ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
Encyclopedia
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron is a platform
video game, developed by Johnson Voorsanger Productions and published by Sega
in 1993 for the Mega Drive. The game is the sequel to cult video game ToeJam & Earl
, released in 1991. The game concerns two alien protagonists, ToeJam and Earl, both of whom have escaped from Earth, where they had crash landed. After returning to their home planet of Funkotron, the duo discover a number of antagonistic Earthlings have stowed away on the spacecraft and are wreaking havoc across the planet. The player must hunt down these Earthlings and imprison them in jars before sending them back to Earth.
The game's platform format was a departure from the original ToeJam & Earl, a treasure hunt game with randomly generated levels, inspired by the game Rogue
. Creators Greg Johnson and Mark Voorsanger originally began designing a game built on the concepts of the original, but changed to a more generic type of game due to a lack of support for their vision on the part of Sega. The game was critically well received, with reviewers praising the graphics, soundtrack, fluid action and two-player mode. It was also a commercial success, but fans of ToeJam & Earl were disappointed and confused by the radical change in direction.
Since its release ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron has been criticized for being too sharp a departure from the first game, and some later reviewers felt that the developers had been more interested in the publisher's wishes than the fans. Johnson and Voorsanger have stated they regret moving away from their prototype sequel in the vein of ToeJam & Earl. Research has suggested that a significant minority of fans favor ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron as the best in the series. Together with its predecessor, the game comprises one of the Mega Drive's "key exclusive franchises", which eventually spawned a third installment
in 2002, albeit a commercial failure with mixed reviews. ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron was re-released in 2007 for the Wii
's Virtual Console
, receiving mixed reviews.
The plot of the game follows on from that of its predecessor, which followed the adventures of alien protagonists ToeJam and Earl after they crash landed on Earth. After escaping to their home planet of Funkotron, the characters discover that antagonistic Earthlings have stowed-away on the duo's spacecraft. A sub-plot involves ToeJam and Earl's attempt to lure Lamont the Funkapotamus back from the Funk Dimension, where he is hiding from the invading Earthlings. ToeJam, a "three-legged red alien", wears a gold medallion and backwards baseball cap while Earl, a "fat orange alien", dresses in high-top
s and oversized sunglasses, both outfits being "over-the-top appropriation" of 1990s urban culture.
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron is a side-scrolling
platform game, in which ToeJam and Earl must hunt down Earthling antagonists, which include a "pneumatic-drill-crazed construction worker, a camera-wielding tourist, our old friends the bogymen [sic], pea-shooter armed kids and a rather rotund woman with ankle-snapping poodles." Capturing Earthlings involves rummaging for them in bushes and trees, before pelting the antagonist with "jars" which imprison them. The player completes a level by catching all the at large Earthlings and sending them back to Earth via spacecraft. There are ten secret objects to be found, belonging to Lamont the Funkopotamus, "the source of all funk in the universe".
The player can use points, earned by capturing Earthlings, to buy power-up
s such as the "Funk Scan" or "Funk Move". The former is a "radar view", which "applies a warped, colorful filter over the screen, revealing hidden power ups". The "Funk Move" allows the protagonists to teleport, thus dodging enemies or passing through walls. Bonus minigame
s can also be found throughout the game. "Jam Out" involves repetition of a rhythm in an effort to score points. The "Hyper Funk Zone" sees the characters propelled forward in search of bonus points, while "Fungus Olympics" is "not unlike synchronized swimming".
