Tomb Raider turns 25

25 years ago, Lara Croft lept onto Sega Saturn on this day in 1996, PlayStation and PC a month later and the fan-favourite video game archaeologist never looked back.

Croft became a pop culture icon overnight in an era of girl power. The success of the original Tomb Raider spawned sequels, comic books, toys, films (starring Angelina Jolie and most recently Alicia Vikander in the titular role) and more.

Whilst there's an upcoming Netflix animated series, starring Hayley Atwell as Lara Croft, there's no new game to mark the silver anniversary.

“We’ve got big ambitions for the future of Tomb Raider,” said Will Kerslake, Tomb Raider franchise game director at Crystal Dynamics. “Our origin trilogy back in 2013 told the story of Lara’s early days when she was forged into a survivor, became a hero and ultimately the Tomb Raider.

“But the classic games featured a seasoned and confident adventurer, travelling the world, unlocking its secrets, often standing alone against cataclysmic forces.

“We envision the future of Tomb Raider unfolding after these established adventures, telling stories that build upon the breadth of both Core Design’s and Crystal Dynamics’ games, working to unify these timelines,” Kerslake said.

“With Tomb Raider’s extensive history, this is not an easy task, and we ask for patience as we go through the development process. We don’t have plans for a major game announcement in the near future.”

To celebrate my first job after graduating from university, I remember queuing outside EB Games to buy Tomb Raider, an original PlayStation and memory cards (remember those?).

What are your Tomb Raider memories? Let me know in the comments below.