When we covered the return of ToeJam and Earl, I noted that we’d probably see a Kickstarter. Sure enough, one has just launched and is surprisingly modest.
They’re looking for $400,000 in total, and $15 lets you preorder the game. So far, the focus is on making a version for the various PC platforms, with no word of consoles yet. The game itself is much like the beloved original for the Genesis, with an isometric perspective, co-op focus, randomly generated levels, funky music, and an outsider’s perspective on being stranded on a giant rock hurtling through space populated by psychotic, heavily-armed ape creatures.
Honestly, it seems worth the $15 to preorder the game. The art style has a pleasing mid-’90s look to it, and the gameplay from the original ToeJam & Earl has aged surprisingly well. It takes a little getting used to, as it’s not what you call an aggressive game, but it’s surprisingly fun, and the split-screen co-op works quite well. Also, as the team behind it has actually worked in video games for decades, they actually know what they’re doing, lowering the odds that the Kickstarter will just collapse.
Besides, it’s nice to see some of the quirkier franchises of the ’90s getting a chance. Gaming has changed in subtle and enormous ways since the early ’90s, and some games that went under the radar deserve a chance to catch on again. Besides, who could turn these guys down when they have such a great theme song?