Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.
Sometimes, I plan around a game’s or series’ anniversary, honoring the occasion by publishing a pertinent article in this series. I’ve done that eight times this year so far, in fact. However, two thoughts have been swirling around my head lately: one, I should map out the rest of this year, and two, I really want to discuss an underappreciated hero. And somehow, both of those threads led to today’s topic.
Tembo the Badass Elephant, seen in his eponymous 2015 platformer (Image: Game Freak)
Pokémon is among the medium’s biggest institutions, so naturally it springs to mind whenever I’m looking for new writing topics. Recently, I found myself ruminating over Sword and Shield, the series’ latest mainline installments. I honestly don’t care for them, finding they lack a spark several of Game Freak’s earlier works possess. Soon, I found myself reminiscing over the studio’s less celebrated titles, particularly their platformers. Pulseman is among the best games on the SEGA Genesis. Drill Dozer is a charming side-scroller. HarmoKnight is a cute time-killer. And James Turner, a longtime Pokémon artist and HarmoKnight’s brainchild, also spearheaded a second passion project…
Tembo’s History
Speaking with Source Gaming, Game Freak programmer Masayuki Onoue discussed the studio’s “entrepreneurial program,” the Gear Project. Under the condition that a project’s lead handles “everything,” including its promotion and development, “anyone could raise their hand and start a project, developing anything that they want.” James Turner, thus, took it upon himself to kickstart Tembo the Badass Elephant. According to the artist, the thought of a “badass elephant hero” hit him when he saw a sign depicting the animal while walking home from work one day. Seeking a “heavy, powerful hero” who would facilitate “destructive gameplay,” and finding the idea of an “elephant commando” funny, Tembo’s “concept was born.” SEGA, who previously collaborated with Game Freak on Pulseman, would do so again for Tembo. After a few teasers, the publisher formally announced Tembo in March 2015.
In an illustration video, Turner admits there was initially some internal confusion during development. Elephants are associated with apples and bananas in Japan, not peanuts. (Image: Game Freak)
A long time ago, a war nearly tore apart Tuskland, an island located off the coast of Asia. Fearing for his homeland, bold elephant Tembo entered the fray, fighting alongside commanding soldier Krenman and the noble Shell Army. During the subsequent years, Krenman rose through the ranks, becoming a high-ranking colonel. Unfortunately, peace never lasts; the sinister PHANTOM organization began invading Shell Island, Krenman’s home. Realizing his army isn’t equipped to handle this threat alone, Krenman calls upon his old friend for aid. Naturally, the powerful pachyderm dutifully obliges and gears up. Upon arriving at the peanut-shaped island, Tembo immediately gets to work rescuing hapless citizens and fighting the terrorists, eventually breaching their base. After liberating the islet, a ceremony is held honoring Tembo, who Krenman immortalizes through a giant statue. The hulking colossus later flies back home, closing his adventure by admiring a beautiful sunset.
So, what’re my thoughts on Tembo?
Upon Tembo’s proper unveiling, the thing about it that left the strongest impression was Tembo himself. Visually, he’s fantastic, marrying the machismo of iconic action heroes with an expressive, eclectic sheen. Forgoing the more complex anatomy of real-world elephants, Tembo’s core shape is an oval, encompassing his head and torso. Of course, his species’ standard appendages – four legs, two tusks and ears, and a nose and tail – protrude from him. Tembo’s pale yellow tusks and nails complement his palette, providing a necessary contrast with his overwhelmingly gray body. Breaking up Tembo’s palette further are his accessories: an olive green belt, red headband, and dark camouflage paint. They offer little to no practical value, yet add so much personality (seriously, why bother wearing face paint? Tembo, you’re a tank who’s smashing through buildings with wild abandon as cheering people ride you – surely blending in isn’t part of your process). The boisterous brute’s circular eyes, meanwhile, channel some of Turner’s earlier creations, like HarmoKnight frontman Tempo and the Vanilluxe family, adding a comforting sense of familiarity. And Tembo’s thick outlines help convey his physical strength.
