Over the past few year there has been a resurgance of classic games getting remastered, rebooted, re-released or getting sequel years after its last release. For example there are the recent Spryo and Crash Bandicoot remasters, DuckTales remaster, Sonic Mania, Shaq Fu, even Bubsy is getting/has gotten a reboot. Now its time for one of the funkiest duos to set foot on a console to have a go at a come back tour. They are ToeJoe & Earl and they are back in the groove. It’s been about 17 years since their last adventure on the XBox, so let’s see if the boys haven’t lost their their funk on the Switch version of ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove.
Funkalicious
Cartoony 90’s art style- Ever since the frst game back in the 90’s ToeJam & Earl have always rocked the looks of the late 80’s and early 90’s. From ToeJam’s Flavor Flave inspired chain and backwards cap to Earl’s poka dot shorts and shades, the game screams 90’s With Back in the Groove, HumaNature Studios decided to take the 90’s look even further. They took inspiration from classic 90’s cartoons and used that to give the gams its look. From a redesigned ToeJam & Earl and the other playable characters (more on them in a bit) to the level design, NPCs and everything in between, you could easily mistake the game for a cartoon that came out during the 90’s. This cartoony art style is making a comeback, hitting the nostalgia feels of those who grew up during the 90’s. Those who love that ztyle will definitely enjoy Back in the Groove’s art style.
Funky tunes- What’s great about older games that get remastered/rebooted/etc is that their music also gets upgraded. To go from beeps and boops is a drastic change but if done right can sound amazing. For example, I remember attending a concert that had a symphonic orchestra play an arrangement of songs from Final Fantasy. It was amazing to hear these songs bring brought to life with physical instruments. The same goes for Back in the Groove’s music as well. Music from the very first game tried to imitate the sound of funk through chiptunes. And while it sounded cool back in the 90’s, Back in the Groove turns up the funk levels to the max. I mean listen to that funky bass and rhythm guitar jaming out:
And its not the same tune repeated over and over, as there’s a funky track for the various different areas the funky ones travel through.
Funky bunch- ToeJam & Earl aren’t the only one on a new funky adventure. Joining them on their quest is the tough talking Latisha, the smart and sweet Lewanda, fly Flo who just happens to be Earl’s mother, the duo’s break dancing friend Peado and TJ’s nerdy cousin Geek Jam. Even old school TJ & Earl make an appearance. Each of these funky fresh characters have differnt stats and special abilities that differ from each playstyle wise. For example Earl can take more damage due to his high health andn can eat bad food but is slow. ToeJam on the other hand is the fastest out of all the characters and can use hitop to increase his speed, making him even faster. Each character has their strengths and weakness, just like a traditional rouge-like but with funky characters.
Four way funk- As I mentioned, ToeJam & Earl aren’t the only playable characters in the game. With this many characters in the game, its just too much funk for only two players to handle. With that in mind, two more people can join in on the funky fun, as the game supports up to four players at a time. With four funky players (either couch co-op or onlline) on the screen, it makes finding the pieces of the ship much easier to find, as when players move away from each other the screen splits up into four sections, each section following a player. Though this can get a bit annoying (more on that later) it’s a neat feature that livens up an already funky party.
LAME-O
Split screen split can confuse- As I mentioned before, there can be up to four players at once in Back in the Groove. When the players start to seperate, the screen divides into four sectcions for each of the players. Depending on which direction each of the players go, the screen will split into sections and follows each of the players. This can get a bit confusing because traditionally co-op split screen is traditional player one top left, player two top right, player three bottom left and player four bottom right. If player one decides to go to the south east corner of the map, the screen will split and player one’s screen will be on the bottom right. This will confuse player four as traditonally that is where player four’s screen usually is. There is an option to have the screen split fixed, as in if player one splits away from the group then the screen will split off and have player one in the top left corner no mater what direction player one travels.
A bit too chill- From what the developer has said, Back in the Groove is a rouge-lite dungeon crawller. From my expereince with rouge-lights/lites and dungeon crawllers, they tend to be a bit more fast paced with death waiting at every step. Back in the Groove takes it slow and chill. Honestly a bit too chill for my tastes. Now don’t get ne wrong chill is good, but after a while chill vibe will get to you and in combination of the funky music will lull you to sleep.
ToeJam & Earl Back in the Groove is just one of many games that had a game back in the 90’s and is now making a come back. Its cartoon art stye and funky jams will remind those who were growing up during that time of a happy and simple time. TJ and Earl bring along a cast of funky characters that play differently from them but are just as funky. Having four players join in on the journey is not only helpful at times but also rasies the funk levels. The new dynamic screen splitting that follows a character when wandering away from the main group can be annoying and disorientating if not paying attention. Back in the Groove also happens to be chill and is slow paced. So if you happen to like your rouge-likes/lites and not want to be put to sleep by chill vibes, then you might want to look else where. Regardless ToeJam & Earl Back in the Groove is the funkiest game that I’ve played before. If you happen to be a fan of the original games and want to play something that chill and funky, I suggest you put on your best hitops and gold chain and get funky.
8/10
