unique gameplay style, a new title using today’s software would be something special and welcome. Hopefully, players will see this come to fruition in the near future.

The Final Pig

Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return Special Edition brings back a beloved sequel with cleaner polygon visuals and some modern conveniences. However, it still carries outdated mechanics and lacks additional enhancements that prevent it from standing out as a top-notch port. It’s a nostalgic delight for fans but newcomers may have difficulty picking this one up.

A PlayStation 5 review code provided for this review. Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return Special Edition is available now for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC.