“Oh snap! It's ToeJam and Earl.”
March 2, 2019 2:53 PM Subscribe
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove [YouTube] “The original ToeJam & Earl turns 28 this year. Released for the Sega Genesis in 1991, the roguelike adventure game features two wacky aliens with big personalities and a passion for bass-heavy funk. The game didn’t sell remarkably well when it first came out, but its unique aesthetic and Saturday morning cartoon-style humor set it apart and helped to give it long-lasting cult appeal. Unfortunately, any momentum it might have had was torpedoed by a series of lackluster sequels. Now, thanks to a $500,000 Kickstarter campaign, non-traditional investors, and years of additional development time, gaming’s favorite aliens have returned. ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is outstanding.” [via: Polygon]
It is returning as a newgrounds era flash game?
posted by TwelveTwo at 3:41 PM on March 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by TwelveTwo at 3:41 PM on March 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
I was honestly kind of shocked to find out that it’s apparently actually very good — at this point I’d expected Development Hell to have set in, so this comes as a very pleasant surprise for this remakequel to the first (real-time) roguelike most of my generation played.
posted by DoctorFedora at 3:48 PM on March 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by DoctorFedora at 3:48 PM on March 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
It certainly looks like one! But, no, it's on PC and all major consoles.
I played a lot of the original Toe Jam & Earl back in the Genesis days. One thing that's tripped me out reading reviews and stuff on the new one is that everybody just keeps casually dropping references to TJ&E being a roguelike. I have never thought of it that way, maybe because I didn't encounter more traditional roguelikes until much later, but as soon as I saw somebody point it out it blew my mind a little to realise that, holy shit, that game was totally a roguelike.
posted by tobascodagama at 3:51 PM on March 2, 2019 [7 favorites]
I played a lot of the original Toe Jam & Earl back in the Genesis days. One thing that's tripped me out reading reviews and stuff on the new one is that everybody just keeps casually dropping references to TJ&E being a roguelike. I have never thought of it that way, maybe because I didn't encounter more traditional roguelikes until much later, but as soon as I saw somebody point it out it blew my mind a little to realise that, holy shit, that game was totally a roguelike.
posted by tobascodagama at 3:51 PM on March 2, 2019 [7 favorites]
I had the original, which was a lot of fun! It's definitely weird, but in a good way. I still sometimes get the commercial stuck in my head, which was... something. I am also surprised that this one turned out well. I might have to pick it up.
posted by Sibrax at 3:51 PM on March 2, 2019
posted by Sibrax at 3:51 PM on March 2, 2019
as soon as I saw somebody point it out it blew my mind a little to realise that, holy shit, that game was totally a roguelike.
My thoughts exactly!
posted by Sibrax at 3:54 PM on March 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
My thoughts exactly!
posted by Sibrax at 3:54 PM on March 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
Even the notoriously hard to please Jeff Gerstmann seems to like it.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 4:06 PM on March 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 4:06 PM on March 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'm shocked that this game didn't sell well back then. It was the first genesis game we had besides Sonic and it ruled
posted by dis_integration at 5:51 PM on March 2, 2019
posted by dis_integration at 5:51 PM on March 2, 2019
I'm shocked that this game didn't sell well back then.
I owned it and loved it, but I can see why it didn't sell well, it didn't fit into a neat little box like so many other games, it wasn't a "fighter" or an "rpg" or a "platformer", it was this weird little hodge-podge, which is what I loved about it. But I could see people bouncing off of it.
posted by Fizz at 5:56 PM on March 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
I owned it and loved it, but I can see why it didn't sell well, it didn't fit into a neat little box like so many other games, it wasn't a "fighter" or an "rpg" or a "platformer", it was this weird little hodge-podge, which is what I loved about it. But I could see people bouncing off of it.
posted by Fizz at 5:56 PM on March 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
docfuture just posted about this on our web forum: "Toejam and Earl 4 is, give or take a questionable dad joke, very much a wonderful synthesis of the series and really well tuned and full of quality of life experiences that make it the most fun to play out of all of them. I really love it
"and then I find out that creep from midboss was a producer and man the game industry sure does have an endless supply of shitheads"
posted by jsnlxndrlv at 6:30 PM on March 2, 2019 [4 favorites]
"and then I find out that creep from midboss was a producer and man the game industry sure does have an endless supply of shitheads"
posted by jsnlxndrlv at 6:30 PM on March 2, 2019 [4 favorites]
I played and loved the first two games on Sega Genesis. (I know I won the first one, and can't remember if I finished the second.) They were just so colorful and fun and friendly and cooperative and funky. I still have them, and the Genesis, somewhere, but I think the Genesis was having a hard time starting up when I last tried a few years ago.
