ToeJam & Earl (Mega Drive)

Toejam and earl was another early 90's game that was rated both in a possitive and negative light as many preferred the sequel although i was not one of them. The game starts off with toejam explaining how earls erratic piloting has left them on earth after a crash landing which has scattered the pieces of the ship everywhere.

The game can be played single player or in co-op using splitscreen only when the characters are too far away from each other. The two alien rappers you can be are toejam which is a three legged red alien that wears a gold chain and a backwards cap and earl a fat orange alien with oversized shoes shorts and shades. Both the players have the slang you would expect anyone from los angeles to use and have a shared love of funk which leads me onto the music that has a jazz funk hip hop feel to it and some catchy over the top beats.

The game consists of over 20 something levels where the object is to find a booth that takes you up another "floor" if you will as the levels when you go up are in space and you can fall off the sides and back down another level having to find your way to the transporter booth again.

You walk around a 2D top down view trying to avoid the many annoying over the top takes on life such as a lady pushing a shopping trolley around, little devils with pitch forks to insane dentists that come chasing you out of nowhere. Many of the enemies are amusing from a blue mail box that looks standard then comes alive when you get nearby to the boogeyman that you only spot when you see a shaddow chasing you along the quicksand or grass.

To aid you on your quest to find the booths and ship parts you find presents that are scattered about or from startling a jet pack santa claus causing him to drop them.
The presents can consist of food to aid in your health to spring shoes,rocket shoes or even rose bushes to stop a giant hamster in a ball chasing you. The presents you find are not all good as some that are called a "total bummer kill" you instantly but dont fret as any present you find or get mail ordered in by the safe blue mail boxes can be identified by a guy in a carrot suit as you would expect from a game like this.

Toejam and earl was one of the first games i remember where the landscape and pathways can randomly form when you stand nearby them allowing you to find your way about. The game itself can have very good life to it depending how your luck is as mistakes can happen plus you never know when the randomly teleporting ice cream van that runs you over will show up or if while flying along using icarus wings the chickens with the tomato rocket launcher will blow you out of the sky or if like me while swimming to the bottom left of the first level the inflatable ring wears off (note there is a island with presents on the top right of the first level and the bottom left a hole that takes you to a lemonade extra life stand and a hot tub with hula girls)

I found games like this fun as even if you fail it can be a good laugh anyway as its not a serious game at all. The sequel was a total change from this one that still had good elements but i have never seen a follow on game change so much before from the original structure. There was a third game that was released on xbox and megadrive (apparently ) and in 2006 the wii had a version as well.

I really enjoyed this game as you get the two aliens giving wise cracks while walking around together all things you miss out on playing single player plus the megadrive was always more about you and someone else playing or competing anyway.

Perhaps one of my favourite games 20years ago.