ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth
Encyclopedia
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. Players assume the role of one of three extraterrestrial protagonists: ToeJam and Earl, who starred in the series' first two games, and Latisha, a new character. While using power-ups to combat enemies, players seek to collect the twelve "Sacred Albums of Funk" and defeat the antagonistic "Anti-Funk".
The original two ToeJam & Earl games were a key Mega Drive franchise
, but development of a third game was prevented by the poor commercial performance of the console's successor, the Sega Saturn
. Versions of ToeJam & Earl III developed at different times for the Nintendo 64
and Dreamcast were canceled, but the latter was completed for the Xbox. On release, the game met with poor sales and mixed reviews; while certain critics found its gameplay innovative, its humor, soundtrack and graphics were variously praised and derided. Opinions of the game's overall enjoyability and longevity were also mixed. ToeJam & Earl III is not Xbox 360 backwards compatible.
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. Players assume the role of one of three extraterrestrial protagonists: ToeJam and Earl, who starred in the series' first two games, and Latisha, a new character. While using power-ups to combat enemies, players seek to collect the twelve "Sacred Albums of Funk" and defeat the antagonistic "Anti-Funk".
The original two ToeJam & Earl games were a key Mega Drive franchise
, but development of a third game was prevented by the poor commercial performance of the console's successor, the Sega Saturn
. Versions of ToeJam & Earl III developed at different times for the Nintendo 64
and Dreamcast were canceled, but the latter was completed for the Xbox. On release, the game met with poor sales and mixed reviews; while certain critics found its gameplay innovative, its humor, soundtrack and graphics were variously praised and derided. Opinions of the game's overall enjoyability and longevity were also mixed. ToeJam & Earl III is not Xbox 360 backwards compatible.
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. Players assume the role of one of three extraterrestrial protagonists: ToeJam and Earl, who starred in the series' first two games, and Latisha, a new character. While using power-ups to combat enemies, players seek to collect the twelve "Sacred Albums of Funk" and defeat the antagonistic "Anti-Funk".
The original two ToeJam & Earl games were a key Mega Drive franchise
, but development of a third game was prevented by the poor commercial performance of the console's successor, the Sega Saturn
. Versions of ToeJam & Earl III developed at different times for the Nintendo 64
and Dreamcast were canceled, but the latter was completed for the Xbox. On release, the game met with poor sales and mixed reviews; while certain critics found its gameplay innovative, its humor, soundtrack and graphics were variously praised and derided. Opinions of the game's overall enjoyability and longevity were also mixed. ToeJam & Earl III is not Xbox 360 backwards compatible.
The three characters journey to Earth, in order to retrieve the stolen twelve Sacred Albums of Funk and return them to Lamont the Funkopotamus. Levels take place on terrains that represent Earth's ecosystem
s. The game's ultimate antagonist is the Anti-Funk, whose defeat will "save the world from all that is unfunky". The "funk" has been described as a parody of Star Wars
the Force
, with the Anti-Funk being the dark side
.
, and an action-adventure game
. GameSpot
asserts that it combines elements of ToeJam & Earl
and its platformer sequel, ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
, while GameNOW
and Electronic Gaming Monthly
liken it to the former game. The game features both single- and two-player modes; in both, players control one of the three protagonists. ToeJam moves quickly and jumps high, but has weak attacks; Earl is tougher and has more powerful attacks, but is slow and jumps lower than ToeJam; Latisha ranks between the two in terms of athleticism, and gains additional power-up
s later in the game. In the game's two-player mode, the camera moves between single and split-screen as players maneuver their characters away from each other. Characters can share power-ups when in close proximity.
