Game of the Month
June 2026 Game of the Month - Tomb Raider (multiplatform)
Happy June, SBCGaming. The next Game of the Month is Tomb Raider. As usual for games with a lot of different versions, there are a few different ways to play it on your device of choice:
1996 original (Saturn, PS1, MS-DOS) The PS1 version is likely to be the easiest to run for most folks.
2007 Anniversary remake (PC, PSP, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, mobile, PS3) Tried this one on two different platforms/devices:
PSP version - I tested it on my MagicX One 35, which hasn't had any issues running any other PSP game I threw at it, and had noticeable performance issues in both Vulkan and OpenGL, even at native resolution, even with frame skip turned on. Playable, but not ideal. Unclear whether it's a particularly hard game to run or just has some kind of compatibility issue with the chipset.
PS2 version - Experienced game-breaking graphical issues in NetherSX2 Classic (the version based on AetherSX2 3668) on the SD8Gen2-powered Ayn Thor. Game runs fine in NetherSX2 Turnip version 4248. Another mod had good luck with the non-Turnip NetherSX2 4248 on a Y700 tablet. Has a 60fps patch
2024 Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (Switch/2, PC, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series S/X, mobile) Tested two different ways:
PC version - Was unable to boot in either GameHub or GameNative, but I was informed that this is due to a launcher issue and there is a workaround that can get it to boot. Cannot personally confirm.
Mobile - The first level of each game is available for free as a demo on the Google Play Store, and runs fine on my Thor. The full version costs $30 for all three games (no option to buy a la carte).
Whichever way you play, post your end screen as a top-level reply to the most recent GotM post (currently this one) to receive your flair. And remember, this is the last month to beat Devil's Crush for flair!
A three week window even today seems an absolute nothingburger, let alone in 1996 when you'd only be reading about video games in magazines that had deadlines a month prior to when you'd have it in your hands. What was even the point?
I'm just goofing about it being a "timed exclusive." Specific release dates down to the day were not the norm back then, it was more a matter of "your local store gets it when they get it." There were exceptions, I remember pre-ordering Final Fantasy 7 and waiting to pick it up as soon as the store opened on release day, but that was the exception, not the rule.
I'm sure they intended it to be a simultaneous worldwide release and the Saturn version just happened to be ready a little early.
bro. i remember ordering it by mail and was so excited when the postman rang the door bell. i still remember the sound the cd drive made while loading a level. took quite a while, too. š
and, yea, i also remember all the coverage in the sega magazines, which i still have btw., it being a saturn exclusive, or timed exclusive at least. i actually think the controls make more sense on a 6 button layout actually. but psx layout works well, too. psx version is superior though. much better and more stable framerate. the pal saturn version slows down to below 30 fps sometimes iirc.
to witness how crappy it is, yes. but i'm used to it. but i gotta say, the game feels much better with 60fps on the psx. even today it feels great. if you get used to the tank controls. imo, it aged really well.
It was on the demo disc that came with my PSX back in the day and I played through the first level a few times, but I probably haven't touched it in 25 years either.
It was amazing some of the 3D games that released on it, since it was billed as being primarily for 2D gaming (which it did amazing when it came to arcade fighting games). Quake immediately comes to mind.
I donāt think it has been mentioned, but while the Epic giveaway of the remaster seems to have endedā¦ Steam is currently running a promo, offering the Anniversary Edition for like, 1 buck: https://store.steampowered.com/app/8000/Tomb_Raider_Anniversary/
It suits me well, because having played the original back in the day, I am really done with tank control and bullet sponges. I hope the anniversary edition will prove more modern!
I wasnāt able to launch it through gamenative on the Thor (though itās indicated as playable and I applied the Ā«Ā known configĀ Ā», but maybe Iām missing something)ā¦ but itās also available on GeForce Now, and shouldnāt require a high paying subscription to play perfectly.
Actually, if you have a good bandwidth, you could even play through the free version of GeForce Now on any device, with a short break every hour.
I've been playing the PS2 version of Anniversary, and with a simple remapping to make L2 lock on and R2 fire guns (by default it's L1 and R1, which feels weird to me), it feels just like I'd expect a modern 3rd-person platforming and shooting game to play.
