You play the role of an energetic pink-haired youth named Tomba. Tomba's island was once a beautiful, peaceful place. However, seven evil pigs appeared, and using their magical powers, they mutated the surroundings into a bizarre landscape. The underlings of The Evil Pigs, called the Koma Pigs, stole Tomba's grandfather's bracelet and a plethora of gold through a strange lust for it.

Tomba is on a quest to retrieve the bracelet, which requires vanquishing the Evil Pigs along the way. Trapping them involves finding Evil Pig Bags, keys to entering each realm of each Evil Pig. When Tomba confronts an Evil Pig, he can throw and seal them into their Evil Pig Bag. He must also complete missions for other people and areas to get items and Evil Pig Bags. Some side-missions are purely for fun and irrelevant to the Evil Pigs storyline.