The game's randomly generated levels are connected together by hubs. Additional levels can be downloaded from Xbox Live
.Justin Raymond, ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth, GameZone
, Nov 4, 2002, Accessed Aug 14, 2009 Level exploration is based around collecting items: the player searches for the Sacred Albums of Funk, and for keys that grant access to more levels. Enemies include rabbit ninja, a "demented chicken", and "psycho cheerleaders", who the player combats with Funk-Fu and Funk Notes. Funk Notes are projectiles that render enemies "funkified", or harmless; more powerful than Funk-Fu, they require the player to gather ammunition. The player may also find wrapped presents, which contain power-ups such as rocket skates, spring shoes and food; these variously grant greater defensive abilities, access to certain areas, and additional health
. Another power-up involves a simple rhythm game
, and leaves nearby enemies "funkified" if the player successfully copies on-screen rhythms.
console, that system's poor performance in North America prevented development of a sequel. Johnson and programmer Mark Voorsanger regained the rights to ToeJam and Earl in 1995, and in November 1998 made an agreement with GT Interactive to publish a new game in the franchise for the Nintendo 64
. Johnson and Voorsanger conducted research to determine whether series fans preferred the original ToeJam & Earl or its sequel; the former emerged as the clear favorite. In April 1999, however, it was reported that the deal with GT Interactive had fallen through; the publisher had decided that the series' previous game was not an encouraging success commercially, particularly in Europe.Chris Johnston, Too Much Funk for GT, GameSpot
, Apr 23, 1999, Accessed Apr 19, 2009 GT Interactive's restructuring and the Nintendo 64's declining commercial performance were also believed to be factors by commentators.
It was reported the following month that the developer was planning to create the game for Sony
's PlayStation 2
, perhaps to coincide with the console's release. Ultimately, however, the developer became involved with Sega's Dreamcast through Visual Concepts
—a Sega developer in charge of third-party game development. Johnson and Voorsanger began development of the third game with the intention to re-make ToeJam & Earl; according to Johnson, the game would include the same elements as the first game, but with improved graphics. However, this notion was curtailed by Visual Concepts, who felt that the result would be too old-fashioned, and too niche in appeal. Johnson later said that he was unsure, at the time, whether to cater to fans who wanted a remake of the original or attempt to capture a new audience."Duke of Earl", Xbox Nation, http://web.archive.org/web/20040405233824/www.xbnmag.com/article2/0,2053,1266033,00.asp
Visual Concepts assisted with the development process, as ToeJam & Earl Productions was struggling with the game's technical demands. Johnson and Voorsanger indicated the development of a new character with the game's working title, "ToeJam, Earl, and Latisha". Lisa Lopes
was nearly signed to provide Latisha's voice acting, but disagreements over fees caused the deal to fail. Actress Sherrie Jackson provided the character's voice instead.Andy Eddy, ToeJam & Earl III: All Funked Up (Xbox), GameSpy
, May 10, 2002, Accessed Nov 8, 2009 The game was previewed at E3 in 2001, but Sega subsequently ceased its support of the Dreamcast due to poor commercial performance.Travis Fahs, Funkotronics 101, IGN
, Jan 15, 2009, Accessed Apr 19, 2009 Once again, Johnson's preferred format was the PlayStation 2 or Nintendo
GameCube, but the developer ultimately ported the game to Microsoft
's Xbox
because of its technical simplicity, as well as free advertising offered to Sega by Microsoft.Alistair Wallis, Playing Catch Up: ToeJam & Earl's Greg Johnson, GamaSutra
, Nov 16, 2006, Accessed Apr 19, 2009 Promotional copies of the game portrayed the Anti-Funk as a disembodied head reminiscent of a Ku Klux Klan
mask—an anti-racism statement, according to Johnson. Sega vetoed this, however, and the character was changed to a skull design for the game's retail release.
