Running out of lives was fine in 1990 because we didn't know any better. This means that you either a) have to complete a stage without dying five times, which isn't always easy, or b) you'll need to play easier levels to farm for peanuts, which can net you extra lives once you collect 300. Each level is filled with checkpoints, but when you run out of lives, you're forced to start over from scratch. For one thing, Tembo employs an unnecessary life system. Unfortunately, the wonderful gameplay is undermined by some terrible design decisions. When I fought one of the early bosses - a mechanical dragon that needed to be pushed into a vat of lava - I found myself moving my body along with my hands, trying everything to get the machine over the ledge. That kind of challenge makes Tembo particularly satisfying and intense. It's an old-school sort of difficulty: when you die, it's almost always your mistake, and not because the game is unfair. And just like those older games, Tembo can be very challenging, with moments that require precision, despite the fact that you're controlling a clumsy, lumbering elephant. When you combine these puzzles with some tricky platforming and a thrilling sense of speed, you have a game that calls to mind some of the best side-scrolling classics. Watering certain seeds can them into platforms and bridges, useful for reaching new areas. ![]() At first you use this to put out some fires, but eventually water can help you alter the landscape. In addition to running, jumping, and smashing, Tembo can also squirt water from his trunk. But it's also filled with well-designed twists that use the elephant's small range of abilities in clever ways. ![]() Tembo is at its best when you're going fast - when everything clicks, it's exhilarating. Tembo is at its best when you're going fast You can also use it to destroy enemy tanks and helicopters, and much like in Sonic, the levels are designed to accentuate this ability: there are lots of hills and big jumps, encouraging constant movement. Tembo's main ability is a dash that bashes aside bad guys and debris, allowing you to run straight through everything from piles of cars to towering trees. As Tembo, an elephant who has been enlisted by the military to help fight off an enemy force, you primarily smash things. ![]() The game itself plays sort of like a mash-up of Sonic the Hedgehog and Contra. Its side-scrolling 2D gameplay brings me back to when I was a kid playing Super Mario, but it's also a game that I will only play when my own kids leave the room: Tembo is equal parts fun and frustrating, and it's hard to play a few minutes without letting out a burst of expletives. Tembo the Badass Elephant looks like a family-friendly game, with its adorable pachyderm mascot and bright, colorful worlds.
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