Tembo the Badass Elephant

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. 3DJuegos
    Jul 23, 2015
    85
    We can't remember an elephant so funny in the world of videogames. The collaboration between SEGA and Game Freak give us a great videogame, full of fun, humor and good ideas.
  2. Digital Chumps
    Jul 20, 2015
    82
    Tembo The Badass Elephant is a high quality, gorgeous, fun, and challenging 2D platformer that I'm happy to recommend.
  3. Hobby Consolas
    Jul 21, 2015
    81
    Game Freak knows very well how to take care of animals. After Pokémon, the Japanese studio has created a fighting elephant for a platforming game that is really fun, although not very innovative.
  5. SpazioGames
    Oct 28, 2015
    80
    Oh, what a cute little gem SEGA and Game Freak have created. Tembo is fun, fast and inspired. There's nothing truly original in the package, but it's still a great time waster with a low price tag.
  6. Gamers' Temple
    Aug 4, 2015
    80
    Tembo: The Badass Elephant is a fun throwback to classic Sonic the Hedgehog-style platformers.
  7. GameSpot
    Jul 30, 2015
    80
    Tembo is the sort of game that encourages you to play for 100% completion and/or speedrunning, as well (it even tracks your times and high score). And with Tembo’s satisfying movement and controls, you could play through the game with some amazingly stylish platforming swagger.
  8. PlayStation LifeStyle
    Jul 22, 2015
    80
    From out of nowhere, Game Freak has surprised everyone with a fun platformer that is not only inspired from the classics such as Sonic, Mario, Yoshi, and more, but manages to combine them in new and refreshing ways.
  9. GameTrailers
    Jul 21, 2015
    80
    Tembo: The Badass Elephant may be a bit short and straightforward, but the gameplay is solid and the destruction is satisfying.
  10. Polygon
    Jul 20, 2015
    80
    Even when I was forced back into levels I had already conquered, Tembo rarely lost its momentum. In the eight hours I spent as an elephant soldier, I never felt like the game's flow was interrupted.
  11. God is a Geek
    Jul 20, 2015
    80
    A platformer in the mould of the Sonic-games of old, and as such, well worth your time and money.
  12. Destructoid
    Jul 20, 2015
    80
    Tembo the Badass Elephant is a really enjoyable game at its core, but it can get tiring to replay the same stage five times over just to grind out a few kills to see the next set of levels.
  13. Everyeye.it
    Jul 20, 2015
    78
    Game Freaks is a talented team, and you can see it every time they try something new. After a while, the game gets repetitive, and it could've used some more variety in content, but it's still really fun to play, and sometimes compelling too.
  14. Gaming Age
    Aug 17, 2015
    75
    Had it been as balanced as its high points were, it'd be an easy recommendation, but as it is, it's great for a few hours a night to just wind down. Just don't expect to remember it when all's said and done.
  15. Multiplayer.it
    Aug 11, 2015
    75
    Tembo The Badass Elephant is a nice challenging 2D platform with a colorful cel shading, but nothing really interesting to say in terms of gameplay mechanics and level design.
  16. PSX Extreme
    Jul 21, 2015
    75
    Tembo the Badass Elephant is a goodhearted, challenging platformer where speed and rhythm sit at the forefront of the gameplay experience.
  17. PlayStation Universe
    Jul 21, 2015
    75
    A rock solid foundation for a new platforming franchise, Tembo the Elephant is exhilarating when it's at its best, but its heavy challenge and need to repeat levels can be frustrating.
  18. Pelit (Finland)
    Jan 4, 2016
    74
    Tembo needs more tempo: more breaking buildings, less watering flowers. [Dec 2015]
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  19. LaPS4
    Jul 21, 2015
    74
    Tembo: The Badass Elephant doesn't waste any time getting straight to the point, with easy fun and no complications.
  20. Meristation
    Jul 20, 2015
    74
    Tembo the Badass Elephant is a good action-platformer that has a cool main character and nice gameplay elements that made it fun and enjoyable. It's also a bit of a challenge, so if you can forgive its flaws, you'll enjoy playing a Tembo.
  21. Gaming Nexus
    Aug 20, 2015
    70
    Overall, Tembo feels like a badass-tribute to Sonic the Hedgehog. It should have taken a few more pages out of the Blue Blur’s playbook though in order to create a more complete experience that honored Sonic’s legacy with consistent gameplay that focused on its strengths rather than constantly shining a spotlight on its weaknesses.
  22. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Aug 11, 2015
    70
    Doesn't quite live up to the jumbo expectations that come from being a Sega-backed platformer. But there's enough bad ass in here to take its competitors to tusk. [October 2015, p72]
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  23. IGN
    Jul 30, 2015
    70
    Though it doesn’t always allow you to play it the way it seems to beg to be played, it still manages to be enjoyable overall until the credits roll.
  24. Game Informer
    Jul 23, 2015
    70
    They say an elephant never forgets, but that doesn’t mean you can’t forget an elephant. Tembo the Badass Elephant is charming and fun while it lasts, but its by-the-numbers gameplay makes me doubt that it will leave a lasting impression on anyone.
  25. Metro GameCentral
    Jul 21, 2015
    70
    A few flaws short of a modern platforming classic, but although Tembo isn’t perfect he is exactly as badass as promised.
  26. Eurogamer Italy
    Jul 20, 2015
    70
    An enjoyable and tough 2D platform game reminiscent of Sonic The Hedgehog.
  27. games(TM)
    Oct 4, 2015
    60
    It does little to endear you to Tembo's later stages. [Issue#165, p.95]
  28. DarkStation
    Aug 17, 2015
    60
    While it may not be the best platformer of our time, it’s a decent enough romp for the $15 price tag.
  29. Dealspwn
    Jul 22, 2015
    60
    The controls and the way they unpredictably unleash the wrong moves at the worst possible time really disrupt Tembo's platforming gameplay. Pair this with a no-mercy difficulty and you have a frustrating mess that could have been so much more.
  30. VideoGamer
    Jul 20, 2015
    60
    Tembo could have been great, but sadly it's a game in which you're made to crawl over the line instead of gloriously smash through it.
  31. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Sep 5, 2015
    50
    Wonderful visuals mask a messy, unnecessarily frustrating stomp. [Sept 2015, p.86]
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  32. Push Square
    Jul 20, 2015
    50
    There's a solid sidescroller in here, but Game Freak's taken it in the wrong direction.
  33. TheSixthAxis
    Jul 20, 2015
    50
    Tembo the Badass Elephant could have been so much more than what is offered. SEGA seemed to be searching for a successor to Sonic with Tembo but at the same time wanted to get a piece of the market for particularly hard games, forgetting to make it fair at the same time.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 58 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 58
  3. Negative: 9 out of 58
  1. MEFzelder
    Apr 28, 2016
    8
    Con espíritu de Indie y padrinos titánicos "Tembo the Badass Elephant" es un juego de la vieja escuela que deja un buen pasar por sus gráficosCon espíritu de Indie y padrinos titánicos "Tembo the Badass Elephant" es un juego de la vieja escuela que deja un buen pasar por sus gráficos y su dificultad.
    El juego es un juego de aventura y plataformas 2D que recuerdan mucho a Sonic y Doneky Kong Country, en los niveles debes ir venciendo distintos enemigos además de rescatar personas secuestradas por la milicia enemiga.
    Es simple de explicar pero con una curva de dificultad bastante pronunciada de aprender por lo que puede resultar un poco injusto para los niños, donde tendrás que utilizar las distintas habilidades de Tembo y mucha estrategia para salir ileso del fuego frontal.
    Lo recomiendo totalmente, no es muy largo, pero al precio ofrecido esta correcto, si lo consigues en oferta mejor para ti.

