ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove Reviews
Check out ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 23 reviews on CriticDB, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove has a score of:
ToeJam & Earl & Lewanda & Latisha are trapped on Earth. Getting back to Funkotron will require a box of tomatoes, a few pairs of strap-on wings, and some serious (more or less) teamwork.
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ToeJam and Earl are definitely back in the groove with this remake, and this game has been welcomed by fans who backed the Kickstarter back in 2015. I certainly wanted to see a more fresh take on these characters, but the game we got will keep fans of the franchise happy while introducing a whole new generation of gamers to the series.
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At one time Sega pimped ET rappers – the funky, groovy duo of ToeJam and Earl – as mascots for their Genesis console. However poor sales of the original 1991 game nixed that and that mantle fell to the decidedly more kinetic Sonic and Crash Bandicoot. Enter ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove!
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Capturing the essence of the 1991 classic, HumaNature Studios hits all of the right notes with ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove. With nine playable characters, light RPG progression, online co-operative gameplay, and a whole lot of funk, the latest entry into the ToeJam & Earl franchise rests solidly in the pocket where it is meant to be.
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While still in need of some technical polish, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a loving flashback to the good old 90s, filled with some lighthearted laughs and killer beats in an easygoing adventure setting. Fans of the original will definitely find something to love, and those who are new to the craziness can find some great fun here.
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Back in the early days of the Sega Genesis, Sonic the Hedgehog wasn’t the only one who was making some noise and pulling the attention away from the powerhouse that was Nintendo.
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Otherwise, this is really hard to recommend. The music, which really should have been the focus, is tinny ultra-basic beats, sounding like midi files in their simplicity. There’s no attempt at livening it up with real instruments, and the game’s Guitar Hero-style button-along sequences are insultingly rudimentary. Crikey, I just kept thinking of so many different ways this could have been a much more ambitious take on a cheerful anachronism from an ancient 16-bit era. Sadly, I appear to have been the only one.
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Playing this game is equivalent to downing some orange soda and Cool Ranch Doritos while watching Rocko’s Modern Life with the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff playing on my parents’ six-CD player. With a little more variety in objectives this could be the killer co-op game to end all co-op games, but even with the same basic goal each run, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is one of the illest, dopest, most hella fly experiences I’ve had on my Switch. And while I know that vernacular is terribly dated, it totally works when talking about this game.
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ToeJam, Earl, and the rest of the gang come back to Earth with style.
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I like that Back in the Groove has updated with current times without losing its original style, which is exemplified through the design of this game’s Earthlings. Earthlings have always been heavily-parodied versions of stereotypes like the way-too-tanned tourist or the obnoxious nerd, so seeing those characters alongside new archetypes like annoying drone-pilots and self-absorbed social media fiends just feels natural.
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ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a hard sell. If you loved the originals, then there might be enough here to spirit you back to the days of the Mega Drive, but without knowing the source material, you are left with a good looking but fairly generic walkabout game. Don’t get me wrong, the game is loaded with charm in its characters, soundtrack and setting, but when you boil it down to its basics, it’s quite standard and retains that old game difficulty feel which can get a little repetitive. It’s one of those ‘you had to be...
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While the commitment HumaNature Studios made to make an actual sequel to the original ToeJam & Earl is commendable, the gameplay just feels way too dated. ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is truly the sequel fans were probably waiting for, it's just 20 years too late.
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ToeJam and Earl may have gained cult status for their past escapades, but unless you’re a hardcore fan of the series, the magic doesn’t quite carry over to the 21st century. ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is initially charming thanks to how offbeat it is, but it soon wears thin when you realise how barebones the gameplay is.
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There were moments where it felt like I was playing the same game that came out when I was 11. But the look was just a bit more lavish, and the funky bass line was arranged just differently enough. Back in the Groove is the perfect mix of polish and nostalgia, and one that I can’t wait to play through again.
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ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is the fourth game in a series that has spanned three decades and as many genres. Over ten years have passed since ToeJam & Earl III landed on the Xbox without making an impact, but a lot has changed in video games since the early 2000s. Most importantly, independently-developed games have become commercially viable, and sequels to classics don’t need to chase innovation to make fans happy. With this game, we have a return to the spirit of the 1991 Sega Genesis original, dumping the action and platforming of the sequels in favor...
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ToeJam & Earl: Back in he Groove is a straightfroward game that really struggles to find any form of relevance beyond its nostalgia factor.
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It's been a long time since the funky alien chums went on an adventure so let's see if their latest tears the roof off the mother sucker.
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ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove was an extremely surprising announcement that had me taken aback for a few different reasons. My first initial thoughts were of delight as I have fond memories of playing Panic on Funkotron in co-op with my brother. I remembered how great the soundtrack was even as a three to four year old. Then when I saw that it was more of a spiritual successor to the first game, I started thinking how that style of game would translate in 2019. Panic on Funkotron was a 2...
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The original ToeJam & Earl introduced a generation of console players to the concept of roguelikes, where success depended on negotiating randomized landscapes and using items that were as likely to harm as help the player. The Genesis game starred a hip-hop-loving alien duo with a penchant for funk and a fear of troublesome Earthlings, who survived thanks to their good luck and cartoonish gadgets. A pair of sequels reinforced the concept that, well, maybe not every budding franchise has enough gas in the tank to keep the rocket going. Now, 17 years after the last game hit Xbox, the...
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Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove is definitely an odd title. It has a focus on exploration over combat, and embraces randomness in a way that keeps things exciting. While it’s likely not for everyone, it’s definitely a unique game in this day and age, and is worth a shot for that alone.
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Bristling with energy and a bright, breezy '90s-inspired style, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove harks back to a simpler time, when life was a little bit funkier. And fun. This is a fun game.
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