ToeJam & Earl

PRESS START

An Introduction To Today’s Game

This is an odd one. There’s no way around that. It was back then and it’s still weird today.

I remember renting this back in the day and becoming completely lost as I played. What kind of game is it? What’s the point? What am I supposed to be doing?

The name grabbed our attention, ToeJam & Earl. Who wouldn’t be interested in a title like that? Everyone I knew wanted to play it.

So what is it? Ummm. I’m still not sure.

Two alien rappers crash-land on Earth and spend 25 randomly generated levels trying to find the pieces of their wrecked ship. It's weird, it's slow, and it was ahead of its time in ways most players didn't notice until years later.

BEHIND THE PIXELS

Let’s Dive Into The Game

Picture ToeJam & Earl as a treasure hunt wrapped in a funk record. You pick one of two characters, ToeJam or Earl, and navigate floating islands viewed from a 3/4 overhead perspective.

The goal is to find all 10 missing pieces of your spaceship, scattered across 25 levels, while avoiding a parade of strange Earthlings who do not want you there.

Nerd herds, giant hamsters, boogie men, and phantom ice cream trucks are just some of what you're dealing with. There are no bosses. There is no real combat.

Mostly, you walk, explore, and try not to fall off the edge.

The game's design was directly inspired by Rogue, the 1980 PC game that gave its name to an entire genre. Every time you play, the levels are generated fresh, which means item locations, terrain, and present contents are never the same.

While this is pretty common these days, it was very rare back in the 90s, especially on a console.

The present mechanic sits at the center of everything. Presents are scattered across each level, and each one is wrapped and unidentified until you open it. Once you do, every present of that color or pattern is revealed for the rest of the run.

Some give you speed boosts or a set of wings. Some call in a cupid who slows down Earthlings. One randomizes every present you've already identified, which is genuinely cruel. Learning which presents are worth grabbing and which ones to leave alone is most of the game's strategy.

ToeJam and Earl have no attacks by default. Their main survival tool is sneaking forward slowly, which lets them move past Earthlings undetected if done carefully.

Falling off a level drops you back down one floor, meaning you have to find the elevator all over again. That can be punishing, and solo play reflects that friction pretty clearly.

Two-player cooperative mode is a different story. The screen splits when the characters move apart, and dialogue and jokes trigger between the two that don't appear in single-player. The game was built with a partner in mind.

Composer John Baker drew from jazz-funk and hip-hop, with particular influence from Herbie Hancock and The Headhunters. The soundtrack holds up.

The visuals are colorful and expressive for the hardware, with chunky character sprites and lively animations that still carry personality. The tone throughout is one of the most consistent on the console. ToeJam & Earl doesn't try to be anything other than exactly what it is.

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GAME INFORMATION

WHERE TO PLAY

• Nintendo Switch Online - Genesis App.

• Sega Genesis Classics Collection

• Original Copies of the Game (All prices in USD)

  • Loose: $35

  • Complete: $72

  • New/Sealed: $180

COVER ART

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GAME OVER

Why You Should Play This

ToeJam & Earl is available today through Sega Genesis Classics on Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam, so there is no good excuse to skip it.

If you have someone to play it with, that is the way to go. The co-op is where the game finds its best version of itself. Going solo is still worthwhile, but you'll feel the slower pacing more than you would with a friend on the couch.

The 2019 follow-up, Back in the Groove, expands the formula with four-player co-op if you want something closer to a modern experience. But the original is the one worth starting with.

It is a game built around its own personality, and that definitely holds up.

SUPPORT

This is a passion project made with love, and every open or read means the world.
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RETRO HARDWARE

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