ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove | Xbox One Review

Bringing the past back to life seems to be all the rage in the gaming world right now. We’ve seen big budget titles like Resident Evil 2 or smaller, more obscure titles like Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn. This time around it’s ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove from HumaNature Studios. This series traces its roots all the way back to the SEGA Genesis. The game is a new-age take on the first ToeJam & Earl. With quite a cult following, this updated game was funded and brought to life with Kickstarter. The game itself falls into a cross between a roguelike and a platformer. So let’s take look on why this might be a game for you.

The story is that of ToeJam & Earl, two rapping aliens. While they are visiting Earth trying to share some of their music, something goes haywire. The two accidentally open a black hole which tears their ship apart before pulling them inside…along with the entire planet. In order to return home, they must explore through twenty-five different levels to find all the parts of their ship. There are a multitude of entities trying to slow you on your journey, though. Humans, tornados, and even demons stand in your path of returning home. Luckily, there are a few friendly humans and aliens to help you along the way.

Darn Evil Elevators

Each level is a randomly generated level that for you to explore from an isometric view. Your map, which is located at the corner of the screen, is covered with tiles. As you move around the environment, the tiles flip and provide you with experience. Your primary goal is to locate parts to ToeJam & Earl’s spaceship. When you start a new level that contains one of these pieces, a notification lets you know to be on the lookout. This is quite helpful.

To advance to the next level, you must find the exit in the form of an elevator. You’ll have to be careful, however, as some elevators are fake and will, instead, take you to a previous level. Some ares contain hidden paths, which add to the roguelike fun.

Humans Can Be Your Friend

Let’s start with the helpful ones. There is a wiseman in a carrot suit. Yes, you read that correctly. He allows you to level up after you’ve earned enough experience points. My favorite is the wizard, who will refill your health for a price.

One of the other helpful tools you have on your side is gift-wrapped presents you find almost everywhere. The presents are random items that can help you or harm you. You can either risk opening them or take them to the wise man who can identify them. Each present is interesting and amusing. There’s hi-top shoes that make you run faster and a huge flashing billboard that says “YOU ARE HERE”. The 90’s play a huge presence here.

Run, It’s the Government!

The humans out to stop you along your way are quite an interesting bunch. There’s a mother pushing a baby in a stroller and even a government agent who tries to stab you with a needle. You can outrun these enemies or hide in random sunflower patches. Other environmental hazards like sand patches, snow, and water can slow you down or harm you. As you ascend through each level, the enemies grow in number and hit harder.

The music is nostalgic and fun with a very funky sound, and though it is repeated on every level, it never gets old. The graphics are smooth and cartoonish, like the original game on SEGA Genesis. However, since this is on current generation consoles, movement isn’t as choppy.  There are also minigames on each level. These range from a rhythm game similar to Guitar Hero to a track game along the lines of the Runner series. There are nice breaks from the regular game.

Old Titles Are Coming Back Better Than Ever

ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove is essentially a re-skin of the original game. While I am a fan of older games, revisiting this one fell a little flat for me. Admittedly, I was never a huge fan of the original property. The game is fun, but some of the mini-games could have been fleshed out a little more. The levels themselves are also quite small and could have been expanded to cover a greater area.

There is a fairly decent amount of replay with the random world generator. There are also multiple characters and special power hats you can gain by running through the game multiple times. At the time of this writing, I am actually on my third play through.

Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a great idea and a wonderful way to introduce younger gamers to classic titles. Though the game is very similar to the original, it does have some new ideas in place. I can definitely see a growing market for revised versions of older games. If you are a fan of the original series, this game is right up your alley. If you are like me and never gave the originals a fair shake, I would recommend giving this game a try. Its unique play style and art themes are something everyone can enjoy.

This review is based on an Xbox One copy provided by Stride PR for coverage purposes and is also available on PS4, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, and Mac.