Tombi! 2 (aka Tomba! 2): The Evil Swine Return

Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return is a platform game developed by Whoopee Camp and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The game was released in Japan in 1999 and worldwide in 2000. The game is a sequel to Tomba! and centers on the exploits of a pink-haired feral child named Tomba as he attempts to rescue his girlfriend Tabby from a race of anthropomorphic and antagonistic pigs.

The game was received positively by critics, with particular praise going to the visuals and varied objective-based gameplay, with more mixed reception directed toward the audio. Whoopee Camp disbanded following the game’s lackluster commercial performance. The game was re-released on the PlayStation Network in Japan in September 2011, in Europe in November 2012, and in North America in November 2015.

Gameplay
Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return is a side-scrolling platform game in which the player controls the titular character Tomba. Tomba! 2 is displayed in a full three-dimensional perspective in which movement is performed on predetermined linear paths. Whenever Tomba reaches a point where additional paths intersect with his current one, a set of flashing arrows appear above his head. At that point, Tomba can move in any direction that the arrows point. Some areas in the game enable the player to explore them in a top-down view, allowing Tomba to move around freely.

Along with the ability to jump, Tomba can attack enemy characters by leaping onto their back, biting into them and tossing them in a straightforward trajectory. Tomba can increase the variety in his offensive measures by obtaining weapons such as flails, boomerangs and mallets. Throughout the game, different suits that can augment Tomba’s abilities or protect him can be obtained. For example, the flying squirrel suit allows Tomba to glide long distances while the pig suit allows Tomba to communicate with friendly pigs. To reduce backtracking, magical feathers scattered throughout the game can be used to instantly transport Tomba to any area that has previously been visited.

Progress in the game is driven by the completion of a large number of “events”, which are initiated by Tomba interacting with a character or environmental element and being given a task to accomplish or an obstacle to overcome. Such events may consist of finding a lost item, rescuing a stranded character or clearing a blockade in the imminent path. Upon completing an event, the player is rewarded an amount of “Adventure Points”, which can be used to advance toward a new area and unlock specifically-marked chests. The game features an inventory system that compiles the immediate given set of events for review as well as a collection of the items that have been obtained.

Plot
Tomba is brought by his friend Zippo a mysterious letter addressed to him. According to the letter, Tabby, Tomba’s girlfriend, has disappeared. Tomba leaps into the sea in search of her. Tomba and Zippo wind up in a fisherman village where they meet an old man named Kainen. From there they move on to the Coal-Mining Town where Tabby’s house is, but discover that she is unavailable. Gran, a denizen of the Coal-Mining Town, mentions seeing Tabby travel to the Kujara Ranch by trolley, but the trolley she used to travel there returns empty. A panicking trolley worker reveals that the Evil Pigs kidnapped Tabby when she tried to protect a pendant that was given to her by Tomba as a gift. Gran explains that the Evil Pigs have cursed the entire continent, and gives Tomba a red Pig Bag that is capable of capturing the Flame Pig that has cast his spell on the mines.

Tomba ventures throughout the continent gathering the rest of the Pig Bags. He cures the Coal-Mining Town of its inferno by capturing the Evil Flame Pig, cures the Kujara Ranch of its perpetual snowfall by capturing the Evil Ice Pig, cures the Donglin Forest’s gloominess by capturing the Evil Ghost Pig, lifts the Circus Town’s curse (which has turned its citizens into pigs) by capturing the Evil Earth Pig and cures the Water Temple of its perpetual rainfall by capturing the Evil Water Pig. When all of these Evil Pigs have been captured, their leader, the Last Evil Pig, reveals himself to Tomba and tempts him to find his lair. Tomba and Zippo locate the Last Evil Pig in an underground area underneath the Coal-Mining Town, where the Last Evil Pig freezes time in a last-ditch effort to stop Tomba. A final battle against the Last Evil Pig ends with his capture, but he promises his eventual return. Tomba and Zippo find Tabby in the Last Evil Pig’s lair and escape the collapsing area on the back of the flying dog Baron. Following a feast at Tabby’s home, Kainen appears and gives Tomba a tuxedo for him to wear as a reward for going on every adventure possible. Tomba is allowed to pilot the local windmill owner’s new boat to return home. However, Tomba gets involved in an accident on the boat’s maiden voyage.