'ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove' campaign hits Kickstarter, highlighting surge in retro gaming

Shawn Knight

Posts: 15,289   +192
Staff member

After years of lobbying to its original developers, fans of alien rappers ToeJam & Earl are finally getting a modern sequel. Greg Johnson, one of the original designers and co-owner of the franchise, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund its development.

The game is being developed by Johnson and a very small indie team under his studio Humanature. Up to this point, they’ve self-funded the venture with the ultimate goal of releasing it without the help (and meddling) of a publisher so they can build it how they want it and release it on as many platforms as possible.

toejam gaming kickstarter games game toejam and earl

ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is perhaps best described as a remake of the original as it’ll feature many of the gameplay elements that made the 1991 Sega Genesis game a hit. As such, players can expect familiar features like coin meters, buttons, hidden presents and jam outs.

Johnson is planning to add in lots of new content as well including a travel-back-in-time theme with new and old characters, additional meta-game features, new flying presents, a night-time filter and a new co-op mode, among others.

toejam gaming kickstarter games game toejam and earl

The game is currently in the very early stages of development but that’s done little to quell excitement on Kickstarter. The game’s campaign has already raised more than $130,000 of its $400,000 goal with 28 days remaining on the clock.

A pledge of just $15 is all that’s needed to secure a copy of the game for the PC.

toejam gaming kickstarter games game toejam and earl earl back in the groove greg johnson sega genesis humanature

Permalink to story.

 
The dude sounds like a Dutch who's been living in India for a while :) What a weird accent :)
 
This makes a lot of sense to me. Gaming was so much more fun when I was a kid. Most AAAs have gotten way to complicated and real. These types of games were the games you got a buzz and sat around with your friends laughing all night playing. I wish them well.
 
Back