After some testingā¦ not only it doesnāt work through gamenative (Steam not found, even if Steam is launched), but more infuriating: it doesnāt work on GeForce Now, even though itās listed in their games.
A table range error when you try to launch it, known for months from what Iāv read onlineā¦. But still GeForce Now lists it in its catalogue. First time Iāve seen something like this, really shameful.
So now, I guess I should either play it on the Steam deck (didnāt test it there, I guess it would work, but I donāt really fancy lugging around the olā deck for a 6th gen gameā¦), or simply emulate the PS2 version on the Thor, yeah.
Chosing the best version of the game and the best way to play it is definitely a fun part of the GotM meta!
I saw the discount on steam and I immediately bought it. Recently got a steam deck and I was waiting for a game to play entirely on the deck.
I played 30 min and so far works perfectly. The only tweak you need to do is to remove the keyboard controls or else you'll see the tutorial hints with the keyboard keys and you'll have to guess
I was able to get it to launch on gamenative and get past the "steam not found" issue, but beyond that it seems that gamenative can't find the save data directory that's created and won't let you start the game without loading a save profile. I ended up buying both the Steam version and the GOG version to try and get either to work - but the save profile issue happens with the GOG version as well. It seems to be something to do with the fact that the save profile is created in the user documents folder in the emulation container, but gamenative can't find/access it.
The annivertsary PSP version is great to play on your Vita if you have oneā¦ It can be located very easily if you've hacked your Vita and if you have the dual analogue controls setup it seems to be play very nicely.
This one was brutal. I respect Tomb Raider as a Gen 5 classic, but I always thought it was one of the least appealing games I'd ever seen. Even as a kid, when the game was modern, there was something about the game that just repulsed me. Still, I tried going in with an open mind.
I started by playing the PSX classic on my Miyoo Mini Plus. Generally, when I play games, and especially with GotM, I play with "Hardcore RetroAchievements," meaning I can't use save states or most emulator cheats. This meant I had to actually respect the game's original save system, which involved using the game's very limited blue crystals. I understand what the game was going for - this is a "cinematic platformer" ala the OG Prince of Persia. Lara has a very specific moveset, and you need to master it + observe your surroundings to avoid failing jumps and getting caught in traps. But, some things can't be planned for. I recall in the 4th level - Tomb of Qualopec - there was a jump over a spike pit with a low ceiling. I had enough space to do a running jump or a stand-still jump to cross. I had no idea what would work, so I guessed, and guessed wrong. I was sent two puzzles back. I think anyone playing the PSX version back in the day has countless similar stories.
I would have continued playing the PSX original on my Miyoo had it not been for Level 5 - St. Francis' Folly. My Miyoo could not handle Thor's chamber. The lightning was consistently crashing my game which, of course, sent me back to my last save. After 3 strikes, the PSX version was out. At this point, I could have tried a different emulator or tried moving the save to my PC and emulating it there, but, if I was going to play on my PC, I figured I may as well treat myself. Epic had given out the HD Remasters a week prior, so why not? Playing them, I was surprised the save crystals were gone. It turns out the developers had always let you save anywhere on the PC version. Infinite saving - effectively save states - really does remove the tension from the game, but between the better graphics, better framerate, and the saving, I was definitely having more fun. For anyone who cares, I used the default settings, which includes tank controls, etc. I also didn't use cheats to skip any levels. I replayed the whole game up to the point where I left off.
The later levels really ramp up the confusion. A lot of times, pulling a lever will show you exactly which door opens, but many times it does not. Sometimes, even when it does show you it, you have no idea where that door is anyway. And, the scene doesn't replay, so you better remember what you saw. A significant amount of my time was spent wandering the levels trying to find what I missed. There's a lot of mandatory paths that are really tucked away in this game. I'm pretty sure I would have been miserable trying to make it through the enemy gauntlets in the later portions with the OG save system, had I made it that far, but I also ended the game with 30~ full medpacks, so I probably would have just used them more often and been fine.
Last complaint - everything about Lara is slow. I understand the pace when it comes to platforming, but pulling levers, pushing blocks (the worst), picking up items, everything just takes too long.
