A series of action-adventure games published by Eidos Interactive. Originally released for the Sega Saturn in 1996, versions for the PC and
Sony Playstation soon followed to great fanfare. Tomb Raider is generally credited for making a large contribution to the success of the Playstation through its early years. It is now currently available for a wide variety of gaming platforms.
The games themselves center around the heroine, Lara Croft, a British archaeologist and adventurer in the Indiana Jones tradition who travels around the world searching for archaeological relics and battling evil-doers. Players guide Lara through a series of 3D labyrinths, kill dangerous creatures, and solve puzzles all in an attempt to track down some legendary artifact. Besides walking, running, and jumping, Lara can perform a variety of acrobatic maneuvers which include side-steps, roll overs, and ledge hanging. Tomb Raider was also an early innovator in 3D gameplay, borrowing and improving upon many aspects of the 3D platformer. Besides the gameplay some suspect Tomb Raider was popular mainly because of the heroine’s “proportions” as they appeared in 3D. In any case, Tomb Raider has proved so popular that an entire entertainment franchise has spawned. The Tomb Raider name now includes comic books, novelizations, theme park rides, and two major motion pictures starring actress
Angelina Jolie.