, ToeJam & Earl III was met with mixed reviews, while IGN
asserts that the game was "thrashed soundly by critics". Computer and Video Games
lauded its "superb sense of humour and the kind of offbeat gameplay that shows up every other identikit shooter, stealth 'em up and extreme sports title as imagination-devoid shams."Lee Skittrell, ToeJam and Earl: Mission to Earth, Computer and Video Games
, Mar 18, 2003, Accessed Apr 20, 2009 PC World
praised the game's "laugh out loud" humor, and acclaimed the two-player mode as "damned good fun".Ben Camm-Jones, "ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth. (XBox)", Australian PC World
, Aug 1, 2003
GameNOW
and Electronic Gaming Monthly
praised the game's power-ups, whose strategic element the former enjoyed, and two-player mode. However, GameNOW derided the game's hip-hop dialogue, and Electronic Gaming Monthly found it repetitive; the latter also believed that Latisha was an unnecessary addition."ToeJam and Earl III: Mission to Earth (Xbox)", GameNOW
, Dec 1, 2002, http://web.archive.org/web/20040602085352/www.gamenowmag.com/article2/0,2053,1490677,00.asp"ToeJam and Earl III: Mission to Earth (Xbox)", Electronic Gaming Monthly
, Aug 19, 2003, http://web.archive.org/web/20040517190447/www.egmmag.com/article2/0,2053,1490676,00.asp Game Informer
found the hip-hop theme to be embarrassingly dated, and likened the game to In Living Color
and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The reviewer also believed that its randomly generated levels necessitated "simple and arbitrary" mission goals.Matt Helgeson, "ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth", Game Informer
, Nov 2002 (issue 15), p. 137
EuroGamer
praised the game's graphics, camera angles and mini-games, but complained about unfair enemies, annoying character accents and an arbitrary mix of musical genres. The reviewer believed that "[the game,] in the final analysis[,] is just not good enough to warrant spending £40."Kristan Reed, ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth, EuroGamer
, Mar 7, 2003, Accessed Apr 20, 2009 IGN gave it a "passable" verdict: the reviewer felt that the game's brief initial appeal quickly gave way to repetition. He had a mixed opinion of its graphics, with praise given to the character animations, but criticism to perceived poor draw distance
.KaiserJam EarlHwang, ToeJam and Earl: Mission to Earth Review, IGN
, Oct 22, 2002, Accessed Apr 20, 2009 GameSpot
deemed the game "mediocre". The reviewer noted that "the humor almost always falls flat", and that "ToeJam's speech [...] is filled with stupid double entendres". The website found the soundtrack to be dated, and called the game's audio "a serious disappointment".Jeff Gerstmann, ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth Review, GameSpot
, Oct 23, 2002, Accessed Apr 20, 2009
The Guardian
praised the originality of the characters, and the "crisply defined textures and realistic lighting"; the paper deemed the game "a treat for the eyes". However, the reviewers decided that the game was merely average overall, and noted its limited longevity.Greg Howson, Rhianna Pratchett & Steve Boxer, Games watch, The Guardian
, Feb 27, 2003, Accessed Apr 20, 2009 The Las Vegas Review-Journal
wrote of the game: "It's all right, but probably most useful for certain parents to force on kids." The Sydney Morning Herald described the game as "an average platform game that masks its conventional gameplay with over-stimulating graphics".James Cottee, Funked up, Sydney Morning Herald, May 10, 2003, Accessed Aug 6, 2009 The Daily Mirror called it "anarchic, fun, hilarious and very cool"."Kelly's i: Game Zone: Good Vibrations; ToeJam and Earl III", Daily Mirror, Jan 18, 2003 Entertainment Weekly
wrote that "TJ&E is fun -- but forgettable fun. Still, its promise of downloadable content, and sheer silliness, brings some whimsy to the funk-starved Xbox."
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
video game released for the 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...
on October 22, 2002. Developed by ToeJam & Earl Productions
ToeJam & Earl Productions
ToeJam & Earl Productions, Inc. was an American video game developer. Founders Mark Voorsanger and Greg Johnson started the company in 1989.- History :...
and Visual Concepts
Visual Concepts
Visual Concepts is a California-based video game developer best known for developing Sega Sports' 2K series of sports games. After the success of the series, they were picked up by Sega and became a wholly owned studio with Sega, usually termed a first-party developer...