, a treasure hunt game inspired by computer game Rogue and featuring randomly generated levels. After the success of the original game, Johnson Voorsanger Productions began work on a sequel in 1992. The developer spent three to four months building on the original mechanics, adding elements such as indoor areas and additional terrain types, though the randomly generated levels were removed. The plot of this prototype would see ToeJam and Earl "return to Earth to stage a rap concert, only to find they've lost their CDs" which would form the basis of the game's treasure hunt. According to the Johnson and Voorsanger, the game would feature "more default items" for the characters to "use all the time", new items and characters, and more detail and secret areas allowed by the fixed (rather than randomly generated) levels. The game employed a larger development team than the first installment and was originally projected for a Christmas 1992 release, and titled ToeJam & Earl 2. Sega however conferred that they did not "understand" the game and though the "decision was still ultimately with Johnson and Voorsanger", the developer started work on a more generic side-scrolling platform game, a concept to which Sega had been more receptive. The increased size of the game's cartridge over the original allowed for greater graphical detail. The soundtrack, including the original theme, was remixed and given a more layered quality.
, with GamaSutra
also recalling a positive critical reaction. A contemporary review in the Chicago Tribune
called it a "beautifully designed game", as well as praising the Herbie Hancock
-inspired soundtrack and non-violent action. The Washington Times
also gave a positive verdict, stating: "This is one of the funniest games we've ever seen. The graphics are superb, and the action and control are flawless." Business Week wrote that "Sega knows what the kids find cool" with reference to the game. Fans of the original ToeJam & Earl however were disappointed and confused by the game's departure from the original concept to a more generic platforming format, with GameSpot
and Shacknews
later asserting that the game disappointed upon its initial release.
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron and ToeJam & Earl comprised one of the Mega Drive's "key exclusive franchises". However, Sega's subsequent video game console, the Saturn, performed poorly in the North American market and thus the franchise was neglected. A ToeJam & Earl game for the Nintendo 64
was canceled, but a third instalment, ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth
, was eventually released for Microsoft
's Xbox
in 2002. The game returned to the concepts of the original game, but generated mixed reviews and poor sales.
Since its release, ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron "has developed a negative reputation as a selling-out of a daring design". With hindsight, Johnson and Voorsanger have stated they regret moving from the prototype sequel to a side-scrolling platform game, though Johnson maintains "ToeJam & Earl 2 was a very original side-scrolling game". Johnson has further asserted that Toyoda Shinobu, who had been Sega's Vice President of Development "admitted that it was probably a mistake on Sega's part to jump to a side-scroller". A survey by IGN found that a majority of the franchise's fans favored the original ToeJam & Earl as the best game in the series; however a significant minority of respondents preferred ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron at 28%. Research by the game's developers said that a majority of fans preferred ToeJam & Earl, though the developers also claimed that "Panic on Funkotron was loved and admired by many".
The game was re-released on the Wii
's Virtual Console
on June 1, 2007 in Europe and June 4, 2007 in North America. IGN felt the original game was superior, but praised the two-player cooperative mode, fluid animations and the "fair number of extras that add a lot of depth". GameSpot
however called the game "mediocre", "forgettable" and "not much fun", though it noted the detailed "unique look" and parallax scrolling
. Eurogamer
, which gave ToeJam and Earl's re-release a negative review, praised the departure from the predecessor's concept, saying "it gets some kudos at least for not following the 'more of the same' game sequel mentality." The reviewer praised the "forward thinking" environment interaction, but ultimately decided to give the game a middling score, saying "for all its bold ideas, the basic platforming mechanic is pretty shonky".
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game, developed by Johnson Voorsanger Productions and published by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
in 1993 for the Mega Drive. The game is the sequel to cult video game ToeJam & Earl
ToeJam & Earl
ToeJam & Earl is an action video game developed by Johnson Voorsanger Productions and published by Sega for the Mega Drive video game console. Released in 1991, it centers on the titular ToeJam and Earl—alien rappers who have crash-landed on Earth. As they attempt to escape the planet, players...
, released in 1991. The game concerns two alien protagonists, ToeJam and Earl, both of whom have escaped from Earth, where they had crash landed. After returning to their home planet of Funkotron, the duo discover a number of antagonistic Earthlings have stowed away on the spacecraft and are wreaking havoc across the planet. The player must hunt down these Earthlings and imprison them in jars before sending them back to Earth.
