Travel with Tintin to the heart of Tibet and help him find his missing friend Tchang! You will need to stay alert and agile if you are to avoid the many hazards of the Himalayas such as dizzy descents, steep rock faces and snow-covered crevasses...From Kathmandu to the Yeti's cave, remember to talk to the many characters along the way, and don't forget to be on the look-out for the many objects essential to the success of your quest! Will you get there in time to save Tchang? His only hope lies with you...
~ from the back of the European Mega Drive box
Nothing screams adventure like the war cry that is "Herge's Adventures of Tintin..." from the classic animated show. As soon as you hear that voice echo in your living room, you know you'll be transported to the farthest corners of the earth in search of a hidden treasure, uncover a confounding conspiracy or thwart a nefarious plot. Absolute classic. In the mid-90s, French developers Infogrames would create Tintin in Tibet, a tough cinematic platformer that began life on the 16-bit consoles in 1995 and ported to DOS machines a year later which is where the subject of this review lies.
As a port, it's pretty decent. Graphically it looks identical, retaining all of the superb art assets and sprite work making for a handsome playthrough. Sound-wise is a decidedly hit-and-miss. The standard SoundBlaster music chugs along in an annoying staccato which makes the SNES soundboard appear like a symphonic orchestra by comparison. I chose the far superior (yet a little more fiddly) Gravis Ultrasound for the MIDI music which is a vast improvement. It lacks the auditory depth of the original releases, but the crisp instrumentals are pleasant on the old earholes.
The game itself is something of a mixed bag. It mostly resembles a cinematic platformer as you edge past each obstacle on the way to the end of the stage. Our cow-licked character has some interesting mechanics which may differ for each stage, though don't expect anything in the way of combat - there is none. Right from the begging, Tintin can change planes by running towards the camera to dodge obstacles or interact with people or objects in the foreground. This mechanic changes depending on the design of the level, so sometimes he will be able to move freely on each plane, while in others he will remain static, chilling out until you decide to return. In other levels the mechanic has been completely removed; there's no foreground on a sheer cliff face after all.
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You can talk to some of the background characters to get story moments or gameplay hints.
The game itself is something of a mixed bag. It mostly resembles a cinematic platformer as you edge past each obstacle on the way to the end of the stage. Our cow-licked character has some interesting mechanics which may differ for each stage, though don't expect anything in the way of combat - there is none. Right from the begging, Tintin can change planes by running towards the camera to dodge obstacles or interact with people or objects in the foreground. This mechanic changes depending on the design of the level, so sometimes he will be able to move freely on each plane, while in others he will remain static, chilling out until you decide to return. In other levels the mechanic has been completely removed; there's no foreground on a sheer cliff face after all.
It's not just the planes of play that change level-to-level, but the style of gameplay can too. We begin dodging carless postmen and unruly children beside a broken-down train before swimming in a fast-flowing river dodging fallen trees and whirlpools. Later, we'll navigate the perilous slopes of a mountain in a more standard platform section before being tethered by a possibly drunk Captain Haddock as we manoeuvre both of them up a sheer cliff face. It admirably keeps the variety and interest up... or it would were there not one major flaw to the game; its difficulty.
Tintin in Tibet is hard. Very hard. The levels have seemingly been designed to troll you with unforeseen hazards and unexplained puzzles. This is evident from the very first level as falling parcels are barely signposted. Let it touch you and it will take off one of your three precious hits that can rarely be replenished. Later on, you will find an unpassable chasm that even a running jump cannot clear. You will have to carry one of those less-dangerous parcels from earlier to create another makeshift ledge. It took me ages to figure this out thinking those boxes were just part of the level design. When you realise, you don't feel that "aha" moment of solving a puzzle, but a sense of frustration and time wasted. To top it off, the save-state function found in DOSBox breaks the game (unlike its sequel) meaning you cannot edge along hazard by hazard.
Still, I did manage to creep along to the end thanks to the ungenerous password system which can take 5 whole levels until you see one! Had there been one for each stage, the difficulty of the game would be more forgiving and perhaps even enjoyable, but in its present form it mars what could've been a challenging top-tier licensed game instead of an unfairly designed curiosity. Here's hoping Infogrames next call to adventure fares better.
To download the game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses the DOSBox-X build of DOSBox to bring the game to modern systems. Manual and Graphic Novel included. Read the ChamberNotes.txt for more detailed information. Tested on Windows 10.
Download
Tintin in Tibet is © Infogrames Multimedia
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me
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Press down to pick up items and solve environmental puzzles (levels).
Step into the foreground to dodge hazards (right).
Tintin in Tibet is hard. Very hard. The levels have seemingly been designed to troll you with unforeseen hazards and unexplained puzzles. This is evident from the very first level as falling parcels are barely signposted. Let it touch you and it will take off one of your three precious hits that can rarely be replenished. Later on, you will find an unpassable chasm that even a running jump cannot clear. You will have to carry one of those less-dangerous parcels from earlier to create another makeshift ledge. It took me ages to figure this out thinking those boxes were just part of the level design. When you realise, you don't feel that "aha" moment of solving a puzzle, but a sense of frustration and time wasted. To top it off, the save-state function found in DOSBox breaks the game (unlike its sequel) meaning you cannot edge along hazard by hazard.
Still, I did manage to creep along to the end thanks to the ungenerous password system which can take 5 whole levels until you see one! Had there been one for each stage, the difficulty of the game would be more forgiving and perhaps even enjoyable, but in its present form it mars what could've been a challenging top-tier licensed game instead of an unfairly designed curiosity. Here's hoping Infogrames next call to adventure fares better.
To download the game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses the DOSBox-X build of DOSBox to bring the game to modern systems. Manual and Graphic Novel included. Read the ChamberNotes.txt for more detailed information. Tested on Windows 10.
File Size: 52.2 Mb. Install Size: 91.1 Mb. Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ
Download
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Tintin in Tibet is © Infogrames Multimedia
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me
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Looks nice. Thank you!!
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