, 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...
and 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...
, it is the third installment in the ToeJam & Earl series. Players assume the role of one of three extraterrestrial protagonists: ToeJam and Earl, who starred in the series' first two games, and Latisha, a new character. While using power-ups to combat enemies, players seek to collect the twelve "Sacred Albums of Funk" and defeat the antagonistic "Anti-Funk".
The original two ToeJam & Earl games were a key Mega Drive franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
, but development of a third game was prevented by the poor commercial performance of the console's successor, the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
. Versions of ToeJam & Earl III developed at different times 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...
and Dreamcast were canceled, but the latter was completed for the Xbox. On release, the game met with poor sales and mixed reviews; while certain critics found its gameplay innovative, its humor, soundtrack and graphics were variously praised and derided. Opinions of the game's overall enjoyability and longevity were also mixed. ToeJam & Earl III is not Xbox 360 backwards compatible.
Synopsis
ToeJam & Earl III follows the extraterrestrial protagonists ToeJam and Earl, who starred in the series' previous games, and a new female character named Latisha.ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth is an action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
video game released for the 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...
on October 22, 2002. Developed by ToeJam & Earl Productions
ToeJam & Earl Productions
ToeJam & Earl Productions, Inc. was an American video game developer. Founders Mark Voorsanger and Greg Johnson started the company in 1989.- History :...
and Visual Concepts
Visual Concepts
Visual Concepts is a California-based video game developer best known for developing Sega Sports' 2K series of sports games. After the success of the series, they were picked up by Sega and became a wholly owned studio with Sega, usually termed a first-party developer...
, 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...
and 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...
, it is the third installment in the ToeJam & Earl series. Players assume the role of one of three extraterrestrial protagonists: ToeJam and Earl, who starred in the series' first two games, and Latisha, a new character. While using power-ups to combat enemies, players seek to collect the twelve "Sacred Albums of Funk" and defeat the antagonistic "Anti-Funk".
The original two ToeJam & Earl games were a key Mega Drive franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
, but development of a third game was prevented by the poor commercial performance of the console's successor, the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
. Versions of ToeJam & Earl III developed at different times 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...
and Dreamcast were canceled, but the latter was completed for the Xbox. On release, the game met with poor sales and mixed reviews; while certain critics found its gameplay innovative, its humor, soundtrack and graphics were variously praised and derided. Opinions of the game's overall enjoyability and longevity were also mixed. ToeJam & Earl III is not Xbox 360 backwards compatible.
Synopsis
ToeJam & Earl III follows the extraterrestrial protagonists ToeJam and Earl, who starred in the series' previous games, and a new female character named Latisha.ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth is an action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
video game released for the 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...
on October 22, 2002. Developed by ToeJam & Earl Productions
ToeJam & Earl Productions
ToeJam & Earl Productions, Inc. was an American video game developer. Founders Mark Voorsanger and Greg Johnson started the company in 1989.- History :...
and Visual Concepts
Visual Concepts
Visual Concepts is a California-based video game developer best known for developing Sega Sports' 2K series of sports games. After the success of the series, they were picked up by Sega and became a wholly owned studio with Sega, usually termed a first-party developer...
, 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...
and 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...
, it is the third installment in the ToeJam & Earl series. Players assume the role of one of three extraterrestrial protagonists: ToeJam and Earl, who starred in the series' first two games, and Latisha, a new character. While using power-ups to combat enemies, players seek to collect the twelve "Sacred Albums of Funk" and defeat the antagonistic "Anti-Funk".
The original two ToeJam & Earl games were a key Mega Drive franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
, but development of a third game was prevented by the poor commercial performance of the console's successor, the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
. Versions of ToeJam & Earl III developed at different times 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...
and Dreamcast were canceled, but the latter was completed for the Xbox. On release, the game met with poor sales and mixed reviews; while certain critics found its gameplay innovative, its humor, soundtrack and graphics were variously praised and derided. Opinions of the game's overall enjoyability and longevity were also mixed. ToeJam & Earl III is not Xbox 360 backwards compatible.
