TOMB RAIDER (1996) (BLACK LABEL)

BACK TO ALL GAMES

PLATFORM: Playstation 1

EDITION: Standard

STUDIO: CORE | EIDOS INTERACTIVE

RELEASE YEAR: 1996

CONDITION: Used

GRADE: Very Good

Tomb Raider was first confirmed in 1995, although details were kept scarce by the developers. There was little attention from the press until a demo was run at the 1996 Electronic Entertainment Expo, causing the press and public to pay more attention. There was a huge amount of publicity, much of which did not involve the Core Design team at all, which prompted mixed feelings. While the scale of the game's eventual popularity was not in the team's minds, its strong reception at gaming events hinted that it would be a success. To help promote the game, Eidos hired models to portray Lara Croft at trade events. They first hired Natalie Cook, but apparently due to her unsuitability with Eidos's cross-media plans for the character, she was replaced with Rhona Mitra in 1997. Mitra served as Lara's model until 1998.

The game was first released for Saturn in Europe on 24 October 1996. In North America, the Saturn, PlayStation and MS-DOS versions were released simultaneously on 14 November. In Europe, the PlayStation and MS-DOS versions were released on 22 November. Future PC patches allowed the game to work on Windows 95. The PC version was released on Steam on 29 November 2012. The PlayStation and Saturn versions were also published in Japan in 1997 by Victor Interactive Software under the name Tomb Raiders. The Saturn version was released on 14 January, while the PlayStation version came on 14 February. The PlayStation version was re-released for the PlayStation Network in North America in August 2009, and in Europe in August 2010. An attempt was made by Realtech VR to remaster the first three Tomb Raider titles for Windows, but due to not having asked permission from then-franchise owner Square Enix first, the project was cancelled.

In 1997, four new levels were released in an expansion pack for the Windows version, known under the title Tomb Raider: Unfinished Business. The expansion pack also came with promotional materials for the game's sequel Tomb Raider II. In 1998, the levels were made available as downloadable content for the Windows release, and a budget version was released on 20 March containing both the original game and the additional levels under the title Tomb Raider Gold. Production on these new levels was led by Phil Campbell, a newcomer who was transferred to Core Design after another project was cancelled. The two new areas were dubbed "Unfinished Business", set within the ruins of the Atlantean pyramid; and "Shadow of the Cat", which saw Lara exploring a temple in Egypt dedicated to the goddess Bastet. "Unfinished Business" was intended as an alternate, more difficult finale to the game featuring more mutant enemies and a focus on complex platforming. The concept for "Shadow of the Cat" was born from a cat statue used in the Khamoon level, with the levels being themed after a cat's nine lives. Due to licensing issues, several later re-releases excluded the Gold content.

The game was released for Mac OS on 16 March 1999. It was ported to the platform by Aspyr and based on Tomb Raider Gold. A port to the Pocket PC was published by Handango in July 2002. It was released on the N-Gage in October 2003. Both ports were developed by Ideaworks3D. Tomb Raider was ported to iOS devices, developed and published by Square Enix. The port was released on 17 December 2013, and includes the additional levels of the Gold release. This version was released on Android devices in April 2015.

Tomb Raider is a 1996 action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive as the debut entry in the Tomb Raider media franchise. It was first released on the Sega Saturn, followed shortly by versions for MS-DOS and the PlayStation. Later releases came for Mac OS (1999), Pocket PC (2002), N-Gage (2003), iOS (2013) and Android (2015). The game follows archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft, who is hired by businesswoman Jacqueline Natla to find an artefact called the Scion of Atlantis. Gameplay features Lara navigating levels split into multiple areas and room complexes while fighting enemies and solving puzzles to progress.

The initial concept was created by Toby Gard, who is credited as Lara's creator and worked as lead artist on the project. Production began in 1994 and took 18 months, with a budget of £440,000. The character of Lara was based on several influences, including Tank Girl, Indiana Jones, and Hard Boiled. The 3D grid-based level design, innovative for its time, was inspired by the structure of Egyptian tombs. The music was composed by Nathan McCree, who took inspiration from English classical music. Originally announced in 1995, the title went on to receive extensive press attention and heavy promotion from Eidos Interactive.

Reception of the game was very positive, with praise for its innovative 3D graphics, controls, and gameplay, and it went on to win several industry awards and is considered one of the greatest video games ever made. The game is one of the best-selling video games for the PlayStation, with seven million units sold worldwide, and it remained the best-selling title in the Tomb Raider franchise until the release of the 2013 reboot. Lara Croft herself became a cultural icon, rising to prominence as one of gaming's most recognisable characters. Following the game's success, numerous sequels were released, beginning with Tomb Raider II in 1997. A remake, Tomb Raider: Anniversary, was developed by Crystal Dynamics and released in 2007. A remastered version of the original game will be released as part of the Tomb Raider I–III Remastered collection in 2024.

