Tobal No. 1
Encyclopedia
is a fighting game for the PlayStation developed by DreamFactory and published by Square
in 1996. The game was DreamFactory's first release, as well as Square's first release on the CD-based console.
Tobal No. 1 marks Square's incursion into the fighting game genre, although an adventure-like quest mode is part of the game. The game's mechanics were designed with the aid of fighter game designer Seiichi Ishii
, while all the characters were designed by Akira Toriyama
of Dragon Ball fame. The sequel
, Tobal 2
, was never released in North America and Europe.
Packaged with both the North America
n and Japan
ese version of the game was a sampler disc featuring a pre-release demo of Final Fantasy VII
and video previews of Final Fantasy Tactics
, Bushido Blade
, and SaGa Frontier
.
due to its lack of textured polygons and reduced details which gave the game a distinctive look in comparison to other fighting games at the time, such as Tekken 2
. The game's controls are unique in that they allow full freedom of movement in the ring as long as the player faces the opponent. The player has the ability to dash and jump, and certain buttons execute high, medium, and low attacks for each character. Tobal No. 1 also has an intuitive grappling
and blocking system, offering the player a variety of throws and counter moves.
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Tobal No. 1 is the "Quest Mode", which combines the game's fighting controls with three-dimensional dungeon
exploration. The player must advance down a number of floors, contend with traps, and engage in fights with a variety of enemies including the game's playable characters. Several items can be found, dropped by enemies, or bought using crystals. These items can be picked up, consumed, or thrown at enemies, and include foodstuffs that can restore the player's HP or potions that have a range of effects including raising the player's maximum health or bringing it down to 1 point. There is no way to save one's progress, and dying means starting over from the beginning. Defeating certain characters in this mode unlocks them as playable characters in the game's other modes.
that can be used as 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. The game's plot and character backstories are only explored in the instruction manual. All of the initial eight playable characters receive the same ending.
The game's immediately playable characters include Chuji Wu, Oliems, Epon, Hom, Fei Pusu, Mary Ivonskaya, Ill Goga, and Gren Kutz. Bosses
include Nork, Mufu, and the emperor Udan. All bosses are unlockable after defeating them in Dungeon Mode except Nork. Instead, the game allows the player to select Snork (Small Nork), a pint-sized version of the very large character. There is also one secret fighter named Toriyama Robo (named for Akira Toriyama
) who is unlockable if the player can complete the 30-floor Udan's Dungeon level in the quest mode. Toriyama Robo is not seen at any point in the game except at the very end of the dungeon.
, Yasuhiro Kawakami
, Ryuji Sasai
, Masashi Hamauzu
, Junya Nakano
, Kenji Ito
, Noriko Matsueda
, and Yoko Shimomura
. Unlike the common themes of techno
and rock
found in other fighting games, Tobal No. 1 contains a complete mixture of sound, varying instrumental
and electronic music
, with styles ranging in hip hop
, ambient
, 1980s groove, jazz
, and Latino
, attributed to the diversity of the composers' styles. The soundtrack was released by DigiCube
in Japan on August 21, 1996 and contains 21 tracks found in the game, including one unreleased track. The album was arranged by GUIDO
, who later released their own 7-track remix disc, Tobal No. 1 Remixes Electrical Indian.
Tobal No. 1 Original Sound Track
hit in North America, where it apparently did not sell as well.
IGN
noted the game's unique graphical representation and freely-ranged controls. In 2004, the website rated the game as one of twelve games that deserves a follow-up on the PlayStation 2
. GameSpot
admired the variety of fighting styles in the game's normal mode, but found the same controls worked sluggishly in the game's unique quest mode. Game Revolution
found the blocking system to be confusing but called the game's quest mode the "most innovative feature since--well, bosses."
The game's sequel, Tobal 2, was released in 1997 for the PlayStation, but was exclusive to Japan. A mobile phone incarnation, titled Tobal M, was released in Japan on December 12, 2007.
Square Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
in 1996. The game was DreamFactory's first release, as well as Square's first release on the CD-based console.
Tobal No. 1 marks Square's incursion into the fighting game genre, although an adventure-like quest mode is part of the game. The game's mechanics were designed with the aid of fighter game designer Seiichi Ishii
Seiichi Ishii
Seiichi Ishii is a Japanese game designer. He is most well known for the development of fighting games....
, while all the characters were designed by Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama
is a Japanese manga artist and game artist known mostly for his creation of Dragon Ball in 1984. Toriyama admires Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy and was impressed by Walt Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which he remembers for the great art...
of Dragon Ball fame. The sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Tobal 2
Tobal 2
is a 3D fighting game developed by Dream Factory and released by Square in Japan in 1997. It is the sequel to Tobal No. 1. Unlike the latter, Tobal 2 was not released in North America or PAL territories...
