2019-04-01_Retro_Gamer

TOEJAM & EARL MEGA DRIVE

WSOMETHING OLD

BELOW PC, XBOX ONE

WSOMETHING NEW

WHY NOT TRY

Score 75 %

characters return, but we can’t give it a

universal recommendation. The game

can be funny and enjoyable with friends,

but the humour won’t be to everyone’s

tastes and the random elements leave

the game feeling somewhat capricious

at times. If you still love the original

ToeJam & Earl this throwback is an easy

recommendation, but if you’re not a fan

we’d advise caution.

In a nutshell

If you’re already a fan, you’ve

probably already bought it. If not,

this is a good update of a cult classic

that offers both oddball humour and

multiplayer laughs – but only if you’ve

got sufficient patience to endure its

harsher moments.

Sometimes, multiple bad things

can stack up to cause enormous

frustration. In one run we’d hit a tight

spot during one of final few levels, and

used a present out of desperation not

long after a forced randomisation. Not

only was it the Total Bummer which

kills you instantly, it was our last life.

The frustration almost caused us to

throw the controller through the TV

set because the Game Over screen

really means something here. If you

load up a save and you die, that save

is gone – literally deleted, never to be

loaded ever again, and that may just

be too unforgiving for some people’s

sensibilities. Fans of schadenfreude may

wish to watch Twitch streamers playing

the game, though.

We’ve enjoyed ToeJam & Earl: Back

In The Groove and hope to see the

always found that the stars of the games

were the earthling enemies that poke

fun at odd human behaviour. Some of

the new ones are great – we particularly

like the FBI agents that give Men In

Black a nod. We also like some of the

new helpful earthlings, like Gandhi Ji

who forms a protective circle, as well as

the fact that the shark’s sound effect is

literally a bloke doing the Jaws music.

But it’s worth noting that ToeJam

& Earl: Back In The Groove has some

issues with difficulty. While it’s not that

hard to reach the later levels (we hit

22 on our first attempt), the difficulty

seems to spike quite hard once you do,

with enemies becoming much faster

and stronger. They can be quite irritating,

too – enemies such as the cupid and the

internet troll are capable of scrambling

your controls, for example. The inquisitor

is also a jerk, as he’ll drop you down a

stage if he catches you.

as do the rhythm-based bonus games.
You’re also given a greater selection of
characters – six from the start and nine
in total, each with their own stats, perks
and starting items.
The original was fun played alone but
better with a partner, and that’s still true
here. Co-op multiplayer is supported for
up to four players, and while support
for local multiplayer feels expected on
Switch these days, it’s nice to see it
available on all platforms and even better
to see the return of the split-screen of
old. Additional players can drop in and out
mid-session, which is appreciated.
The best thing the game has going
for it is its style – it’s weird but it works.
The comic book visual style works well
for the Nineties throwback setting,
and the music is just as great as you’d
hope. ToeJam and Earl have always
been strong characters and we like their
speech bubble interactions, but we » [Switch] If you pay of f the fat lady, she’ll follow you and sing, defeating any nearby enemies as she goes.

» [Switch] Some presents, like the Icarus wings here, are super useful – we’re flying!

» [Switch] Big Earl’s gambling with

the cosplay nerds – can he roll a

14 to get some money?

RETRO GAMER | 99

REVIEWS: TOEJAM & EARL: BACK IN THE GROOVE