Pros & Cons
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- Fun gameplay.
- Challenging boss battles and level designs.
- Versatile attacks.
- Builds on its influences rather than simply copying them.
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- Speed is more often punished than rewarded.
- Unnecessary boss battle requirements.
Tembo the Badass Elephant ($14.99) is frequently compared to the 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog games, as it's published by Sega and features a relentlessly speedy main character. However, developer Game Freak also implemented elements from classic franchises such as Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong Country to create a well-rounded 2D action-adventure platformer that stands apart from the titles that inspire it. I reviewed Tembo the Badass Elephant for PC, but it is also available for PlayStation 4£306.98 at Amazon UK and Xbox One£299.99 at Amazon UK.
Little Town, Big Elephant
The story takes place in Shell City, a populous that's plunged into a state of emergency by an evil force known as The Phantom. The National Army is barely able to handle The Phantom's destruction, so it enlists the aid of an old war buddy, the seven and a half ton Rambo-like elephant known as Tembo, to push back the enemy troops.
View All Despite his girth, Tembo is able to charge at an amazing speed. Tembo is a destructive force that's able to plow through nearly any enemy or structure in his path, including steel doors and skyscrapers. His arsenal includes a high-speed charge, a ground-pound technique, an uppercutting trunk, a slide kick, and a roll/bounce ability reminiscent of the blue hedgehog's iconic spin move. Each of these attacks control and executes masterfully, and can be chained together seamlessly to clear areas without ever having to stop.
Tembo is also able to spout water from his trunk and hover a few seconds on command after every leap, much like how Yoshi uses his tongue and flutter jump abilities in Yoshi's Island and the later Super Mario titles. In addition, Tembo, when charging at speed, controls very much like the destructive Rambi the Rhino from Donkey Kong Country fame. I found it impressive that Game Freak was able to take two supporting characters from two revolutionary platformers and implement their move sets into the pachyderm's mechanics.
