Joe & Mac

"The Unforgettable Epic Game About Two Cavemen Who Went Around Hitting Things With Sticks"

Joe & Mac, the incredible SNES game that was overlooked by just about everyone. This was a very early Super Nintendo title, and although it never was widely accepted on the open market, it was popular enough to have a sequel made to it. Joe and Mac was found on a number of different consoles, like the Genesis, Gameboy, and even on arcade machines! But I think that this game was best on the SNES. here's why...

Gameplay 10/10: Great gameplay. The controls are fluent, and don't tend to stall very often. One factor of Joe & Mac that I believe to be superior to Joe & Mac 2, is the weapons arsenal. Sure, in 2 you could spit seeds at people, and hit things with spiky clubs, and that was fun, and made me feel good. But those weapons weren't very effective most of the time, and none of them lasted throughout the entire game. In Joe and Mac 1, the weapons were far more powerful, and much cooler looking than in 2. You could hit things with your club of course, but you could also throw bones at people, boomerangs, big, heavy, stone wheels, and you could even light things on fire as many times as you wanted. Gameplay deserves a 10 out of 10.

Challenge 8/10: While this game may have more levels than 2, it is definitely easier. Why is it easier, you say? Well the enemies are more retarded, there are health and weapon power-ups everywhere in all the levels, and let's face it, most of the bosses have no challenge whatsoever. But, like 2, the only truly hard part is the end, at the last boss. The game is still incredibly fun though.

Story 6/10: When it comes to stories, this one's a real hum-dinger(Don't ask me where I heard that word). All the hot girls in Joe and Mac's village have been kidnapped by evil pervert cavemen! It's up to Joe & Mac to get them back! Wow, what a stunning story...

Graphics 9/10: For an early SNES title, these graphics are great, though they are slightly sub par when compared to Super Mario World. Everything is brightly colored and well drawn out. Some of the bosses could have been improved though, like the waterfall level boss, who has a bunch of weird looking circles all jumbled together for a neck. Other than that, these graphics are very nicely done.

Sound 10/10: The sound is quite amazing for a game this old. You can hear everything, from the music to Mac's girlish scream when he gets hurt, very clearly. The music is well done and each track seems to fit each level's environment perfectly.

Playtime/Replayability 10/10: Chances are, you'll want to play this game from start to finish, without quitting. And chances are, you'll do that. Joe and Mac isn't really THAT hard to beat. Even with a Gamecube and a PS2, I often find myself playing this game quite a number of times. It's even more fun to play this with a friend, assuming you have one.

Rent or Buy? Buy this game. If you get Joe and Mac 2 first, like I did, I highly recommend going out and getting this one too. Playing the original is the best way for a person who's new at the Joe and Mac series to get an idea of what the controls are like, without having to worry about getting killed right away.

Well, there you go. Joe and Mac. The underrated game about cavemen and the people they beat up. Now, if only Nintendo would put Joe and Mac into some newer Gamecube games. I know! If they ever make a Smash Brothers 3(You know they will), they should replace the Ice Climbers with Joe and Mac! I always hated those two little freaks.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/04/03, Updated 04/04/03