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Tomb Climber

Published by Magic Storm Games
Price $8.00
Download
Primary Genre Secondary Genre

You are world-renowned archaeologist, Dr. Smith and you have a daunting mission ahead of you. Recent expeditions in Egypt have uncovered new passages beneath the Pyramids and you must go forth and explore them all. So, pack up your survival gear and weapons for you have a journey that will take you throughout Egypt which will includes Giza, Saggara, Luxor, Thebes, Memphis, and Karnak. Ready? OK, lets go!

They did the mash... ...the Monster Mash...

Tomb Climber is a jump-and-run game of the 2D variety. Explore, collect treasures, and avoid the deadly monsters. Controls consist of the arrow keys and a few others for firing weapons and pausing the game. As you finish each tomb, you're given an unlock code to the new tomb so that you do not have to start from scratch each time you run the game.

The graphics of Tomb Climber are both colorful and well done, exactly what one might expect from this genre. Perhaps this is a bit of an understatement on my part, so perhaps this is a bit better: the graphics met my expectations and more! It is clear to me that Magic Storm had fun creating not just the mazes to explore, but also in creating the beasties you'll be encountering during your explorations. So much fun in fact that the developer included a Bestiary of the monsters that you will encounter referred to as the "Freakshow". The graphics are A+ work, making this game fun to look at.

...it was a Graveyard smash!

I've played a good many jump-and-run games over the years ranging from Donkey Kong to Sonic the Hedgehog and a myriad of Freeware titles. As well, I'd have to say that the music and sound of this game is well done (the pain-ridden scream of Dr. Smith upon his demise is a nice touch). Spooky music sets the mood for this game and sets it well it does!

Tomb Climber asserts itself as a very playable game. What I found made this game playable and fun was that there is an overall goal to the game (avoid/kill beasts, grab treasure, and discover routes to further tombs) and not just "running and jumping". Tomb Climber is a game skirting the edges of an RPG which adds to the fun and addictiveness of the game.

Tomb Climber offers a great deal to players, though not really anything new. As I mentioned earlier, "jump-and-runs" have been around a long time and there are hundreds to choose from. I'm not entirely convinced there is new territory and innovation to explore in this genre, however, Tomb Climber is without a doubt a quality production and it is worth your time and money if you are itching for a fun game.

I read that Tomb Climber was nominated for a 2006 Shareware Industry Award in the Best Action/Arcade Game category. As I downloaded Tomb Climber I was not sure what to expect. "Oh please," I recall thinking to myself, "not a Lara Croft-like game." Thank goodness it's not. Tomb Climber is a fun romp and I'm glad that we crossed paths. Tomb Climber was indeed deserving of the aforementioned nomination, as it is an excellent example of a well-made "jump-and-run". Now stop reading and go and play!

Graphics 82%
Sound 75%
Playability 80%
Longevity 76%
Overall Score 78%
Silver Star

Published on 03 Nov 2006
Reviewed by David Simpkins

Keywords: tomb climber review, magic storm games reviews, magic storm games games, tomb climber scores, pc game reviews, indie game reviews, independent gaming.