"Most ORIGINAL Game Concept of All Time"

There are many games out there that use random number generation to determine how a game will play out, but Toejam and Earl take it to an extreme. The best way to sum up the experience it offers is a late-80's style cartoon with adventure-RPG elements wrapped inside a slot machine/roulette wheel engine. Those who crave a more "predictable" gaming experience will abhor this title. Those who crave chaos and enjoy oldschool cartoons will likely call Toejam and Earl a masterpiece.

Gameplay- 10/10
There are no bosses, and only two weapons (tomatoes and a tomato slingshot- three if you count tomato rain, but that's a "cursed blessing") in the entire game. However, the main emphasis of this game is exploration- especially evident on the random "gift" inventory system. More often than not, the only way to find out what you have is by using an unidentified item to see what it is. It adds an element like "Russian Roulette" to the game, since gifts have an equal chance of being beneficial or harmful. Although some gifts apply direct damage (or instantly kill Toejam and Earl, like the "Total Bummer"), the worst of the lot is the "Randomizer" which shuffles each gift's contents and makes them all unknown once again. If you accidentally open one, all your work in identifying each box's contents means nothing, and you have to start the process anew. Although entirely frustrating, this devilish construct adds to the difficulty of the game far more than the random world game mode, adding to the anticipation when unwrapping presents.

The only thing that takes away any major from the actual exploration is that there is no in-game save option and it is a fairly long game to play through in a single sitting. Toejam and Earl more than make up for this with originality, style, and a measure of anarchic finesse.

Controls- 9/10
Item usage is slightly slow in reaction time. It is occasionally impossible to move when being assaulted relentlessly by some enemies. Further, it takes some know-how in order to avoid ledges on narrow paths, and even then you still occasionally catch an edge. These are relatively minor detractions from how simple it is to learn how to play. Even without an instruction manual, one only has to spend a minute or two to get the hang of the controls.

Story- 5/10
This is the worst aspect of the game. You are two aliens trying to find pieces to your spaceship so you can leave planet Earth back to your homeworld. This was fairly original at the time, but still, that was it. Throw in a dash of, "oh, by the way, we're extra-terrestrial rappers," and it's still just as average.

Characters- 10/10
What the game lacks in a real plot, Toejam and Earl make up for it in "who" they are and what they're up against. I've never been a fan of games that use a rapper lifestyle as a basis for characters, but this game takes it to hilarious extremes. Prime examples are the lead characters themselves- hardcore wannabes. Their composure is cool and calm, yet they're easily entranced by many of the vices in the game, and more often than not, fleeing from danger. The enemy design shows an extremely jaded glimpse at the human race and life on Earth, as if it were inked by someone obsessed with making everything "cute." Devils, boogiemen, crazed shoppers with whining kids, squadrons of ducks aiming their tomato cannons, and teams of nerd groupies take jabs at us and our views while they try to kill the game's protagonists. Even cupids and hula dancers ensnare Toejam and Earl with their more passive guile while mocking several preconceptions. This game would be a nightmare for yuppies, but those who appreciate games that have a psychological twist in their characterization might enjoy taking a moment to ponder what is being satirized by each threat before they run from or kill it. All in all, the characters of this game are some of the most original, and are often jokes that hit on different levels.

Graphics- 10/10
Judging by the 16-bit standards of the day, Toejam and Earl was way above par. Very few and far between were the games that actually made it look as if you were playing a Saturday morning cartoon back then, and this was one of them. Even comparing it to 2010 standards, this game still has more of a cartoonish look than many who currently try the style.

Sound- 10/10
Try the various "Jam Out" modes, and you'll see what I mean. Don't let the fact the characters try to emulate rappers fool you- the soundtrack is more funk-based with drum, bass, and guitar effects. The "Silly Sounds" "Jam Out" gives you just about all the sound effects used on the game to play with- from vocalization to canned effects. Those who loathe oldschool cartoons and/or funk grooves will definitely not agree, but considering the sound is pretty much hardware driven (as opposed to fully-recorded tracks), it definitely adds to the charm.

Challenge- 10/10
Don't let the cute moles and jetpack Santas make you think this is a walk in the park; Toejam and Earl can be quite merciless. Even if you're lucky enough to find tons of tomatoes and slingshots, or have an opera singer follow you around and plenty of cash in your wallet, the level design is sheer chaos. Most levels have trigger points that alter the geography of the board to make different places accessible. On occasion, this does little to help since where you need to go might still be inaccessible without items. Individually, the enemies are easy enough to deal with; in concert, however, they can cause a lot of pain really fast. Further, terrain like quicksand will hamper your movement making you an easy target. The Fixed mode of play offers a high-end medium level difficulty, since it's the same 25 levels, so you can easily figure out where to go next. Random play is where things get a little more sadistic, since the levels aren't shuffled, but randomly generated in their entirety (levels 0 and 1 being the only exceptions). It has made me shriek, "Why are you doing this to me?" which is something few games have ever done. Randomly, Toejam and Earl can generate an experience much easier than the Fixed option, but more often than not, it makes things far more challenging.

Replay Value- 10/10
It's guaranteed you won't be able to beat this game in a first-time playthrough without cheats, unless the random number generator decides to be exceedingly kind. You may very well find different paths to take on the Fixed mode of play, even after you thought you mastered this title. However, Toejam and Earl's Random mode is the real treat. Although it randomly picks each map tile from a given set of possibilities, how they add up will vary on each playthrough. I've come across maps that had me jumping and flying from island to island just to get past it, and solid landmasses with lakes only having very few holes to fall down. Jam Out mode is a decent time-killer, and offers a fun way to test the music and sound effects for yourself. This is all barring different self-imposed challenges someone may decide to tackle like no "Carrot Man" identification, no gift usage, no money spent, etc.

Overall- 10/10
I generally hate giving games a perfect rating, as there's always something that blemishes a title and there's nothing that can make up for it. Toejam and Earl, however, has several points that more than make up for what takes away from the experience. It is unique, and it's extremely rare to see concepts this original in a video game. This is literally one of the very few games I have craved playing after years of not looking at it, and it still didn't disappoint me.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/05/10

Game Release: ToeJam & Earl (US, 03/12/92)