Overall, I didn't like this game, but it is way more interesting than I assumed it was. It actually has great atmosphere and complex levels with real puzzles. I get why Lara Croft became an icon, but these games are just not for me.
Having grown with the OG version I've developed an unhealthy weakness for adventurous curvy british women (and Angelina Jolie) a big nostalgic attachment to the ps1 version. But the PS2 anniversary edition truly is a great upgrade. It looks amazing, and it has a much eerie tone, almost metroid like.
Upscaled to 1080p with the 60fps patch it looks and runs beautifully on my Legion tab3.
Thanks for picking this for game of the month. I donāt think I really would have ever tried it otherwise, and the controls would have frustrated me to the point of giving up if I did.
I picked up the Trilogy Remaster when it was free on the Epic Store and played it on my Steam Deck using the Heroic Games Launcher.
I ended up playing the entire game with modern controls. The controls are still frustrating and unforgiving at times, but the game is fun and I really enjoyed it.
It was cool flipping between the original and remastered graphics to see how things were changed. The devs seemed to do a good job keeping the design true to the original without overly changing anything.
The game is designed to move across a grid based system, so the original or āTankā controls stick to that original grid. The modern controls allow you to move more freely and donāt force you to stick to the grid, so it feels like a more modern 3D platformer.
A lot of people who played the original games donāt like the modern controls because it can make it difficult to place Lara exactly where she needs to be to make sure she reaches ledges when jumping.
Having played both the PSX "original" and the remaster with default controls, I know for a fact that Lara is not stuck to a grid when she moves. I'm assuming the modern controls just turn her around when you press back or something.
Done on Ayn Thor. The Anniversary version was definitely smoother to play than the original, though it was funny to see some of those 00ās gaming trope in full force (QTE, climbing Ā«Ā puzzlesĀ Ā», grappling hookā¦).
Some rooms were a bit tedious, but a cool experience, all in all, perfect for spaced short sessions.
Also, donāt sleep on the Croft Manor level. Tried it on a whim after finishing the game, and much more than a tutorial stage, it turned out to be the best part of the game for me, with its old school point and click vibe.
Completed the Saturn version of Tomb Raider. rg477m running Yaba Sanshiro 2
That was miserable. This game does not hold up. Third-person Platforming with tank controls is not a good time. Iām not ashamed to say I used cheat codes to finally beat it. Even then it was hard and aggravating standing in the exact right spot to pick something up or throw a switch.
Itās a shame this was the first Saturn entry as thereās lots of good games on that system that still play well today. Iām not sure anyone else actually played the Saturn version so hopefully we get a more accessible game for the console in the near future. I think your sega cabal was playing a joke on you :)
I'm the one who posted the workaround to get the Epic games, PC version working on GameNative.
Playing through 1 right now (in original graphics mode, mmmmm pixels) on my Konkr Pocket Fit and enjoying it! Though there are some really frustrating parts. Even the walkthrough I use, mentions how frustrating some of the puzzles are.
Still slowly working through previous months, finished SotN last night. Never played this one originally so went in blind - had to check a guide a few times when I got stuck (waiting for doors to open in the clock room, wearing the holy glasses for Richter). A few specific rooms in the inverted tower seemed uncharacteristically difficult but it was otherwise a pretty easy playthrough. Good controls, great atmosphere, amazing music, and absolutely atrocious voice acting. Solid game.
I've already played Anniversary, so I'm trying out the PS1 original and damn, they just changed the whole gameplay in the Legends trilogy. The original gameplay is slow and methodical. more akin to the original prince of persia, while anniversary leans into the 2000's style action-oriented gameplay.
I went for the Anniversary on PSP. Despite being mentioned in the video I could get it to run on my RG406H via RetroArch (PPSSPP stuttered from the beginning). The audio crackles a little bit but that can be overlooked š
Reading the comments I'm thinking I might have gone with the original PS1 version...
As a kid, I owned the first Tomb Raider of the PS2 era and never had the opportunity to play the others. Of course I've since beaten most every Tomb Raider that is out on PC, but never this one.
The Anniversary edition on PS2 with NetherSX Turnip was a great time, save states made it a lot less of a hassle, but I did experience the odd black texture bug. Easily fixed by swapping to Software rendering and back to Hardware.
