ToeJam & Earl is one of those games on the SEGA Genesis that you vaguely remember playing back in the 90’s but instantly recognize when shown a screen shot of them or of the game today. Then you go, “OH I remember that game. It was kinda weird”. Well that’s was my exact thought process when heard about that a new game was being developed by one of the original creators of the series, Greg Jonhson and his studio HumaNature Studios. The series was dormant for a couple of years since its third release on the original XBox in 2002, and now thanks to a successful Kickstarter, ToeJam & Earl Back in the Groove will be released this month. The game was shown off at PAX South 2019 a couple of weeks ago and I managed to get some hands on time with the game.
Gameplay wise, Back in the Groove plays a lot like the first ToeJam & Earl game: find the piece of the ship to get back home. Elements of the second game have been integrated to Back in the Groove, such as the HyperFunk zone and various mini rhythm games. And just like the first game, co-op multiplayer is back, now with the ability for four players to groove around. I don’t want to say too much about the game since I’m in the middle of reviewing it, but ToeJam & Earl Back in the Groove is a funky throw back to a simpler time in gaming.