Synopsis
ToeJam & Earl III follows the extraterrestrial protagonists ToeJam and Earl, who starred in the series' previous games, and a new female character named Latisha. ToeJam is three-legged and red; Earl is overweight and orange. Both characters have been considered parodies of American hip-hop and urban culture. Latisha has been variously described as "feisty" and "brimming with attitude" by critics.The three characters journey to Earth, in order to retrieve the stolen twelve Sacred Albums of Funk and return them to Lamont the Funkopotamus. Levels take place on terrains that represent Earth's ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s. The game's ultimate antagonist is the Anti-Funk, whose defeat will "save the world from all that is unfunky". The "funk" has been described as a parody of Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
the Force
Force (Star Wars)
The Force is a binding, metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the fictional universe of the Star Wars galaxy created by George Lucas. Mentioned in the first film in the series, it is integral to all subsequent incarnations of Star Wars, including the expanded universe of comic books, novels, and...
, with the Anti-Funk being the dark side
Dark side (Star Wars)
The dark side of the Force is a prominent moral, philosophical, and psychic concept in the Star Wars universe. It is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, and appears in all subsequent Star Wars fiction...
.
Gameplay
The game has been called both a platform gamePlatform 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...
, and an action-adventure game
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
. 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...
asserts that it combines elements of 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...
and its platformer sequel, ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
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...
, while GameNOW
GameNOW
GameNOW was a United States-based video game magazine that was published by Ziff-Davis from November 2001 to January 2004. There are 27 issues of GameNOW in total. In addition to video game consoles like PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and Game Boy Advance, GameNOW also covered games for...
and Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
liken it to the former game. The game features both single- and two-player modes; in both, players control one of the three protagonists. ToeJam moves quickly and jumps high, but has weak attacks; Earl is tougher and has more powerful attacks, but is slow and jumps lower than ToeJam; Latisha ranks between the two in terms of athleticism, and gains additional 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 later in the game. In the game's two-player mode, the camera moves between single and split-screen as players maneuver their characters away from each other. Characters can share power-ups when in close proximity.
The game's randomly generated levels are connected together by hubs. Additional levels can be downloaded from Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
.Justin Raymond, ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth, GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
, Nov 4, 2002, Accessed Aug 14, 2009 Level exploration is based around collecting items: the player searches for the Sacred Albums of Funk, and for keys that grant access to more levels. Enemies include rabbit ninja, a "demented chicken", and "psycho cheerleaders", who the player combats with Funk-Fu and Funk Notes. Funk Notes are projectiles that render enemies "funkified", or harmless; more powerful than Funk-Fu, they require the player to gather ammunition. The player may also find wrapped presents, which contain power-ups such as rocket skates, spring shoes and food; these variously grant greater defensive abilities, access to certain areas, and additional health
Health (gaming)
Health is a game mechanic used in role-playing, computer and video games to give value to characters, enemies, NPCs, and related objects. This value can either be numerical, semi-numerical as in hit/health points, or arbitrary as in a life bar....
. Another power-up involves a simple rhythm game
Rhythm game
Rhythm game or rhythm action is a genre of music-themed action video game that challenges a player's sense of rhythm. Games in the genre typically focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments, and require players to press buttons in a sequence dictated on the screen...
, and leaves nearby enemies "funkified" if the player successfully copies on-screen rhythms.
Development
ToeJam & Earl and its sequel ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkatron together formed one of the Mega Drive's main series. However, creator Greg Johnson said that installments for the console's Mega-CD or 32X add-ons were never planned, and though rumors of a new game persisted throughout the commercial life of the Sega SaturnSega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
console, that system's poor performance in North America prevented development of a sequel. Johnson and programmer Mark Voorsanger regained the rights to ToeJam and Earl in 1995, and in November 1998 made an agreement with GT Interactive to publish a new game in the franchise 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...
