Tobal No. 1
1996
- fighting
- adventure
- arcade
- action
- single player
- multiplayer
The story
Fighting game with a unique quest mode, from Square. The publisher enlisted the help of Seiichi Ishii, who had previously worked on both Tekken and Virtua Fighter. On these strengths, Square helped Ishii start his own development company, Dream Factory, and Tobal No.1 is the first game from the developer. The game offers some 3D movement for more behind-the-back attacks that fighting games released around the same time. Tobal also introduced an interesting grapple move, which allows you to grab your opponent and, depending on your button execution, throw them in a myriad of ways. The game features Gouraud-shaded players displayed in hi-res mode (640x480) and shipped with an included Final Fantasy VII demo.
What it’s like
Hard-edged PlayStation polygons in bright, saturated arena light: flat-lit stadium floors, blue and orange gradients behind bouncing fighters, and the slightly warped shimmer of early 3D textures. Gouraud shading gives the characters a soft, plasticky sheen, and the 640x480 hi-res mode keeps the picture crisp at a smooth 60 frames a second. The sound is a bright, percussive rush of impact thuds, grunts, and sharp arcade cues, with a driving, upbeat soundtrack that loops through each bout. The vibe is cheerful and kinetic, a little goofy, with the stylised anime energy of late-90s Japanese fighting games. Matches move quickly and the grapple system rewards tinkering, so sessions feel bouncy and playful rather than tense. Violence is stylised and cartoonish: bruising and bodily impacts with no gore. Good for a player who wants a quick arcade fix or an evening of experimenting with throws, and for anyone nostalgic for the PS1 era of 3D fighters.
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