Remember the classic PS One and the old school days of 2D platformers? I mean the stylish ones, not the crap like Punky Skunk. Amongst the better offerings were Whoopee Camp’s Tomba! games, which provided plenty of thrills with a hysterically cool caveman who would ride pigs and bash enemies all in the name of being a good Samaritan.
Good news, folks – he’s back! While we’re not quite getting the Tomba! 3 that we so deserve (maybe some day), MonkeyPaw Games has announced that it is bringing back the original Tomba! from the PlayStation One days and it’ll arrive on PlayStation Network this summer as a digital download release.
“Sony and MonkeyPaw have a good working relationship,” said John Greiner, speaking to Joystiq about the game release. “I think they appreciate the titles we’ve brought to the Store. And they value the support we give the games. Having a plethora of Japanese content is a distinct advantage PlayStation has over Xbox. But the games still need to be brought Stateside. So our model helps Sony spread their Japanese edge and we help Japanese developers get their titles to a wider audience. Hence, Sony is willing to work with us on titles that may not have otherwise been licensed out. Support is key.”
As for the sequel, “Tomba! 2 is a possibility but we need to really sell Tomba! 1 well before we can extend our relationship. It’s the first time to work with (creator) Tokuro Fujiwara-san so we’re trying to make a good impression. Good sales have a way of opening doors a bit wider.”
We wish them the best of luck. Welcome back, Tomba!