. Johnson and Voorsanger conducted research to determine whether series fans preferred the original ToeJam & Earl or its sequel; the former emerged as the clear favorite. In April 1999, however, it was reported that the deal with GT Interactive had fallen through; the publisher had decided that the series' previous game was not an encouraging success commercially, particularly in Europe.Chris Johnston, Too Much Funk for GT, 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...
, Apr 23, 1999, Accessed Apr 19, 2009 GT Interactive's restructuring and the Nintendo 64's declining commercial performance were also believed to be factors by commentators.
It was reported the following month that the developer was planning to create the game for Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, perhaps to coincide with the console's release. Ultimately, however, the developer became involved with Sega's Dreamcast through Visual Concepts
Visual Concepts
Visual Concepts is a California-based video game developer best known for developing Sega Sports' 2K series of sports games. After the success of the series, they were picked up by Sega and became a wholly owned studio with Sega, usually termed a first-party developer...
—a Sega developer in charge of third-party game development. Johnson and Voorsanger began development of the third game with the intention to re-make ToeJam & Earl; according to Johnson, the game would include the same elements as the first game, but with improved graphics. However, this notion was curtailed by Visual Concepts, who felt that the result would be too old-fashioned, and too niche in appeal. Johnson later said that he was unsure, at the time, whether to cater to fans who wanted a remake of the original or attempt to capture a new audience."Duke of Earl", Xbox Nation, http://web.archive.org/web/20040405233824/www.xbnmag.com/article2/0,2053,1266033,00.asp
Visual Concepts assisted with the development process, as ToeJam & Earl Productions was struggling with the game's technical demands. Johnson and Voorsanger indicated the development of a new character with the game's working title, "ToeJam, Earl, and Latisha". Lisa Lopes
Lisa Lopes
Lisa Nicole Lopes better known by her stage name Left Eye, was an American rapper, singer, dancer, actress, television host, and songwriter...
was nearly signed to provide Latisha's voice acting, but disagreements over fees caused the deal to fail. Actress Sherrie Jackson provided the character's voice instead.Andy Eddy, ToeJam & Earl III: All Funked Up (Xbox), GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
, May 10, 2002, Accessed Nov 8, 2009 The game was previewed at E3 in 2001, but Sega subsequently ceased its support of the Dreamcast due to poor commercial performance.Travis Fahs, Funkotronics 101, IGN
IGN
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...
, Jan 15, 2009, Accessed Apr 19, 2009 Once again, Johnson's preferred format was the PlayStation 2 or Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
GameCube, but the developer ultimately ported the game to 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...
because of its technical simplicity, as well as free advertising offered to Sega by Microsoft.Alistair Wallis, Playing Catch Up: ToeJam & Earl's Greg Johnson, 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...
, Nov 16, 2006, Accessed Apr 19, 2009 Promotional copies of the game portrayed the Anti-Funk as a disembodied head reminiscent of a Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
mask—an anti-racism statement, according to Johnson. Sega vetoed this, however, and the character was changed to a skull design for the game's retail release.
Reception
According to GamaSutraGamasutra
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...
, ToeJam & Earl III was met with mixed reviews, while IGN
IGN
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...
asserts that the game was "thrashed soundly by critics". Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
lauded its "superb sense of humour and the kind of offbeat gameplay that shows up every other identikit shooter, stealth 'em up and extreme sports title as imagination-devoid shams."Lee Skittrell, ToeJam and Earl: Mission to Earth, Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
, Mar 18, 2003, Accessed Apr 20, 2009 PC World
PC World (magazine)
PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services...
praised the game's "laugh out loud" humor, and acclaimed the two-player mode as "damned good fun".Ben Camm-Jones, "ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth. (XBox)", Australian PC World
PC World (magazine)
PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services...