I was all over this Kickstarter for a PC version and also pre-ordered the Switch version. I have not had the brain space to play it yet, but I am very excited.
My 5yo also loves to listen to the soundtrack (we got the CD with the concept art as part of the KS package).
posted by jillithd at 6:56 PM on March 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
I was all over this Kickstarter for a PC version and also pre-ordered the Switch version. I have not had the brain space to play it yet, but I am very excited.
My 5yo also loves to listen to the soundtrack (we got the CD with the concept art as part of the KS package).
posted by jillithd at 6:56 PM on March 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
just bought this. fun.
posted by wmo at 7:59 PM on March 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by wmo at 7:59 PM on March 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also, the main linked article doesn't mention it but Macaulay Culkin is an Executive Producer for this game which is just a fun and weird fact to know.
posted by Fizz at 9:01 PM on March 2, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 9:01 PM on March 2, 2019 [5 favorites]
My son and I both cut our teeth on Panic on Funkotron (1993) and were just talking about it today. We got a Sega Genesis and 10 games at a yard sale in 1999, and this was one of our faves. HYPERFUNK ZONE! Awriiight. I've imprited on that, and all other iterations of Toejam and Earl, before and after that, are mere second-rate hack copies. HAVE A NICE DAY!
srsly have fun, we all need more funk
posted by not_on_display at 9:55 PM on March 2, 2019
srsly have fun, we all need more funk
posted by not_on_display at 9:55 PM on March 2, 2019
The new game is essentially a remake of the first with all the expected 2019 Quality Of Life improvements. If you liked the Genesis original you’ll love Back In The Groove.
I tried to get a friend to play co-op and he bounced off it pretty hard so you may need prescription Nostalgia Glasses for maximum enjoyment.
I haven’t played BitG all that much yet (beat Fixed World, got halfway thru Random) and I have some small complaints. Characters don’t say anything when they eat not-gross food yet they comment every time they touch sand and pausing the game doesn’t…pause the game. The rhythm mini-game is dated and ‘combat’ is just as frustrating as the original.
It’s worth the $20 for the music, the NickToons graphics and the strong nostalgia hit. Buy it now if you’re a fan but it wouldn’t surprise me to see this go on sale sooner rather than later.
posted by Diskeater at 10:24 PM on March 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
I tried to get a friend to play co-op and he bounced off it pretty hard so you may need prescription Nostalgia Glasses for maximum enjoyment.
I haven’t played BitG all that much yet (beat Fixed World, got halfway thru Random) and I have some small complaints. Characters don’t say anything when they eat not-gross food yet they comment every time they touch sand and pausing the game doesn’t…pause the game. The rhythm mini-game is dated and ‘combat’ is just as frustrating as the original.
It’s worth the $20 for the music, the NickToons graphics and the strong nostalgia hit. Buy it now if you’re a fan but it wouldn’t surprise me to see this go on sale sooner rather than later.
posted by Diskeater at 10:24 PM on March 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
Oh yeah, almost forgot. They brought back the only good thing from Panic On Funkotron (the Hyperfunk Zone) and it is a delight.
posted by Diskeater at 10:26 PM on March 2, 2019
posted by Diskeater at 10:26 PM on March 2, 2019
Yay!
posted by aspersioncast at 8:20 AM on March 3, 2019
posted by aspersioncast at 8:20 AM on March 3, 2019
> Buy it now if you’re a fan but it wouldn’t surprise me to see this go on sale sooner rather than later.Waiting for the sale is my general modus operandi but TOEJAM AND EARL DAMMIT
Serious fun.
(Once upon a time I even did a cover of the music)
posted by farlukar at 10:29 AM on March 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
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