Tomb Raider

 

Genre: Adventure	CDs: 1
Publisher: Eidos	Released: November 15, 1996
Developer: Core	UPC: 7 43175 95291 9
Sony ID: SLUS-00152	PSRM: 002460
Players: 1 Player	Memory: 1 Block
Accessories: None
ESRB: Teen – Animated Blood, Animated Violence
Box Copy: Sometimes a killer body just isn’t enough. Climb, swim, and backflip your way through a maze of cryptic deathtraps so realistic you can practically smell the decaying flesh. Unload an arsenal of lethal firepower on any wild-dog, giant lizard or blood thirsty mercenary that gets in your way. Your mission is the deadliest one to date – the recovery of the fabled Scion, an incredible treasure reputed to give its possessor vast power. Get ready to cross the globe to take on impossible odds while exploring Incan ruins, Ancient Rome, Egyptian Pyramids, and the Lost City of Atlantis. Explore 4 Massive Worlds with over 15 levels Your arsenal includes: pistols, magnums, a shotgun and uzis. Battle wolves, bats, bears, alligators, raptors, and even a T-Rex in your quest for the Scion. “100%, 99%, 97% – PlayStation Game of the Year!” – GameFan “99% – Game of the Year” – PS Extreme “9.5 – PlayStation Game of the Year!” – Ultra Game Players “PlayStation’s Greatest Adventure!” – Electronic Gaming Monthly

 

 

Variants

Tomb Raider has a hilarious amount of variants to track down. Grab your favorite beverage and enjoy the madness. The order is the variant described first, and then the image of it.

“Boots to Eidos Logo” Code Revision 1.1 – Same back of Manual

The original release of Tomb Raider (featured above) will boot to the Core logo, and then start the game. This variant will boot to the Eidos screen first, and then Core. It looks EXACTLY the same as the original release above.

“Boots to Eidos Logo” Code Revision 1.1 – Ninja and Fighting Force on Manual Back

The Code Revision 1.1 gets a change to the manual back – now featuring the newer game releases.

Greatest Hits “Plain Cover” Version 1

a. White ESRB Version
b. Has a Tomb Raider II and Ninja Demo on it.
c. Back of manual is Tomb Raider II and Deathtrap Dungeon.

Greatest Hits “Plain Cover” Version 2

a. Looks exactly the same as the “Plain Cover 1” version, except now the demos are different.
b. Still has Tomb Raider II and Deathtrap Dungeon on manual back.
e. Has Tomb Raider 2 and Fighting Force Demo

Greatest Hits ‘Orange Burst’ Version features:

a. Orange Burst on cover
b. Back insert has 2 lines of Eidos text underneath the Player Icon
c. Disc Artwork is original in black
d. Disc has 6 lines of Copyright text on the right side under the Eidos / Core logos
e. Has Gex 3 and Soul Reaver Demo on it

Interesting Aspect of this Variant: The ESRB listing on the back is no longer divided and justified left.

The Purple Burst Variant has the following features:

a. Purple Burst on cover with SR, TR3, and Gex 3 mentioned
b. Back insert has 1 line of Eidos text under the Player Icon
c. Disc artwork is original in black
d. Disc has 5 lines of Copyright text under the Eidos / Core logo
e. Has Gex 3, Fear ‘Factor’ (Fear Effect), Soul Reaver, Tomb Raider III, and Fighting Force 2.

Interesting Aspect about this variant: It has Fear Effect listed under its original name of Fear Factor.

The SLUS-GH Greatest Hits Variant is the easiest of all the Greatest Hits to piece together. The Black ESRB on Disc and Manual, and then the manual and insert have the SLUS-xxxxxGH designation.

Interesting Note: All of the GH variants have added a small yellow burst below the motorcycle image at the top of the back insert. In the Collector’s Edition, the motorcycle image is completely removed.

The Collector’s Edition is the easiest to track down. White disc, clearly marked manual, and then back insert has the big ol’ PART OF A SET where the UPC code should be. This variant came in the 3 Pack release of “Tomb Raider: Collector’s Edition” – it came with Tomb Raiders 1, 2, and 3.

 

 

Misprints

• There are no known misprints.

 

 

Review

• There is no review for this game yet.

 

Final Score: NA – No Review

Summary Text

 

 

 

Screenshots

 

Videos

 

 

Trivia

• Available on PSN, with good reason. The retail versions of Tomb Raider do not work on the PS3 (at least the 60g version). All versions will allow you to boot to the title screen, but once you choose the game, it will crash before the opening cinematic plays.
• The PlayStation Store version is the “Orange Burst” variant, but with a small twist. I wanted to know how they got that version to boot when the regular disc wouldn’t. Turns out they separated the TR data from the original ISO. The PSN version has no Launch screen that would have had access to the two included demos on the retail disc.
• Tomb Raider’s entire soundtrack and vocal recordings can be listened to by placing the disc in a music CD player.
• Interesting note to the above: The CD is named TOMBRAIDER but in iTunes, it comes up as ‘Tomb Raider PlayStation Game Disc’ and is filed under its composer, Nathan McCree.
• However, starting with the 2nd Variant, all the music tracks are now suddenly just ‘tracks’ in their names. It goes back to the full titled tracks with the SLUS GH variant.
• To say that Lara Croft became an instant celebrity upon the game’s release would be a drastic understatement. Ignoring the aspect of fan boys controlling a fully expressive buxom babe, Lara went on to create some of the most bizarre media elements in gaming history. She has an entire guide book dedicated to just her (yes her, not the games), the game has had one of the longest running hoaxes with a ‘nude’ code, as well as the source for a famous magazine hoax.
• Even weirder, one of the live models that portrayed her, Nell McAndrews ended up being really nude in PlayBoy magazine. Eidos ended up trying to take Playboy to court to prevent the use of the TR name being associated with the pictorial. Who says games aren’t art?
• There were two live action movies loosely based on the games featuring Angelina Jolie as the heroine.
• According to an early article in GameFan, Tomb Raider was being developed as a PC and Saturn game exclusively. From the way a later article was written, it seems Eidos was trying to keep the PlayStation version under wraps as long as possible to keep Saturn sales strong. Sadly, Saturn only ever saw the original game, as by the time the first sequel hit Sega’s machine was on the way out.
• Lara was originally going to be named Laura.
• There’s an amusing double nod to the Indiana Jones movies. The Ark of the Covenant is sitting nonchalantly in Lara’s Home, while in a later level you must out run a giant boulder.