The game's platform format was a departure from the original ToeJam & Earl, a treasure hunt game with randomly generated levels, inspired by the game Rogue
Rogue (computer game)
Rogue is a dungeon crawling video game first developed by Michael Toy and Glenn Wichman around 1980. It was a favorite on college Unix systems in the early to mid-1980s, in part due to the procedural generation of game content. Rogue popularized dungeon crawling as a video game trope, leading...
. Creators Greg Johnson and Mark Voorsanger originally began designing a game built on the concepts of the original, but changed to a more generic type of game due to a lack of support for their vision on the part of Sega. The game was critically well received, with reviewers praising the graphics, soundtrack, fluid action and two-player mode. It was also a commercial success, but fans of ToeJam & Earl were disappointed and confused by the radical change in direction.
Since its release ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron has been criticized for being too sharp a departure from the first game, and some later reviewers felt that the developers had been more interested in the publisher's wishes than the fans. Johnson and Voorsanger have stated they regret moving away from their prototype sequel in the vein of ToeJam & Earl. Research has suggested that a significant minority of fans favor ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron as the best in the series. Together with its predecessor, the game comprises one of the Mega Drive's "key exclusive franchises", which eventually spawned a third installment
ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth
ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth is an action video game released for the Xbox on October 22, 2002. Developed by ToeJam & Earl Productions and Visual Concepts, and published by Sega and Microsoft, it is the third installment in the ToeJam & Earl series...
in 2002, albeit a commercial failure with mixed reviews. ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron was re-released in 2007 for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
, receiving mixed reviews.
Overview
High-top
The high-top is a shoe that extends significantly over the wearer's ankle. It is commonly an athletic shoe, particularly for basketball. It is sometimes confused with the slightly shorter mid-top. Examples of basketball shoes that are high-tops are Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars; Nike Air Forces...
s and oversized sunglasses, both outfits being "over-the-top appropriation" of 1990s urban culture.
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron is a side-scrolling
Scrolling
In computer graphics, filmmaking, television production, and other kinetic displays, scrolling is sliding text, images or video across a monitor or display. "Scrolling", as such, does not change the layout of the text or pictures, or but incrementally moves the user's view across what is...
platform game, in which ToeJam and Earl must hunt down Earthling antagonists, which include a "pneumatic-drill-crazed construction worker, a camera-wielding tourist, our old friends the bogymen [sic], pea-shooter armed kids and a rather rotund woman with ankle-snapping poodles." Capturing Earthlings involves rummaging for them in bushes and trees, before pelting the antagonist with "jars" which imprison them. The player completes a level by catching all the at large Earthlings and sending them back to Earth via spacecraft. There are ten secret objects to be found, belonging to Lamont the Funkopotamus, "the source of all funk in the universe".
The player can use points, earned by capturing Earthlings, to buy power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s such as the "Funk Scan" or "Funk Move". The former is a "radar view", which "applies a warped, colorful filter over the screen, revealing hidden power ups". The "Funk Move" allows the protagonists to teleport, thus dodging enemies or passing through walls. Bonus minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
s can also be found throughout the game. "Jam Out" involves repetition of a rhythm in an effort to score points. The "Hyper Funk Zone" sees the characters propelled forward in search of bonus points, while "Fungus Olympics" is "not unlike synchronized swimming".
Development
The game is the sequel to ToeJam & EarlToeJam & Earl
ToeJam & Earl is an action video game developed by Johnson Voorsanger Productions and published by Sega for the Mega Drive video game console. Released in 1991, it centers on the titular ToeJam and Earl—alien rappers who have crash-landed on Earth. As they attempt to escape the planet, players...
