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[Instigator]

Toejam & Earl 2, the shunned sequel that dared to go into the more conventional route than the aimless original, is da shit. Yes, you heard me right. And don't even try to misquote me there.

I'm not going to take anything away from the original. I think it was novel and the split-screen play must have been among the first in gaming. But it just isn't much fun to play. I get exactly the same feeling from the Xbox game. It seems like a game that doesn't know what it wants to be.

Toejam 2 contained much of the spirit and humor from the TJ universe, but it just made it a much more coherent game. Art style aside, it played vaguely some of the known platformers of the day, but it definitely had its flavor and with some of its unique play mechanics.

And Toejam 2 was certainly much more pleasing to the eye than the original. Big characters on screen and fairly well animated at that. It also seemed the game had real art direction this time. Some of those levels were gorgeous. In terms of audio, it at least kept the same kind of upbeat hiphop from the original. No complaint there.

I will concede that the two-player play was compromized, having the share the same screen (something like Sonic 2 would have worked fine, but the TJ programmers probably weren't that skilled to make it run smoothly), but that would be the main flaw. With perhaps a bit of repetitiveness around the middle of the game being the other.

This is probably the only Western-developed platformer I ever liked. Oh yes, you heard me right, Sony brigade, so keep your Jax & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank and Sly Raccoon out of my thread.

 

[Zeo]

Wrong.

 

[Ranger X]

I prefer Jak & Clank Going Cooper.

 

[sammy]

I for one agree (picked them both up at the same time some 3 years ago) --------- the origional TJ&E was great, novel, unique, etc. ..... but it was still a turd.

I found it really funny when 3 came out for Xbox - was exactly the same thing as the origional - and people hated it.

The last time I had a migrane, was when i fired up 2player TJ&E(origional) and had 3 beers in me ...

 

[Instigator]

I prefer Jak & Clank Going Cooper.

Sporks, ban this man.

 

[Ranger X]

that's a joke :lol
You invited us to troll by targetting Jak and whatnot right at the start.
Just felt like saying also that Toe Jam and Earl 2 is the best of the series imo.
I do prefer the Sonic series but this game was also a nice platformer game.

 

[Instigator]

Don't even joke about it. Leave that filth out of my thread.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

I agree that Toejam and Earl is a fine, fine game in its own right. But better than the original? Ehhhhh. Apples and oranges, I say. They're just both too different and unique.

It's kinda like when I compare Earthworm Jim and EWJ 2. Both stand fine on their own merits.

 

[djtiesto]

This is probably the only Western-developed platformer I ever liked.

You didn't like Kid Chameleon??

 

[ourumov]

I enjoyed a lot more T&E 2...But that's just me...

 

[Zeo]

that's a joke :lol
You invited us to troll by targetting Jak and whatnot right at the start.
Just felt like saying also that Toe Jam and Earl 2 is the best of the series imo.
I do prefer the Sonic series but this game was also a nice platformer game.

lol, it's pretty obvious that's all he wants, is people to "troll". No other reason he would name games that completely destroy the crappy 2nd Toejam game.

 

[Instigator]

lol, it's pretty obvious that's all he wants, is people to "troll". No other reason he would name games that completely destroy the crappy 2nd Toejam game.

What I want is to defuse some expected replies by bringing them up already. Misquoting is also popular at GA so you trolls will have to get a lot more original than that.

It's the same reason why I didn't dismiss what the original game did better than the sequel because in a serious discussion, those points would come up eventually.

Now talk about the game or leave.

 

[Unison]

Part 1 was actually funny, the co-op gameplay was more fun, the use of sound was more inspired and unique at the time, the excitement of the presents was more integral to the experience, the enemies were cooler, the random levels were cool, etc...

TJ&E 2 is cruddy in comparison.

 

[flarkminator]

 

[dark10x]

I kinda like them both, but for different reasons. I think TJ&E1 hasn't aged as well, though (which is probably why I could never really get into the XBOX game).

The co-op was a blast back in the day, and agree that the music usage was better and more inspired at the time.

 

[Katana_Strikes]

I agree, this one was da shit indeed.

 

[Tarazet]

You can't even really call them the same series. Panic on Funkotron has nothing in common with the original game. I had a lot of fun with it, though, and played through it multiple times.

 

[Gattsu25]

Panic on Funkotron is one of my favorite 16-bit games

 

[rod]

Panic on Funkotron is one of my favorite 16-bit games

mine too

 

[Instigator]

mine too

What he said.

 

[Oracle Dragon]

Yes, this was a great game. No doubts. But ultimately, like all of its ilk, it must bow down to:



Aside from being a fantastic game, it must have also been in the running for best box art. Like all Sega games of its time. :lol

 

[MarkMacD]

And here I thought this thread was gonna be about how the first game was overrated garbage.

 

[Whiz]

I'm a big fan of the original Toejam & Earl and in my opinion it's the best game of Sega Genesis by far; the sequel it's a enormous pile of excrement

 

[Reilly]

Yes, this was a great game. No doubts. But ultimately, like all of its ilk, it must bow down to:

> Sega Version



I hated ToeJam & Earl personally.

 

[Lindsay]

I played each of these on the Sega Channel way back when and back then I was far to young to comprehend or play the first game. TJ&E2 however was much more accessible to me and I really liked it.

 

[sprsk]

Sporks, ban this man.

i wont be banning, but i agree with you.

