no, this game isn't called Tomba, & not with the awful flash North American cover. so, with that, let's go.
Tombi is one of my favourite PS1 games ever, i'm talking top 5, & so i just had to make an article going into the reasons why. & before i discuss gameplay, i have to talk about the presentation. the visual style is extremely stand-out & filled with bright colours, but is able to balance between light & dark looks, so that stages don't overwhelm your eyes. though, with all the little details, i'd be surprised if that doesn't happen anyway. the blend of 3D objects & 2D sprites looks really clean. & when i first started up the game, i hadn't yet discovered my love for the gameplay, obviously, but. the thing that stuck out to me the most was the music. specifically the song that plays in the 'Village of all Beginnings'. the soundtrack, as a whole, is so upbeat, catchy, calming, & in certain stages, such as the 'Lava Caves', can get rather eery. most of the time, the songs are pretty silly, but that's just the nature of this game. it's wacky & cartoony, just look at Tombi himself!
now, about that gameplay. Tombi is a 2.5D (cross between 2D & 3D, you can go between foreground & background), side-scrolling Metroidvania (open-world 2D platformer) that also plays out like an RPG, as you go back & forth through levels, find items, & take them to people to progress. i know that doesn't sound great, but don't get me wrong, this backtracking is fun, not only because of the presentation side of everything, but because the whole game is just so unique. Tombi's main abilities are a jump that also functions as an attack (jump on enemies to bite them, then jump again to throw them), a mace (game calls it a blackjack, despite that being a slightly different weapon), the unlockable 'Animal Dash', which is essentially a sprinting ability that can be extra helpful in certain parts of the game, & i don't know, are there any other moves? i'm not seeing anything. stages sometimes have their own little 'gimmicks' to make them stand out EVEN MORE! like the Mushroom Forest, which has these happy & sad mushrooms, which when you collect them, depending on the one you took, will make you either laugh or cry, & some platforms will move up or down accordingly. drug reference? maybe. this mechanic isn't perfect, as for a while after, Tombi will spontaneously laugh or cry, which means you have to stop in place. but i usually avoid that happening by jumping my way everywhere. Tombi has lots of little missions, or 'events', as the game calls them, often involving collecting things, & taking them to someone for a reward, or just generally exploring, & finding some cool things.
there is so much to talk about when it comes to Tombi, & it sucks that this game doesn't get the recognition it deserves. since the game is so expensive nowadays, i bought a demo disc just to be able to own it, i love it so much. & just so you know, i changed my mind on Tombi 2, i like that game.