Wanting to portray Tembo’s heroism, bystanders were added into the game a few months in development. They led the team to include hidden areas and paths in stages, adding replay value. (Image: Game Freak)
Plus, despite his serious demeanor, Tembo isn’t infallible. When the quadruped is injured, a humbling mixture of surprise, pain, and humiliation can be read off his face. Fittingly, it’s reminiscent of Donkey Kong’s expression when he gets injured in contemporary games – both powerhouses are so unwaveringly confident that neither seemed to fully realize that they’re in actual danger.
That’s all perfect for what Tembo the Badass Elephant is: an affectionate riff on action heroes and games of yesteryear. Wearing his many inspirations on his metaphorical sleeve, Tembo’s most immediately obvious idol is First Blood protagonist Rambo; Turner himself invites this comparison. Furthering the macho mammoth’s militaristic milieu is Turner’s fondness for Metal Slug, and the hectic brawling of Final Fight informs Tembo’s. Taking notes from Donkey Kong Country steed Rambi and Wario Land’s titular star, Tembo’s signature attack is a dash that swiftly demolishes obstacles. Tembo can also store water in his nose and shoot it à la Kong tusker Ellie (Turner’s an avowed fan of Disney’s golden age animated films, including Dumbo). Yoshi’s Island influences Tembo’s kit, with the mastodon inheriting the dinosaur’s Flutter Jump. Traditional platforming techniques – a slide, for instance – are accounted for, and Tembo’s uppercut channels the utility of Pulseman’s jump kick. Looking at Tembo as a whole, its cinematics feature a comic book-esque presentation, the written sound effects of which even appear during gameplay. Altogether, Tembo’s an irreverent hodgepodge of tropes and tributes that coalesce into something unique, something Pokémon could never power.
It’s important for creators not to just keep creating, but to evolve – much like Game Freak’s own Pokémon do. (Image: Game Freak)
And therein lies Tembo’s greatest value: it – and HarmoKnight, and Giga Wrecker, and Game Freak’s other rigmaroles – broaden the studio’s portfolio, giving them creative outlets beyond Pokémon. Companies shouldn’t rely just on proven successes, they should challenge themselves to create new ones. That’s healthy; Game Freak’s Ken Sugimori once acknowledged how refreshing working on Drill Dozer was. Otherwise, stagnation and burnout will inevitably seep in. Just look at SEGA’s own Sonic Team, who went from their artistic triumphs of the Nineties to becoming a production line that slavishly churns out (with exceptions) middling hedgehog sequels (during the Aughts, Sonic Team was even allegedly exhausted by their back-to-back Sonic releases, seeking recuperation through a NiGHTS sequel). Studio steward Yuji Naka recognized this, hence why he left in 2006 to focus on producing original properties. And as a content creator myself, I can kind of empathize. “Character Chronicle” is a versatile outlet through which I discuss interesting characters in this medium, but it still carries limitations. Sometimes, I need to express myself in other ways, and when that urge arises, I do so through other venues.
Although the boar brazenly bulldozed through enemies and edifices, his game never set the world on fire. Nor has Tembo acquired a cult following like Drill Dozer or Pulseman, which is a shame; it’s a solid title (and a far more entertaining Country-inspired platformer than the unambitious JUJU). But even if Tembo’s world is never revisited, I’m glad it exists and hope Turner and his cohorts continue their off-beat experimentations. And despite my misgivings with the Galar games, Game Freak is a talented studio. I’m looking forward to exploring Hisui, and wherever Game Freak goes afterwards, I’ll follow.
Congratulations, Tembo! Mission accomplished!
Following Tembo, Turner served as Sword and Shield’s art director, designing new monsters alongside fresh takes on familiar ones. I’m, likewise, a fan of his and look forward to seeing what he helms next. (Image: Game Freak)
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