Toe Jam & Earl

Toe Jam & Earl refers to a series of video games published by Sega, concerning the adventures of the eponymous characters, both aliens from the planet Funkotron: Toe Jam, a three-legged, stalk-eyed creature, and Big Earl, a giant sluglike being. All the games employ music and style derived from early-1970s funk music and culture, similar in some respects to the blaxploitation films of that period. The games were created by Toe Jam & Earl Productions Inc., of San Rafael, California.

Contents 1 Toe Jam & Earl
2 Toe Jam & Earl 2: Panic on Funkotron
3 Toe Jam & Earl III: Mission To Earth
4 Other Appearances


Toe Jam & Earl
The original Toe Jam & Earl, a two-dimensional action game, was released for the Sega Genesis game console in 1991. The game's premise starts with Toe Jam & Earl cruising the stars in their spaceship, when Toe Jam decides to let Earl drive. As a result, the pair crash-land on Earth, their spaceship broken into ten pieces. They must search for the pieces and reassemble their spaceship in order to return home to the planet Funkotron. As they do so, they face a variety of Earthlings that stand in their way, such as the Insane Dentist, Shopping Cart Mom, Nerd Herd, Cupid, and the Phantom Ice Cream Truck, each of which causes the player to lose health and eventually lives.

To defend against the Earthlings, a variety of power-ups are provided in the form of presents. Each present appears as a differently-wrapped package, which must be identified either by opening it or by other means. Some presents offer increased mobility for a limited time, such as the Super Hightops (increased speed), Spring Shoes (ability to jump), and Icarus Wings (flight). Other presents provide bonuses, such as extra bucks (which may be used to mail-order presents at mailboxes or to have presents identified by the Wise Man in the Carrot Suit without opening them) or extra lives. Still others are harmful, such as Schoolbook (puts the player to sleep for a time, making them vulnerable to attack) or Randomizer (scrambles all identified presents, requiring them to be identified all over again). Health bonuses in the form of food items are also found; some food items, however, cause the player to lose health rather than gain it.

The game has twenty levels, which are logically arranged vertically, one above the other. Players progress upward through the levels by means of an elevator, which appears on each map. Levels also have cliff edges, which the unwary player can fall from, landing on the next-lower level. The terrain also presents hazards such as deserts and lakes.

The game's two-player cooperative play is one of its most unique features. When two players play, the game keeps them on the same screen whenever feasible, but switches to split-screen rendering if they get far enough apart. Players can assist one another by performing a high five, which equalizes health between the two. A special present, Togetherness, allows a player to teleport to the other player's location.

Toe Jam & Earl was a hit on the Genesis platform; it has been suggested by some that, were it not for Sonic the Hedgehog, Toe Jam and Earl could have become the platform's unofficial mascots. The game appeared on top lists of rentals for years after its release, and is one of the best-remembered Genesis titles.


Toe Jam & Earl 2: Panic on Funkotron
A sequel to the original in the form of a side-scrolling game, Toe Jam & Earl 2: Panic on Funkotron was released for the Genesis in 1993. In this game, a number of Earthlings have stowed away on Toe Jam and Earl's spaceship, and are now infesting Funkotron. Toe Jam and Earl must capture the Earthlings in jars, and ship them back to Earth in rocket ships at the end of each level.

The player has a variety of "funk powers" to assist in evading and capturing the earthlings, such as Funk Move (allowing the player to pass through walls and other objects) and Funk Scan (revealing hidden items). Other bonuses are also found throughout the game, including minigames such as Jam Out (a rhythm-matching game requiring the player to press the controller buttons to match patterns shown on screen) and Hyperfunk Zones (a time-limited race to pick up bonuses). Presents and food items also show up, in a manner similar to that of the original game. Progress can be saved by means of passwords that are presented at specific points.

Panic on Funkotron has its fans, but many gamers thought the original Toe Jam & Earl was the better game of the two.


Toe Jam & Earl III: Mission To Earth
The third game in the series was originally intended for the Sega Dreamcast console, but, after Sega discontinued the Dreamcast, the game was retargeted at the Microsoft Xbox. A three-dimensional platform game, it was released in October 2002. The gameplay is primarily based on that of the original Toe Jam & Earl, though elements from Panic on Funkotron were also included.

For the more-capable platform, Toe Jam and Earl were given graphical makeovers; Toe Jam was dressed in a tank top, shorts, and a baseball cap to accompany his gold medallion, while Big Earl's polka-dot Bermuda shorts were replaced by blue denim, and he was given a knit cap. The two characters are joined by Latisha, a blue female insect-like character in blue jeans, a bra top, and gold bangle jewelry. Players may play as any of the three, and may switch between characters in mid-game using the Character Switch Platforms. (Additional playable characters may be downloaded via Xbox Live, as well as additional levels.)

The three are called upon by Lamont, the Funkopotamus (ruler of Funkotron and source of all Funk), to retrieve the twelve Sacred Albums of Funk, which have been stolen and hidden on Earth. As with the original Toe Jam & Earl, a variety of Earthlings stand in the way, many of which have carried over from the first two games. To fight against them, the player can use "funk powers" (as in Panic on Funkotron) such as Funk-Fu, a short-range energy blast, and Funkify Notes, which can be launched at enemies from a distance, to "funkify" the Earthlings and render them harmless. Presents and food items, many of which carry over from Toe Jam & Earl as well, are available to assist or hinder the player. The rhythm-matching from Panic on Funkotron also makes an appearance, in the form of Funk Rhythm, which funkifies nearby Earthlings or gives the player bonus points for matching rhythms by pressing the controller's buttons.

The levels, instead of being arranged in a linear fashion, are grouped into five zones, and accessed by collecting keys scattered throughout the levels. Each zone contains its own set of levels, as well as minigames in which the player must compete against the clock to win bonuses. The gates between zones are opened through special minigames, which must be accessed by collecting karaoke microphones, each of which requires the completion of a mission in one of the levels to acquire. Gradually, however, a more critical purpose is revealed, through cut scenes in which Lamont, in lines reminiscent of Star Wars (such as "I feel a great disturbance in the Funk"), tells the player of the existence of the "Anti-Funk," the game's final boss. Progress through the game is saved to the Xbox console's hard disk drive.

Toe Jam & Earl III received mixed reviews in the gaming community. Some reviewers felt it was one of the best platform games available on any console. Others dismissed it as suitable for fans of the original but otherwise relatively pedestrian.


Other Appearances
Toe Jam and Earl also appeared in Ready-Aim-Tomatoes!, a game packaged with the light gun for the Genesis, which involved Toe Jam fighting off Earthlings by throwing tomatoes.