Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return (PS1, 1999)

• Mostly linear structure (can fight the mines area boss/ghost pig before going to area 5/circus village and fight the first 5 pigs in any order if you can find their doors and have the pig bags+the swimming suit, partially non-linear areas/levels (branching paths and various optional quests and items), 3 optional tower challenge levels (need to have done tower of strength to fully finish tower of wisdom, need mini form to finish tower of courage), have to do various things in a set order in the second area, trolley/minecart ride clues to the boss doors can be picked up before or after area 3, the world structure is also a bit more basic - basically a line from one area to the next with each one connecting to 1-2 others besides the underground mines hub maze (unlocked after beating the flame pig boss) which connects to each area via the black doors)

• Frequent save points (multiple slots, shows time taken and current location+AP+events cleared, can restore your HP and reset platforms by reloading a save), Can quickly reload a save from anywhere via the pause menu

• Some other ability gating

• No area maps or even a world map (see the first game) except for in towns for some reason (no indication that you've cleared an area of its items either, the forest and water temple areas are more maze-like and so is the underground area below the mines which connects to each other area, hard to keep track of certain door and chest locations)

• No lives system here and area progress is kept if you die and pick continue (you respawn where you entered the area)

• The game is more forgiving about falling into water (lose 1 HP and respawn on the previous safe platform - actually too forgiving once you get the mermaid scale (which you can get very early) as you then don't take any damage at all) but not when falling into spikes, When falling into pits or lava you die

• Can't examine quests/events in the quest log to get more info about them - only see the titles, Your flying buddy sometimes helps describe quests/events however you can't review this info

• Skippable FMV cutscenes but not in-game cutscenes of which there are many more (can't skip on a per sentence or scene basis during these either)

• Consumable teleporter items return and are gained early on (magic wings - can teleport between visited areas and save points within them, common item) and later on you unlock fast travel to the forest and mining town via the bell items as well as to any area via the underground mines (however this area is a maze) and with Baron the flying dog if you save him, One shortcut between the ranch area and the water temple area

• Three movement speed upgrades and several life bar upgrades, Two elemental shield items

• Inventory restorative items and quest/puzzle items (some are used automatically; some decent puzzles (some spatial awareness ones too) and various basic ones, highly interactive world overall)

• The game sometimes blurs the line between town and hostile area

• Unlockable "cartoon finale" alternate ending (100% it) and 4 unlockable events/quests (have a save file from the first Tomba game on your Memory Card - at the Grapplejack point or later you'll unlock four extra events which will give a lot of AP each)

• Basic cooking (dry found fish in the sun in the first area, bake/fry food in an oven/burning machine, boil potatoes in the mines, collect ingredients and give them to the chief in coal-mining town to have him make sandwiches for you; ingredients respawn when re-entering areas they're in)

• Shows enemy health bars but only when grabbing them

• Can escape from boss battles w/ teleporter items

• Restoration theme returns - new music and sometimes new NPCs/NPC dialogue and quests in restored areas (the ranch area changes the most as you no longer freeze and snowballs+ice block obstacles disappear, no new enemies or hazards and the ones that were there aren't removed either), No new enemies in previous areas - just the boss doors

• Minor sequence breaking possibilities (can get a 1/2 HP upgrade before getting the grapple in the mines, more?)

• Silent protagonist and non-interactive dialogue

• Placed HP items (these respawn after dying but not from exiting and re-entering an area, no health drops from enemies but you can find and carry HP restoring items), One healing spring

• Can't access the inventory menu while climbing or in mid-air

• Can keep farming mud balls in the mines for gems and consumables

• Unlimited inventory?

• Kill enemies to fill up your MP bar (would encourage aggressive play but the spells are optional besides using them as a key before the finale and never really needed for combat, can also drink found potions to refill it)

• Partial control config with two face button settings only - can't map dash or attack to a shoulder button for example, No camera control

• Limited draw distance on chests - fairly easy to miss some of the optional ones

• 30 FPS (prequel ran at 60 FPS)

Playthrough - Video Review/Analysis - Mini Review

Influenced by: Probably Zelda series, possibly Banjo-Kazooie, Wonder Boy III or SMB3, Ape Escape

Influenced: Possibly Klonoa 2