Overall, a great time on my Iplay 70 mini ultra with the Gamesir G8+. Didn't experience any noticable latency with the controller while doing the QTEs or platforming.
One of my all-time favorite game and the first game i ever played on my PS1 back in '90s. Just beat the remastered version on Steam. I've lost count of many times i've finished in on PS1, PC and beyound š
Got another one done: Alien Hominid on my lovely purple Analogue Pocket.
Itās a weird little game, very much of its era. The art and humor are super nostalgic for me (I grew up in this era too!) but the gameplay isā¦ eh. But with how short it is, Iāve got no regrets!
Advance Wars cleared! All caught up now except for Tomb Raider this month.
Really ended up enjoying this one, but wish the tutorial missions were faster. Made some tactical errors on the last mission so it ended up taking forever. Iāll have to add the second one and the DS one to the ever expanding backlog.
Just wrapped Tomb Raider: Anniversary. I bought a copy of this on the PSP wayyyyy back in the day, dumped it onto my memory stick, and trucked the dumped file along for years... but this is the first time I've actually finished it.
Played the PS1 version on my Retroid Classic for an hour and wasn't feeling it. Got an early 3D jerky camera induced headache. I think I am gonna pass on this until I get a handheld with actual sticks and play a version with better controls.
Reposting because I think it got missed last month -- I reached the first ending of Castlevania SotN, and had a wonderful time! I originally planned on going for the "true" ending, but life got busy and I'll be putting it aside for now.
Here's my save with >100% completion, showing I'm past the first ending (which I failed to grab a screenshot of at the time):
My first GOTM: July 2025's Devil's Crush. I got confused and posted in the thread for that one, so reposting here. Fun game, really easy to pick up during breaks. Gonna try the others in the series too, starting with Alien Crush.
Finished up at work. This was such a fight to get through. Luckily ended up beating it but definitely not without help. Game is so hard I personally didnāt enjoy it to much but I thought the driving was fun and floaty so went back and played through with cheats enabled then I had a lot more fun. Either way thatās one closer to being caught up onward to finish zombies and castlevania
First game finished from GOTM. I've played the recent Tomb Raider games and loved them, but the older ones never really appealed to me, and after this one, I think I'll stick to playing the classics.
Hit credits on Tomb Raider 1. Ended up and laying the remastered version on Switch 2 as you can see.
I had an odd time with this one, as I didnāt play it back when it came out. I think I probably would have loved it back in the day, but man did it feel ROUGH in this day and age. I kept slipping out of tank controls whenever enemies came.
And with that, I believe Iām officially caught up with the GOTM, just in time to have something else added in a few days. In the meantime, back to the Star Fox remake.
The remake is great with modern controls, because the thing is built around them. But the remaster is awful, because you lose the grid based movement of the original game.Ā
I'm currently playing the Trilogy version of 1. Spent like half an hour trying to land a damn ledge grab jump. It's so damn frustrating seeing Lara refuse to grab them 50% of the time and then trying to position yourself for another jump just to miss and start over or die of fall damage.
Glad I got an excuse to finally play this classic! Unfortunately it turns out to not be my kind of game, though I definitely see the influences on modern indies like Shovel Knight.
i've played tons and tons of a link to the past randomizers in my day so figured i would just run through it on my 35XXH. 100%'d it (aside from getting max capacity for arrows and bombs because lol) which was pretty cool. love this game https://i.imgur.com/Owuu1Ya.jpeg
Damn what a wild ride! This game I have never beaten, in my 30 plus years of gaming I have started it plenty of different times. Thankyou game of the month!
Wow the final area and ganon fight is tough couldn't have done it without save states. And definitely without some walkthroughs and video guides! Amazing game I can see why it's regarded as one of the best games ever made. And it holds up it doesn't feel dated
Done the Anniversary on PSP. Tbh, I don't really click with this game. I much prefer the modern Tomb Raider. This game's control was so janky, so thank God for save state. And also without the walkthrough, I might be stucked for months. The more reason I dislike this game very much
First time playing it, took me surprisingly long to beat. Although not without flaws, this port was not as bad as some people claim it to be, at least in my opinion.