, was never released in North America and Europe.
Packaged with both the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese version of the game was a sampler disc featuring a pre-release demo of Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
and video previews of Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
, Bushido Blade
Bushido Blade (video game)
is a 3D fighting game developed by Light Weight and published by Square and Sony for the PlayStation. The game features one-on-one armed combat. Its name refers to the Japanese warrior code of honor, Bushidō....
, and SaGa Frontier
SaGa Frontier
is a role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation and released in Japan on July 11, 1997. The game was later published by Sony Computer Entertainment in North America on March 25, 1998. It is the seventh game in the SaGa series and the first to be released on the PlayStation...
.
Gameplay
Tobal No. 1 has various gameplay modes including a tournament mode, two player versus mode, practice mode, and the unique quest mode, all of which utilize the same fighting system. The game itself runs at up to a smooth 60 frames per secondFrame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
due to its lack of textured polygons and reduced details which gave the game a distinctive look in comparison to other fighting games at the time, such as Tekken 2
Tekken 2
Tekken 2 is the second installment in the popular Tekken fighting game series. It was first released in arcades in 1995, and later released for the PlayStation in 1996...
. The game's controls are unique in that they allow full freedom of movement in the ring as long as the player faces the opponent. The player has the ability to dash and jump, and certain buttons execute high, medium, and low attacks for each character. Tobal No. 1 also has an intuitive grappling
Grappling
Grappling refers to techniques, maneuvers, and counters applied to an opponent in order to gain a physical advantage, such as improving relative position, escaping, submitting, or injury to the opponent. Grappling is a general term that covers techniques used in many disciplines, styles and martial...
and blocking system, offering the player a variety of throws and counter moves.
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Tobal No. 1 is the "Quest Mode", which combines the game's fighting controls with three-dimensional dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
exploration. The player must advance down a number of floors, contend with traps, and engage in fights with a variety of enemies including the game's playable characters. Several items can be found, dropped by enemies, or bought using crystals. These items can be picked up, consumed, or thrown at enemies, and include foodstuffs that can restore the player's HP or potions that have a range of effects including raising the player's maximum health or bringing it down to 1 point. There is no way to save one's progress, and dying means starting over from the beginning. Defeating certain characters in this mode unlocks them as playable characters in the game's other modes.
Plot
Tobal No. 1 takes place in the year 2027 on a fictional planet called Tobal, which has large deposits of Molmoran, an oreOre
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
that can be used as an energy source. The planet's 98th tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
is held to determine who has the rights to the ore. A number of humans and aliens compete for the title. The game's plot and character backstories are only explored in the instruction manual. All of the initial eight playable characters receive the same ending.
The game's immediately playable characters include Chuji Wu, Oliems, Epon, Hom, Fei Pusu, Mary Ivonskaya, Ill Goga, and Gren Kutz. Bosses
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
include Nork, Mufu, and the emperor Udan. All bosses are unlockable after defeating them in Dungeon Mode except Nork. Instead, the game allows the player to select Snork (Small Nork), a pint-sized version of the very large character. There is also one secret fighter named Toriyama Robo (named for Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama
is a Japanese manga artist and game artist known mostly for his creation of Dragon Ball in 1984. Toriyama admires Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy and was impressed by Walt Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which he remembers for the great art...
) who is unlockable if the player can complete the 30-floor Udan's Dungeon level in the quest mode. Toriyama Robo is not seen at any point in the game except at the very end of the dungeon.
Music
The music in Tobal No. 1 was composed by eight of Square's composers: Yasunori MitsudaYasunori Mitsuda
is a Japanese video game composer, sound programmer, and musician. He has composed music for or worked on over 35 games, and has contributed to over 15 other albums...
, Yasuhiro Kawakami
Yasuhiro Kawakami
is a Japanese video game composer and sound programmer who was employed at Square from 1991 to 1999. He created music for three games and was the sound programmer for Rudra no Hihō...
, Ryuji Sasai
Ryuji Sasai
is a Japanese former video game composer and bass guitarist. He is best known for his work on Xak, Final Fantasy Legend III and Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Sasai is noted for his rock style. His musical career came about when he was 15 years old and he formed a band...
, Masashi Hamauzu
Masashi Hamauzu
is a Japanese video game composer who was employed at Square Enix from 1996 to 2010. He is best known for his work on the Final Fantasy and SaGa series. Born into a musical family in Germany, Hamauzu was raised in Japan...
, Junya Nakano
Junya Nakano
is a Japanese video game composer who was employed at Square Enix from 1995 to 2009. He is best known for scoring Threads of Fate and co-composing Final Fantasy X. He has also worked as an arranger for Dawn of Mana and the Nintendo DS version of Final Fantasy IV...