, Aug 1, 2003
GameNOW
GameNOW
GameNOW was a United States-based video game magazine that was published by Ziff-Davis from November 2001 to January 2004. There are 27 issues of GameNOW in total. In addition to video game consoles like PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and Game Boy Advance, GameNOW also covered games for...
and Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
praised the game's power-ups, whose strategic element the former enjoyed, and two-player mode. However, GameNOW derided the game's hip-hop dialogue, and Electronic Gaming Monthly found it repetitive; the latter also believed that Latisha was an unnecessary addition."ToeJam and Earl III: Mission to Earth (Xbox)", GameNOW
GameNOW
GameNOW was a United States-based video game magazine that was published by Ziff-Davis from November 2001 to January 2004. There are 27 issues of GameNOW in total. In addition to video game consoles like PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and Game Boy Advance, GameNOW also covered games for...
, Dec 1, 2002, http://web.archive.org/web/20040602085352/www.gamenowmag.com/article2/0,2053,1490677,00.asp"ToeJam and Earl III: Mission to Earth (Xbox)", Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
, Aug 19, 2003, http://web.archive.org/web/20040517190447/www.egmmag.com/article2/0,2053,1490676,00.asp Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
found the hip-hop theme to be embarrassingly dated, and likened the game to In Living Color
In Living Color
In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...
and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The reviewer also believed that its randomly generated levels necessitated "simple and arbitrary" mission goals.Matt Helgeson, "ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth", Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
, Nov 2002 (issue 15), p. 137
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...
praised the game's graphics, camera angles and mini-games, but complained about unfair enemies, annoying character accents and an arbitrary mix of musical genres. The reviewer believed that "[the game,] in the final analysis[,] is just not good enough to warrant spending £40."Kristan Reed, ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth, 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...
, Mar 7, 2003, Accessed Apr 20, 2009 IGN gave it a "passable" verdict: the reviewer felt that the game's brief initial appeal quickly gave way to repetition. He had a mixed opinion of its graphics, with praise given to the character animations, but criticism to perceived poor draw distance
Draw distance
Draw distance is a computer graphics term, defined as the maximum distance of objects in a three dimensional scene that are drawn by the rendering engine. Polygons that lie behind the draw distance won't be drawn to the screen....
.KaiserJam EarlHwang, ToeJam and Earl: Mission to Earth Review, IGN
IGN
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...
, Oct 22, 2002, Accessed Apr 20, 2009 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...
deemed the game "mediocre". The reviewer noted that "the humor almost always falls flat", and that "ToeJam's speech [...] is filled with stupid double entendres". The website found the soundtrack to be dated, and called the game's audio "a serious disappointment".Jeff Gerstmann, ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth Review, 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...
, Oct 23, 2002, Accessed Apr 20, 2009
The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
praised the originality of the characters, and the "crisply defined textures and realistic lighting"; the paper deemed the game "a treat for the eyes". However, the reviewers decided that the game was merely average overall, and noted its limited longevity.Greg Howson, Rhianna Pratchett & Steve Boxer, Games watch, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Feb 27, 2003, Accessed Apr 20, 2009 The Las Vegas Review-Journal
Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Las Vegas Review-Journal is published in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada, and one of two daily newspapers in Las Vegas . It is the flagship publication of Stephens Media LLC...
wrote of the game: "It's all right, but probably most useful for certain parents to force on kids." The Sydney Morning Herald described the game as "an average platform game that masks its conventional gameplay with over-stimulating graphics".James Cottee, Funked up, Sydney Morning Herald, May 10, 2003, Accessed Aug 6, 2009 The Daily Mirror called it "anarchic, fun, hilarious and very cool"."Kelly's i: Game Zone: Good Vibrations; ToeJam and Earl III", Daily Mirror, Jan 18, 2003 Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
wrote that "TJ&E is fun -- but forgettable fun. Still, its promise of downloadable content, and sheer silliness, brings some whimsy to the funk-starved Xbox."