Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove Reviews
Fans of the original Sega Genesis titles will probably find a lot to like about ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove. The rest of us, unfortunately, will need to fight off waves of annoyance and irritation while trying to determine what all the fuss is about.
Back in the Groove likely won’t push the franchise beyond its cult status, but it is a good game that fans both old and new should check out. Pick up and play this one with a friend for the best experience.
All in all, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove! is as solid of a remake of the classic title as you can hope for. It plays the same, sounds the same, looks better, and has a fair amount of new content. It's fun and accessible, and it's a solid roguelike for players of all ages. Nostalgic fans of the original will find a lot to love here, and newcomers should enjoy this retro trip back to the radical '90s.
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove shamelessly coasts on nostalgia and has little time for finessed gameplay or appealing visuals, but it nevertheless knows what its audience craves most.
A brilliant return for the funky alien duo! Back in the Groove is everything that ToeJam & Earl fans ever asked for. Even if sometimes is a bit broken and repetitive.
Review in Italian | Read full review
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove just feels like more of the original game sprinkled with some modern-day trimmings (rogue-lite progression, for example) that feel like an afterthought.
A nostalgic look to the videogames' past that may be a bit lackluster for those who didn't played the original games, but it's a welcomed return for this two charismatic characters.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
On the whole, the game is fun for short bursts or with a friend but there's little reason to play repeatedly unless you want to unlock all of the power hats.
I do wish the time-honored gameplay was offset a bit more by balanced, polished, and tighter design at times. But if you're "ready for a blast of funky nostalgia" the sense of déja vu that comes from familiar fun won't be a negative. For the unacquainted, the co-creator, designer, and studio head Greg Johnson worked on Star Control II – if that's not a selling point, what is? Concerning ToeJam & Earl, I can say the series, and Back in the Groove! especially, has a style all its own. There isn't anything quite like it.
I just kept thinking of so many different ways this could have been a much more ambitious take on a cheerful anachronism from an ancient 16-bit era. Sadly, I appear to have been the only one.
Back in the 90s this was a very famous video game, but it should have died on the way back to its home planet. If you’re not already a fan of the series, you still won’t be.
If you don't like it, then hey — guess you can go get funked.
While still in need of some technical polish, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a loving flashback to the good old 90s, filled with some lighthearted laughs and killer beats in an easygoing adventure setting. Fans of the original will definitely find something to love, and those who are new to the craziness can find some great fun here.
ToeJam & Earl : Back in the Groove is so similar to the original version released in 1991 that it fails to deliver the needed innovations that would have gave a new appeal to the game, instead of this dated gameplay that will bore any un-nostalgic gamer.
Review in French | Read full review
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is an endearing throwback whose charms and frustrations both feel unmistakably like products of 1991.
A nice and very fun throwback to the past which doesn't require you to find out what these alien rappers were doing if this is the first time you are seeing them.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove is very well put together and really just a more modern and expanded spin of the first installment of the series. It may not appeal to everyone with its weird 90s cartoon humor and there may be a few minor issues to iron out, but it’s a huge amount of fun to play with friends, just for the sheer chaos it brings with all the variables involved.
Capturing the essence of the 1991 classic, HumaNature Studios hits all of the right notes with ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove. With nine playable characters, light RPG progression, online co-operative gameplay, and a whole lot of funk, the latest entry into the ToeJam & Earl franchise rests solidly in the pocket where it is meant to be.
177/5000 ToeJam, Earl and his team of alien rappers are back in action with ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove the fourth game in a series that is about to turn 30 years old.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
With new opponents, a faster experience and great bonus modes from Panic on Funkotron, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is the quintessential experience for nostalgic fans, or those experiencing the franchise for the very first time.
