Developed By: HumaNature Studios
Date of Release: March 1, 2019
Price :$19.99
The year was 1991, and the world was in a dire need of funk. The Sega Genesis/Megadrive was on the scene and sure, it had some good hits, but nothing that would just make you say "Whoa, that's rad!". Then a pair of joyriding Hip-Hop aliens crashed their ship into it, and things got hella funky. With a fresh attitude and funkadelic presentation, Toejam and Earl was a smash hit. The sequel, Panic on Funkotron didn't do bad either. Their third outing went over about as well as a skateboard coated in limburger cheese, but lets not dwell on that. Point is, Toejam and Earl were groovy, and the world was better for it. Sadly after the third game flopped they disappeared back into space for a while, maybe taking a much needed vacation. HOWEVER! In these modern times, just as things were looking dark and devoid of the righteous funkitude, the titular duo have returned, and things can only get groovier from here.
Toejam and Earl: Back in The Groove is an absolute love letter to fans of the original, and an extremely faithful recreation of the original version. It retains the same funky fresh attitude, the same wonderfully wild 1990s era aesthetic, however it's all been brought forward into modern times with a full-hd gloriously hand-drawn look, complete with the wild and wacky patterns and visuals that gave the original game it's flair. And let's not forget the soundtrack! The glorious funkarythmic tones of the original have been gloriously reworked and are like nothing you'll find anywhere else. The soundtrack just stands there, arms crossed, proudly wearing it's 1990's flair like a pair of snazzy hi-tops. It's all too cool and ready to take you to school. Radical.
Of course it wouldn't be Toejam and Earl without getting the gameplay right, and Back in The Groove is spot-on. At it's core it's a rogue-lite, and just like the original you'll be traversing the levels to seek out the pieces of your broken ship all while avoiding insane earthlings and opening presents. There's an old wise dude dressed as a carrot who'll help you out if you need it, and impromptu rhythm-game danceoffs can be found at every turn. Earth ain't so bad, you just need to know where to chill, dawg. The randomly generated (or fixed if you so choose) level designs are fun to explore and varied, and are stuffed full of stylized 90's goodness. Each part of Toejam and Earl: Back in The Groove is a delicious treat on it's own, but when you toss them all into the full funky fresh combo meal it's like a trip back to the food court of your soul, where the mall is open 24/7, they always have good pizza, and the arcade is on free-play. It's the real deal, yo!
