ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove
Developer(s)HumaNature Studios
Publisher(s)HumaNature Studios
Limited Run Games (Physical PS4 and Switch versions)
Director(s)Greg Johnson
Producer(s)Matt Conn
Macaulay Culkin
Designer(s)Greg Johnson
Programmer(s)Jeff Kreis
Christopher Hall
Ko Costarella
Artist(s)Nathan Shorts
Rick Servande
Connie Chin
Composer(s)Cody Wright
Nick Stubblefield
SeriesToeJam & Earl
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
ReleaseMarch 1, 2019[1]
Genre(s)Action platformer
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is the fourth entry in the ToeJam & Earl series of video games. The game was developed by HumaNature Studios, founded by series creator Greg Johnson, and published by the studio on March 1, 2019.[1]

It is the first new entry in the series since 2002's Mission to Earth, as well as the first entry that Sega had no involvement with. The physical release features a standard red cover design as well as a purple cover variant sold exclusively through Best Buy.

Gameplay

The game plays most similarly to the original ToeJam & Earl game for the Sega Genesis.[2] The game plays from a fixed, isometric viewpoint, and features the same basic gameplay of searching and exploring up a successive layer of floating islands.[3] While it mostly does not play like the game's vastly different sequel, ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron, it implements some of the minor side aspects of it, such as the "Jam Out" rhythm-based mini-game.[2] The game features nine different playable characters, and four-player cooperative gameplay, both online and locally.[4]

Development

The game was developed by HumaNature Studios, the company founded by ToeJam and Earl series creator Greg Johnson.[5] Work on the game's premise started shortly after the team's prior game release, Doki-Doki Universe, which released December 2013.[5] After teasing that the team had been busy working on the game's premise in early 2015, the game was formally announced in March 2015.[6] The game's original plan was to forgo securing a publisher, in favor of raising funds through crowd sourcing.[6] The team ran a Kickstarter campaign throughout the month of March, with a goal of raising $400,000 to fund the game.[7] The game's goal was met on March 25, two days before the campaign's end, and ended up at over $500,000 as the total amount, successfully funding the game, but failing to meet the stretch goals required to get the game released on traditional video game consoles, instead being relegated to the Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows.[7] The team, at the time, consisted of just three people - Johnson, an engineer, and an artist.[3]

Initially scheduled for a 2016 release, in August 2016, it was announced that Adult Swim Games had joined on to publish and give additional funding for the project.[8] This allowed for the game's release on additional video game platforms, but did not specify which ones, and delayed the game into 2017.[8] While Adult Swim Games was publishing the game, the deal did not involve the creation of any sort of animated cartoon for its Adult Swim television broadcast.[4] On February 28, 2017, during a Nintendo Direct focused around indie and crowd-funded games coming to Nintendo platforms, the Nintendo Switch was revealed to be one of the platforms the game would be released on, with more to be announced.[9][10] Versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were confirmed in April.[11] In June 2018, it was announced that Adult Swim Games would no longer be publishing the game.[12] It was ultimately self-published digitally by HumaNature Studios in early 2019. Limited Run Games published physical editions for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.[13]

Actor Macaulay Culkin, a longtime fan of the series, connected with Johnson after he praised the games on his podcast, Bunny Ears.[14] As executive producer, Culkin gave his input on the game's development.[15]

Reception

According to review aggregator Metacritic, ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove received "generally favorable reviews" on Nintendo Switch and PC, and "mixed or average reviews" on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Awards

The game was nominated for the Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake at the New York Game Awards,[30] and for "Game, Classic Revival" at the NAVGTR Awards.[31]

References

  1. 1 2 "Update 75: Release Date, Playstation.Blog, New Trailer, PS4 Pre-orders, and Platform Swapping · Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove". Kickstarter. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  2. 1 2 Mahardy, Mike (25 February 2015). "ToeJam and Earl Returns With New Kickstarter Project". IGN. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  3. 1 2 Kollar, Philip (25 February 2015). "The plan to resurrect ToeJam & Earl". Polygon. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  4. 1 2 Donnelly, Joe (25 August 2016). "Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove partners with Adult Swim, due 2017". PC Gamer. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  5. 1 2 Phillips, Tom (5 February 2015). "ToeJam & Earl game teased by Doki-Doki Universe dev". Eurogamer. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  6. 1 2 Matulef, Jeffrey (26 March 2015). "Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove rocket skates to Kickstarter". Eurogamer. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  7. 1 2 McWhertor, Michael (25 March 2015). "New ToeJam & Earl game hits fundraising goal on Kickstarter". Polygon. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  8. 1 2 McWhertor, Michael (24 August 2016). "ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove coming 2017 from Adult Swim". Polygon. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  9. ↑ Hayes, Matthew (1 March 2017). "ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove Coming to Nintendo Switch". WWG. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  10. ↑ "Update 55: Back in the Groove coming for the Switch!! · Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove". Kickstarter. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  11. ↑ "Update 56: Almost there! · Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove". Kickstarter. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  12. ↑ "Update 63: Incoming Transmission from Funkotron! · Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove". Kickstarter. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  13. ↑ "Update 71: PAX Wrap-up, Limited Run, and MORE! · Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove". Kickstarter. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  14. ↑ "Meet Macaulay Culkin, retro video game nerd". Engadget. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "Macaulay Culkin Revealed As Executive Producer On ToeJam & Earl: Back In The Groove". Nintendo Life. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  16. ↑ "ToeJam & Earl: Back In The Groove for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  17. ↑ "ToeJam & Earl: Back In The Groove for PS4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  18. ↑ "ToeJam & Earl: Back In The Groove for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  19. ↑ "ToeJam & Earl: Back In The Groove for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  20. ↑ Marsh, Calum (4 March 2019). "ToeJam & Earl: Back In The Groove Review - The Funk-Soul Brothers". Computer Games Magazine. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  21. ↑ Andriessen, CJ (3 March 2019). "Review: ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove". Destructoid. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  22. ↑ "ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove review | Aces high". Electronic Gaming Monthly. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  23. ↑ Cork, Jeff (28 February 2019). "ToeJam & Earl: Back In The Groove Review - Funky In All The Right Ways". Game Informer. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  24. ↑ "ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove! Review | Funky Fresh | Aces high". GameRevolution. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  25. ↑ Marsh, Calum (15 February 2019). "ToeJam & Earl: Back In The Groove Review - The Funk-Soul Brothers". GameSpot. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  26. ↑ Ronaghan, Neal (28 February 2019). "ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove (Switch) Review". www.nintendoworldreport.com. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  27. ↑ "ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove Review (PS4) | Aces high". Push Square. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  28. ↑ "ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove Review | Aces high". RPGamer. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  29. ↑ Khan, Asif (4 April 2019). "ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove review: Familiar funk". Shacknews. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  30. ↑ Sheehan, Gavin (2 January 2020). "The New York Game Awards Announces 2020 Nominees". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  31. ↑ "2019 Nominees". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.

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