, Kenji Ito
Kenji Ito
, also known by the nickname , is a Japanese video game composer and musician. He is best known for his work on the Mana and SaGa series, though he has worked on over 30 video games throughout his career as well as composed or arranged music for over 15 other albums, concerts, and plays...
, Noriko Matsueda
Noriko Matsueda
is a Japanese former video game composer. She is best known for her work on the Front Mission series, The Bouncer, and Final Fantasy X-2. Matsueda collaborated with fellow composer Takahito Eguchi on several games. Composing music at an early age, she began studying the piano and electronic organ...
, and Yoko Shimomura
Yoko Shimomura
is a Japanese video game composer. She has been described as "the most famous female video game music composer in the world". She has worked in the video game music industry since graduating from Osaka College of Music in 1988...
. Unlike the common themes of techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
found in other fighting games, Tobal No. 1 contains a complete mixture of sound, varying instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
and electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, with styles ranging in hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, 1980s groove, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, and Latino
Latin American music
Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:...
, attributed to the diversity of the composers' styles. The soundtrack was released by DigiCube
DigiCube
DigiCube Co., Ltd. was a Japanese company established as a subsidiary of software developer Square on February 6, 1996 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The primary purpose of DigiCube was to market and distribute Square products, most notably video games and related merchandise, including toys,...
in Japan on August 21, 1996 and contains 21 tracks found in the game, including one unreleased track. The album was arranged by GUIDO
Guido (jazz band)
Guido is the band composed of Hidenobu "KALTA" Ootsuki and Hiroshi Hata. Their album The Brink of Time consists of arrangements of music from the game Chrono Trigger composed by Yasunori Mitsuda....
, who later released their own 7-track remix disc, Tobal No. 1 Remixes Electrical Indian.
Tobal No. 1 Original Sound Track
| Track listing | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; margin-right:-1em;"> | |||
| # | Title | Composer | Length |
| 1. | Tobal No. 1 | Yasunori Mitsuda | 1:10 |
| 2. | Character Select | Ryuji Sasai | 1:26 |
| 3. | Shinto Shrine | Masashi Hamauzu | 3:11 |
| 4. | Vision on Ice | Masashi Hamauzu | 3:04 |
| 5. | Cloud City | Kenji Ito | 3:16 |
| 6. | Urban Sight | Yasuhiro Kawakami | 3:04 |
| 7. | Disused Mine | Yasuhiro Kawakami | 3:18 |
| 8. | Volcanic Zone | Masashi Hamauzu | 3:15 |
| 9. | Hills of Jugon | Junya Nakano | 3:49 |
| 10. | Poltano | Masashi Hamauzu | 3:23 |
| 11. | Cosmic Desert | Junya Nakano | 3:58 |
| 12. | Gravitation Palace | Junya Nakano | 3:32 |
| 13. | Aqua and Trees | Yoko Shimomura | 3:32 |
| 14. | Toridon!! | Yasuhiro Kawakami | 3:23 |
| 15. | Vice | Yasunori Mitsuda | 2:54 |
| 16. | Your Name Is... | Yasunori Mitsuda | 1:49 |
| 17. | Electrical Indian | Yasunori Mitsuda | 4:06 |
| 18. | Continue | Yoko Shimomura | 0:19 |
| 19. | Stage Clear | Yasunori Mitsuda | 0:09 |
| 20. | Burst into Challenger | Kenji Ito | 0:08 |
| 21. | What's | Yasunori Mitsuda | 0:14 |
| 22. | Tower Block - Unreleased Track | Noriko Matsueda | 3:20 |
Reception and legacy
Tobal No. 1 sold in excess of 650,000 copies in Japan the year it was released. It is sometimes cited that the game enjoyed such healthy sales as a result of the Final Fantasy VII demo disc inclusion, a highly anticipated title at the time. However, the game is cited as a cultCult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
hit in North America, where it apparently did not sell as well.
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
noted the game's unique graphical representation and freely-ranged controls. In 2004, the website rated the game as one of twelve games that deserves a follow-up on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
admired the variety of fighting styles in the game's normal mode, but found the same controls worked sluggishly in the game's unique quest mode. Game Revolution
Game Revolution
Game Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...
found the blocking system to be confusing but called the game's quest mode the "most innovative feature since--well, bosses."
The game's sequel, Tobal 2, was released in 1997 for the PlayStation, but was exclusive to Japan. A mobile phone incarnation, titled Tobal M, was released in Japan on December 12, 2007.
External links
- Tobal No. 1 at Square-Enix.com