    Lo bueno: Muy vistoso, controles precisos, buena curva de dificultad, excelentes jefes.
    Lo malo: Duración, banda sonora decepcionante para estudios como Game Freaks y Sega    … Full Review »
  2. True_Reclaimer
    Aug 22, 2015
    0
    Theres no appeal to this game. Every level feels the same as the last, and is incredibly on-rails so theres no way to backtrack if you miss aTheres no appeal to this game. Every level feels the same as the last, and is incredibly on-rails so theres no way to backtrack if you miss a single collectible, and definitely no choice, freedom, or exploration. If you like these types of games, play Sonic, Yoshi or Mario, but pass on this.… Full Review »
  3. Crappy
    Jul 29, 2015
    8
    Forget Sonic, I think SEGA may have a new mascot on their hands, and that’s the badass ass kicking mammal, Tembo the Badass Elephant. For theForget Sonic, I think SEGA may have a new mascot on their hands, and that’s the badass ass kicking mammal, Tembo the Badass Elephant. For the first time in a number of years I’ve been reminded of the frustration found only in Sonic the Hedgehog titles from the Mega Drive era. It crams in that feeling with the joy of experiencing something new, and considering it’s made by the developers of the Pokémon games, they’ve done a great job.

    Tembo the Badass Elephant is your typical fast-paced, lack of spacial awareness, hero who lets nobody stand in his way. He’s tasked with saving the world by smushing one goon at a time while also collecting trapped civilians. After around 10 minutes with the game I already felt at home with the controls, the way Tembo moved, and the overall concept of the game. To me it felt like a mixture of Sonic the Hedgehog mixed with Rayman.

    So, as Tembo, you’re sent through a series of stages each with its own unique styling in this fantastic looking 2.5D world. Each of these stages are set in Zones too, which also gives Sonic another swift kick out the door. Each level is filled with a series of traps, goons, crates of peanuts, and trapped civilians for you to rescue, and while the game is wholly linear, there are some aspects of freedom in terms of exploring corners of each level for hidden items.

    The replayability of past levels isn’t all that appealing either, as you’ve probably come across a part of the level which frustrated the hell out of you, and having to trawl back through that once more to tackle and area you might have missed, or to find a bad-guy you’d rather avoid, does become pretty tedious.

    Fortunately the game’s cartoonish charm does keep you coming back for more as the joy you get from smashing vehicles, boxes, and enemy contraptions is just too fun to give up. There are however points, especially after a couple of hours play, where the game starts to lose its lustre and fails to keep you hooked as you probably would with platformers like Mario or Rayman.

    Overall Tembo The Badass Elephant offers a pretty good challenger to the likes of Sonic and Rayman, but sadly fails to keep the charm found in your first hour or two of gameplay. It’s an absolutely fantastic platformer in its own right and it can be as fun as hell to play, but it can become a bit of a drag after a lengthy play-session.

    In short-sharp bursts the game can actually be a lot of fun, but it does quickly become one of those games you’ll open and play a few times, only to close it and glaze over it when looking for something to play.    … Full Review »
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