The box art for ToeJam & Earl.
Not to be confused with the two characters of the same names, ToeJam and Earl.
ToeJam & Earl is a 1991 roguelike game created by Johnson Voorsanger Productions for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. The game stars ToeJam and Big Rappin' Earl, two alien rappers from the Planet Funkotron who crashland on Planet Earth after Earl takes the wheel of their Righteous Rapmaster Rocketship. Shortly after taking control of said wheel, Earl crashed into an asteroid. Their only hope to get home is to re-assemble their spaceship while avoiding numerous crazy earthlings in the process.
Gameplay[]
ToeJam and Earl can be played with one or two players. Player 1 in the single-player mode has the choice between ToeJam or Earl, but in two-player mode, Player 1 is always ToeJam, and Player 2 is Earl. The game begins on Level 1, complete with a seemingly endless river, four presents, and ToeJam and/or Earl starting of at the rank of "Wiener". Presents provide your items for the game, each game starting you off with 4 "Super Hi-Tops" Presents for extra running speed. The other presents can provide you with either a positive or negative outcome. To reach the next level, ToeJam and Earl must find an elevator and get inside it. If ToeJam and Earl are struck by harmful earthlings, such as lil' devils, nerdherds and cupids, they can find food to restore health. However, not all food is good. Depending on what ToeJam and/or Earl says after eating the food (WOW!, Yumm!, Not Bad, Ick, Yuck, Gross!), you will either gain or lose health. If you are struck too many times by earthlings, you will lose a life. However, ranking up in the game to ranks such as "Dufus", "Poindexter", "Peanut", "Bro", "Dude", and so on will give you extra lives.
Music[]
The most iconic feature for ToeJam and Earl is the funk soundtrack in the game. Though the game only has 6 songs, it has still earned a cult following from bands such as The OneUps.
Character Differences[]
While ToeJam is faster than Earl is, he lacks in the stamina that his portly pal has. Needless to say, when attacked, Earl hollers in a deeper voice than ToeJam.
Sequels[]
With critical acclaim making ToeJam and Earl a major success, 2 years later in 1993, ToeJam and Earl in another Genesis/Mega Drive title, ToeJam and Earl in: Panic on Funk-O-Tron. Unlike the first game, the sequel was taken in more of the standardized platform direction like mascot Sonic the Hedgehog. But in 2002, ToeJam and Earl returned again in the X-Box game ToeJam and Earl III: Mission To Earth, mixing elements, music and characters from the first two games. In 2019 ToeJam and Earl came back for one more game titled ToeJam and Earl Back in the Groove, which merged all the aspects of the previous game to make a new game that acted like the original.
Other Game Appearances[]
in Kid Pix Deluxe Series, There's ToeJam and Earl as a cameo stamp.