Tomb Raider is an action-adventure video game in which the player assumes the role of archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft, who navigates through a series of ancient ruins and tombs in search of an ancient artefact. The game is split into four zones: Peru, Greece, Egypt and the lost continent of Atlantis. A training level set in Lara's home of Croft Manor can be accessed from the start menu. The game is presented in third-person perspective. Lara is always visible, and the camera follows the action by focusing on Lara's shoulders by default, but the player can take manual control of the camera to get a better look at an area. The game automatically switches to a different camera view at key points, either to give the player a wider look at a new area or to add a cinematic effect. In the Sega Saturn and PlayStation versions, players save their progress in a level using Save Crystals, while in the PC versions the player can save at any point. If Lara is killed, the player must restart from a previous save.

The object of Tomb Raider is to guide Lara through a series of tombs and other locations in search of treasures and artefacts. On the way, she must kill dangerous animals and creatures while collecting objects and solving puzzles. The emphasis lies on exploring, solving puzzles, and navigating Lara's surroundings to complete each level. Movement in the game is varied and allows for complex interactions with the environment. In addition to standard movement using tank controls, Lara can walk, jump over gaps, shimmy along ledges, roll, and swim through bodies of water. Certain button combinations allow Lara to either perform a handstand from a hanging position or execute a swandive.

Lara has two basic stances: one with weapons drawn and one with her hands-free. When her weapons are drawn, she automatically locks on to any nearby targets. Locking onto nearby targets prevents her from performing other actions which require her hands, such as grabbing onto ledges to prevent falling. By default, she carries two pistols with infinite ammo. Additional weapons include a shotgun, dual magnums, and dual Uzis. A general action button is used to perform a wide range of movements, such as picking up items, pulling switches, firing guns, pushing or pulling blocks, and grabbing onto ledges. Items to pick up include ammo, small and large medi-packs, keys, and artefacts required to complete a stage. Any item that is collected is held onto in Lara's inventory until it is used. Throughout each stage, one or more secrets may be located. Discovering these secrets is optional, and when the player finds one a tune plays. The locations of these secrets vary in difficulty to reach. The player is usually rewarded with extra items.

Archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft is approached by a mercenary named Larson, who is working for businesswoman Jacqueline Natla. Natla hires Lara to acquire the Scion, a mysterious artefact buried in the tomb of Qualopec within the mountains of Peru. After recovering the Scion from Qualopec's tomb, Lara is ambushed by Larson, who reveals after his defeat that she is holding merely a piece of the artefact, and Natla has sent rival treasure hunter Pierre DuPont to retrieve the other pieces. Breaking into Natla's offices to find out Pierre's whereabouts, Lara discovers a medieval monk's diary, and learns that the Scion is a powerful artefact composed of three pieces, which were divided between the three rulers of the ancient continent of Atlantis, and one of these pieces is buried alongside former Atlantean ruler Tihocan, beneath an ancient monastery, St. Francis' Folly, in Greece.

Navigating the monastery, and following several firefights with Pierre, Lara locates the tomb of Tihocan, where she kills Pierre and recovers the second piece of the Scion he had taken. From a mural, she learns that Tihocan unsuccessfully tried to resurrect Atlantis after a catastrophe struck the original continent. After combining both pieces of the Scion, Lara is shown a vision that reveals the third and final piece of the Scion was hidden in Egypt after the third Atlantean ruler, a traitor who used the artefact to create a breed of monsters, was captured and imprisoned by Tihocan and Qualopec. Making her way through Egypt to the lost city of Khamoon, Lara kills Larson and recovers the third Scion piece.

Emerging from the caves, Lara is ambushed by Natla and her three henchmen, who take the Scion. Lara escapes and stows away aboard Natla's yacht, which takes her to a volcanic island holding an Atlantean pyramid filled with monsters. After dispatching Natla's henchmen and making her way through the pyramid, Lara finds the Scion and sees the rest of the vision, revealing Natla to be the betrayer. Lara faces Natla, who reveals that she intends to use her army to push forward humanity's evolution, as she believes both Atlantis and current civilisation are too soft to withstand disaster. Lara decides to destroy the Scion, and Natla's attempt to stop her sends her into a crevasse. After fighting a large legless monster, Lara shoots the Scion, setting off a chain reaction that begins to destroy the pyramid. Lara kills a winged Natla and escapes the exploding island.

TOMB RAIDER (1996) (BLACK LABEL)

TOMB RAIDER (2013) (Combat Edition)

TOMB RAIDER: THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS (PLATINUM)

SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER (PROMO)

TOMB RAIDER: LEGEND

RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER (Pop-Up Slipcover)

TOMB RAIDERS (JP)

SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER

RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER

SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER

TOMB RAIDER: ANNIVERSARY (JP)

TOMB RAIDER: LEGEND (JP)

TOMB RAIDER (2013) (STEELBOOK EDITION)

TOMB RAIDER (2013)

TOMB RAIDER: ANNIVERSARY

TOMB RAIDER: THE LAST REVELATION

TOMB RAIDER (1996)