(LAST UPDATE: 6/27/09)
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Developer(s): Dream Factory
Publisher(s): Squaresoft (JP), SCE (NA)
Designer(s): Seiichi Ishii
Platform(s): Playstation
Release: August 2nd 1996 (JP), September 30th 1996 (NA), January 1997
(PAL)
Characters: Chuji Wu, Epon, Fei Pusu, Nork, Hom, Gren Kutz, Oliems, Mary
Ivonskaya, Ill Goga, Emperor
Udan
Related Games: Tobal
2, Ehrgeiz
Story: Tobal No. 1 takes place in the
year 2027 on a fictional planet called Tobal, which has large deposits of
Molmoran, an ore that can be used an energy source. The planet's 98th tournament
is held to determine who has the rights to the ore. A number of humans and
aliens compete for the title.
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Review: Tobal No. 1 was
Dream Factory's first attempt
at a 3D fighting game, yet all of the characters for the game were designed
solely by Akira
Toriyama (Dragonball series). Tobal was a console-only fighting game, which is
one of the main reasons why it never gained much popularity, since
"arcade" fighting games were still going strong at the time, and doing
a good job at retaining the interest of most of the hardcore fighting game fans/players. However,
Tobal No. 1 offered one of the best 3D fighting game experiences you could get
for a console fighting game at the time. The
game was also packed with a sampler disc featuring a pre-release demo of Final Fantasy VII, which
naturally helped it sell quite a few copies.
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Tobal No. 1 features a traditional arcade mode, VS mode, practice mode,
and a unique "quest mode," which utilizes the game's fighting engine,
and combines it with a 3D dungeon crawler. The game runs at a smooth 60 frames per
second, but compromises on textured polygons and graphical polish... Graphically,
Tekken
2 (the big Playstation 3D fighter of the time) looked a lot better, and not
to mention the later Virtua Fighter 3, graphically
putting both to shame... But of course, let's compare apples to apples. It
wasn't terrible looking for a console fighting game in 1996, though the
character models actually didn't have any textures. 
The gameplay engine features free movement around the 3D ring AKA sidestepping, something that
very few 3D fighting games had at the time. Characters can perform high, mid,
and low attacks (much like Tekken 2); as well as counters, and also
some pretty cool looking throws as well. In all honesty though, Tobal struck me as a Tekken
rip-off, first in terms of animation. It seems like some of the same movements
and especially "hit" animations were ripped straight from Tekken, and
even Virtua Fighter... Tobal had it's own flow of animation and also seemed much
much slower (and more clunky) than the likes of Tekken 2 and even VF2.
The quest mode was
definitely something unique to fighting games at the time, but was rather
simple, short, and had clunky controls. The graphics in this mode are rather bland to
say the least, but at least it still held on to a steady 60 frames; not that it
matters all that much since this mode isn't exactly what I'd call
"fun." With only 1 life (if you die you completely start over)
you and your blocky character try to advance through 3D maps (if you dare
call them that) filled with goofy traps, a few cool useable items, and engage in fights
against all of Tobal's characters. Overall, it's not much, but it is a
nice break from the decent 1-on-1 fighting system that Tobal No. 1 offers.
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6.5 / 10 |
Closing Comment:
Tobal No. 1 features some
unique, yet very odd character designs... Which isn't a big surprise
coming from Dragonball's Akira Toriyama, although I actually expected better
from him in this case. Back then, the characters didn't hold my interest very much at all...
Let's just
say... They don't float my boat. I didn't have much incentive to play the game in the first
place, simply because the characters didn't strike me as great designs
(and most would probably agree with me)... All characters also
have the same boring ending in this game. 
Boooo.
For what it's worth, Tobal
was a decent (console 3D fighting game for the time, but it really
didn't offer much "new." At the time of it's release and thereafter,
there were also much better fighting games out there to be getting good at. The
serious fighting game players were out at the arcades racking up win streaks in Tekken 2, VF2/VF3,
Street Fighter Alpha 2, Samurai Shodown 4, and X-men VS Street Fighter... Who
was really sitting at home playing Tobal? 
I wasn't. ~F.Yagami,
Webmaster
of TFG