 

[Sgt. Killjoy]

oh i agree completely, Toejam and Earl 2 was fucking awesome.

 

[StRaNgE]

i wasted hours playing TJ 1& 2 when i was a kid.

ahhh good times..

but the 3rd just did nothing for me.

 

[MC Safety]

I got to interview Mark Voorsanger and Greg Johnson when they were making ToeJam and Earl III: Return to Earth. We briefly discussed the second game and they'd noted it was a bit of a compromise with Sega, something they weren't altogether happy with but hardly ready to disown.

Both those guys impressed me with their passion for making games. It was clear they put a lot of thought into all three ToeJam and Earl games -- it's just unfortunately the second was probably the weakest of the three.

 

[Instigator]

I got to interview Mark Voorsanger and Greg Johnson when they were making ToeJam and Earl III: Return to Earth. We briefly discussed the second game and they'd noted it was a bit of a compromise with Sega, something they weren't altogether happy with but hardly ready to disown.

That's not what they were claiming in 1994.

 

[Hotsuma]

I just purchased TJ&E3 today. I played single player for about an hourand was quickly wondering WTF made this series so special back in the day (I've never had a chance to play the originals)? All that changed when we got a co-op game started. The co-op play almost makes you forget that every mission so far seems to be fetch this and find that.

The earthlings have some crazy dialogue! The little girl that says "My mommy says that you're my daddy and you owe us money." was just :lol Also, Big Earl and Lamont are the shit! The game seems to have a lot of cool ghetto comedy spread about, so I think I'll be able to stomach most of the fetch quest as long as the game stays cool.

We made it to the Desert stage and there are parts where you have to do a dance off in order to get notes. :lol It's too bad Sega didn't add in Xbox Live co-op play because that would have been tops. Were TJ&E 1 and 2 as fun as part 3? If so, I really would be interested in getting those.

 

[KiKaL]

I never got the chance to play TJ&E 2 but I LOVED the original. Probably one of my most played games. Im not sure what I loved about it so much. Looking back it sounds like an awful game but I remeber playing it all the time. I still have it along with my sega, maybe I will have to bust it out some night. Or maybes its better left off as a good memory. I wouldnt want to pop it in and realize It was bad : D

 

[Instigator]

I never got the chance to play TJ&E 2 but I LOVED the original. Probably one of my most played games. Im not sure what I loved about it so much. Looking back it sounds like an awful game but I remeber playing it all the time. I still have it along with my sega, maybe I will have to bust it out some night. Or maybes its better left off as a good memory. I wouldnt want to pop it in and realize It was bad : D

Try Toejam 2 instead. You've got nothing to lose and you could actually like it.

 

[Teknopathetic]

Yeah, TJ&E1 and 3 *shine* in multiplayer. The dialogue is great stuff, too.

 

[rod]

wonderboy 3 dragons drap oh god...


i looked everywhere for that when my cart broke when i was younger lol


awesome, awesome game

 

[Instigator]

Were TJ&E 1 and 2 as fun as part 3? If so, I really would be interested in getting those.

As already mentionned in this thread Toejam 1 is very similar to the one on Xbox, except in 2D.

Toejam 2 is more of a platformer.

 

[rod]

the special stages in TJnE 2 rocked. hyperfunk zone. TJnE games in general have awesome music

 

[D-X]

It's that dragon from Shrek.

 

[BlackClouds]

Such a misunderstood game series. Glad to see some actual fans come out the woodwork. Somebody needs to scan the EGM review of TJ&E 1 just to show how you should never listen to reviews! Also, TJ&E2 definetly has the best music in the series. Can you smell the after funk?

 

[Rain]

Toejam & Earl (1) is a regular game... nothing special about it... until you play it with a friend.

2 Player, it's amazing. the "let's use super hitop shoes now?" and "OH FUCK YOU USED THE RANDOMIZER" and "let's look for dr carrot so we can find what some gifts are"... it's just too much fun...

 

[Instigator]

Such a misunderstood game series. Glad to see some actual fans come out the woodwork. Somebody needs to scan the EGM review of TJ&E 1 just to show how you should never listen to reviews! Also, TJ&E2 definetly has the best music in the series. Can you smell the after funk?

'if you can call it music'

'Is it a game?'

I vaguely remember those lines from the review crew. :lol

 

[sc0la]

Yes, this was a great game. No doubts. But ultimately, like all of its ilk, it must bow down to:



Aside from being a fantastic game, it must have also been in the running for best box art. Like all Sega games of its time. :lol

oohh I forgot there were ninjas in WBIII. *rumages in closet for old master system*

 

[Iceman]

WBIII is my favorite platformer on the SMS. One of my favorite games of all time.. but did anyone else have a problem getting past the Pirate Dragon in the middle of the game? I remember having to use a password cheat to get past that section to beat the game.

Besides that little problem the game oozed with style and ambience. Not particularly hard.. but just plain fun.

P.S. ToeJam and Earl II rocked.

 

[Shin Johnpv]

I'm gonna have to dissagree here

I got the first Toe Jam n Earl right when it came out and LOVED it

one of my favorite gaming memories growing up was playing that game with my niece and nephew we had a freaking ball with it

for me personally the only TJnE game that was any good was the first one
the second just wasn't the same and the new third one they made on the Xbox was just complete and utter trash