- Publisher: Adult Swim , Humanature Studios , Limited Run Games
- Release Date: Feb 15, 2019
- Also On: PC, Switch, Xbox One
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- Critic score
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- Unscored
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Feb 28, 2019When it comes to nostalgia, there’s a fine line between “loving homage” and “trying desperately recapture former glory.” Fortunately, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a fantastic and faithful attempt to bring a nearly thirty-year old game into relevancy. It’s more than just a flashy reboot of the original title, adding in new elements as well as those adopted from its sequel, Panic on Funkotron, to make something that feels fresh, new, and stand shoulder to shoulder with the kind of roguelikes available today. A blast from the past that never feels forced or at odds with itself, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a delight from start to finish.
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Mar 1, 2019Overall, HumaNature Studios’ Toe Jam & Earl: Back in the Groove has brought back and breathed life into the old gameplay design of the original game. It feels like a Toe Jam & Earl game, which I can appreciate immensely. While not groundbreaking with visuals, it still brings some real fun to a series that lost its way a long time ago.
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Feb 28, 2019This isn’t the most elaborate or intense game in its space, but it’s the happiest to be there.
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Feb 28, 2019ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove goes old-school and ignores those experimental sequels to create a spiritual successor that's even more charming than the original Genesis adventure.
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Feb 28, 2019Full of fun characters and unique presents to unwrap, the classic Sega Genesis game feels as unique as ever in Back in the Groove, and is well worth a trip back for older fans of the series. Newcomers can also look forward to finding out what made ToeJam & Earl so popular.
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Feb 28, 2019As a revival of a very special Sega Genesis classic, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove will certainly give fans the funky good times that they crave. However, those devoid of funk likely won't be up for the down stroke.
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Feb 28, 2019Fans of the original game will find exactly what they missed all these years. It should be more appealing on the graphical side, but it's an OK adventure for those who seek a slow-paced experience.
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Playstation Official Magazine UKApr 10, 2019Faithful to its roots, perhaps even to a fault, T&E’s new adventure is still a welcome dose of childhood to those of a certain age. [Issue#161, p.97]
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Mar 1, 2019Back in the Groove is a great game if your fan of the original, very traditional and close to its gameplay. Unfortunately, this also means that we miss some things that make it more appealing in 2019.
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Feb 28, 2019ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a weird and wonderful world filled with colourful characters, but some of the movement feels archaic.
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Feb 28, 2019ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a hard sell. If you loved the originals, then there might be enough here to spirit you back to the days of the Mega Drive, but without knowing the source material, you are left with a good looking but fairly generic walkabout game.
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Feb 28, 2019ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a relentlessly faithful retread of the 90s classics. Fans of the funky alien duo are sure to enjoy it, but clumsy gameplay and some frustrating design choices date it in a bad way. Mixing elements of the two Mega Drive titles works well, and the oddball stylings and music are as good as ever. However, it just feels a bit tired, and maybe could've benefitted from a modern shot in the arm. If you love ToeJam & Earl, this is well worth a look, but fans of other PS4 roguelikes might be less impressed.
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Mar 7, 2019For every wistful reminder of bygone days and the pleasures of the era, there's a lingering fault or drawback that could have been smoothed over or mended. The issue with Back in the Groove's unwavering faithfulness to its predecessor is inextricable from what makes it occasionally so much fun: It's both captured the good and brought the bad back with it.
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Mar 8, 2019ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is so similar to the original version released in 1991 that it fails to deliver the needed innovations that would have gave a new appeal to the game, instead of this dated gameplay that will bore any un-nostalgic gamer.
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Mar 1, 2019Fans of the original Sega Genesis titles will probably find a lot to like about ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove. The rest of us, unfortunately, will need to fight off waves of annoyance and irritation while trying to determine what all the fuss is about.
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Mar 1, 2019It's an absolute joy, and one you can share with up to three other friends online or at your side (though I sadly didn't get to try co-op yet). There are plenty of games that do ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove's basic schtick, but the charming world, outlandish characters, and weird-but-cool presents system deliver an amusing and surprisingly sticky twist. Just so long as you can get down with the funk.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 19 out of 36
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Mixed: 6 out of 36
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Negative: 11 out of 36
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Nov 9, 2019
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Jun 21, 2019As an old fan of the series, T&J BiG feels just as fun as the 90s original. It is expanded, full of personality and prettier.
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Mar 12, 2019