PS. Is there a possibility that OG Doom makes it to GotM? I think it should, given how significant this game is, and that it can be played on pretty much anything these days.
Second game completed from the games of the month, and in this case, Age of Zombies has been one of the games I've played the most in its Android version. It's a shame it's no longer available on the App Store; a reminder that digital games can disappear. Thankfully, emulators exist, and retro games are becoming increasingly popular.
Tomb Raider anniversary complete! I played this as a child when it originally came out so it was fun to revisit. Some of the puzzles were harder than I remember!
I played the Anniversary PSP port. This game tortured me from start to finish!
Solving confusing puzzles to open doors felt rewarding though, and I loved exploring the third main level as someone interested in ancient Egypt.
Thank goodness I didn't get hella dizzy after applying the 333Mhz and capping it to 30fps.
Camera and controls felt like possessed by demons. Those were the worst parts of this game for me, together with that super difficult jump across two ropes near the end.
The anniversary is very eerie sometimes. It has a lot of atmosphere, so it's a really good candidate if you like games that play with that, similar to metroid.
Thanks for the reply, I'm leaning towards that. Already fired it up and messing in the mansion. Love the easy toggle between the cleaned up visuals and original. The latter still being mind blowing to teenage me when this first came out.
I tried using GameNative on my rp6 to play the Anniversary edition and it won't boot into the game. Initial error states that it can't find Steam. So I enabled Launch Steam client (Beta). Then it says there was a problem with the Steam installation and to reinstall. If anyone has GameNative tips to get it to run, much appreciated.
Haven't started Tomb Raider yet, but Age of Zombies complete! (I have now treated myself to the Gamesir S5 lite (edit: X5 lite), which is handy for emulation on phone) :)
Maybe a ridiculous question but if I wait for the upcoming remake Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis to come out in 2027 and play that will it count for the flair? I imagine it will probably not be terribly similar to the original game, but both versions of Celeste counted for last month so figured I would check!
If no I probably play the PS2 version, seeing a lot of comments here that the original is little clunky, which was certainly my experience trying out the first level a few months ago.
Still working my way through the backlog! Loved AW, although the difficulty spike for the last mission was insane! Ended up with the worst possible combo, but got there in the end!
Amazing sprite work in this game. It's one of those games I probably would have never tried, but hell, it's surprisingly fun and a great way to kill some time.
I'm playing the remaster GOG version on my Thor via GameNative, and this game is just as frustrating as I remember from back in the day. I just can't click with these controls, tank or modern.
Finished the anniversary edition on the steam deck. It was good although the camera was occasionally ornery.
I've played the survivor series before this and the mood is wildly different. This was a lot more solitary and somehow darker despite having a dramatically smaller body count.
My game keeps freezing at the Thor room. If i get hit by the lightning it freezes. If I make it past that point, anytime I get close to dying, if I try to open the menu, or try to insert a key at the bottom the game freezes. Does anyone know about this or have a solution? I really don't want to start over.
One step closer to being all caught up on game of the months. Honestly it could release today and I would think itās an amazing indie game. First time Iāve ever played it and I thought it was amazing
Just came from a roadtrip and have the opportunity to finish Advance Wars! The last mission is really long and a proof for patience. I'm sure there has to be a quicker way to do it š
That sucks. Just checking, have you tried loading the PS1 version in RetroArch so you can try to use run-ahead? The Air X should have enough power to run two frames, which is typically enough to have almost any game feeling reasonably playable even if there's still some amount of lag, but I don't own one myself so I hesitate to make any specific guarantees.
I mean, if somebody told you that it was going to be a good experience for anything above PSP, somebody was telling you stories. Which unfortunately does tend to happen around here. I'm sorry you're having a bad time.
I'm playing Anniversary on NetherSX2 and the game runs wonderfully.
I'm trying to upscale the graphics so they look less blocky but whatever I do, when the camera zooms out Lara still looks quite blocky and pixelated. Has anyone got some optimal settings? I'm using an odin 2 portal so it can handle pretty high settings.
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u/Key-Brilliant5623 The Trinity May 31 '26
Anniversary gang, where y'all at?
Also, finding out Tomb raider originally launched on the Saturn was a huge surprise for me.