, a treasure hunt game inspired by computer game Rogue and featuring randomly generated levels. After the success of the original game, Johnson Voorsanger Productions began work on a sequel in 1992. The developer spent three to four months building on the original mechanics, adding elements such as indoor areas and additional terrain types, though the randomly generated levels were removed. The plot of this prototype would see ToeJam and Earl "return to Earth to stage a rap concert, only to find they've lost their CDs" which would form the basis of the game's treasure hunt. According to the Johnson and Voorsanger, the game would feature "more default items" for the characters to "use all the time", new items and characters, and more detail and secret areas allowed by the fixed (rather than randomly generated) levels. The game employed a larger development team than the first installment and was originally projected for a Christmas 1992 release, and titled ToeJam & Earl 2. Sega however conferred that they did not "understand" the game and though the "decision was still ultimately with Johnson and Voorsanger", the developer started work on a more generic side-scrolling platform game, a concept to which Sega had been more receptive. The increased size of the game's cartridge over the original allowed for greater graphical detail. The soundtrack, including the original theme, was remixed and given a more layered quality.
Reception and legacy
The game was met with considerable anticipation, positive reviews and commercial success according to IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, with GamaSutra
Gamasutra
Gamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...
also recalling a positive critical reaction. A contemporary review in the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
called it a "beautifully designed game", as well as praising the Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
-inspired soundtrack and non-violent action. The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
also gave a positive verdict, stating: "This is one of the funniest games we've ever seen. The graphics are superb, and the action and control are flawless." Business Week wrote that "Sega knows what the kids find cool" with reference to the game. Fans of the original ToeJam & Earl however were disappointed and confused by the game's departure from the original concept to a more generic platforming format, with GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
and Shacknews
Shacknews
Shacknews, commonly referred to as "The Shack", is a website offering news, features, editorial content, and forums relating to computer games and console games. Shacknews and its sister site, FileShack, are currently owned by GameFly...
later asserting that the game disappointed upon its initial release.
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron and ToeJam & Earl comprised one of the Mega Drive's "key exclusive franchises". However, Sega's subsequent video game console, the Saturn, performed poorly in the North American market and thus the franchise was neglected. A ToeJam & Earl game for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
was canceled, but a third instalment, ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth
ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth
ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth is an action video game released for the Xbox on October 22, 2002. Developed by ToeJam & Earl Productions and Visual Concepts, and published by Sega and Microsoft, it is the third installment in the ToeJam & Earl series...
, was eventually released for Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
in 2002. The game returned to the concepts of the original game, but generated mixed reviews and poor sales.
Since its release, ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron "has developed a negative reputation as a selling-out of a daring design". With hindsight, Johnson and Voorsanger have stated they regret moving from the prototype sequel to a side-scrolling platform game, though Johnson maintains "ToeJam & Earl 2 was a very original side-scrolling game". Johnson has further asserted that Toyoda Shinobu, who had been Sega's Vice President of Development "admitted that it was probably a mistake on Sega's part to jump to a side-scroller". A survey by IGN found that a majority of the franchise's fans favored the original ToeJam & Earl as the best game in the series; however a significant minority of respondents preferred ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron at 28%. Research by the game's developers said that a majority of fans preferred ToeJam & Earl, though the developers also claimed that "Panic on Funkotron was loved and admired by many".
The game was re-released on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
on June 1, 2007 in Europe and June 4, 2007 in North America. IGN felt the original game was superior, but praised the two-player cooperative mode, fluid animations and the "fair number of extras that add a lot of depth". GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
however called the game "mediocre", "forgettable" and "not much fun", though it noted the detailed "unique look" and parallax scrolling
Parallax scrolling
Parallax scrolling is a special scrolling technique in computer graphics, popularized in the 1982 arcade game Moon Patrol. In this pseudo-3D technique, background images move by the camera slower than foreground images, creating an illusion of depth in a 2D video game and adding to the immersion...
. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
, which gave ToeJam and Earl's re-release a negative review, praised the departure from the predecessor's concept, saying "it gets some kudos at least for not following the 'more of the same' game sequel mentality." The reviewer praised the "forward thinking" environment interaction, but ultimately decided to give the game a middling score, saying "for all its bold ideas, the basic platforming mechanic is pretty shonky".