https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1578116861/toejam-and-earl-back-in-the-groove?ref=discovery
So what’s this all about? My name is Greg Johnson, and I am one of the two original creators and owners of the Toejam and Earl games (just to be clear, Sega doesn't own it). I, along with some bright and talented friends, are finally going to make that ultimate Toejam and Earl sequel that the fans have been asking for all these years.
Will it be like game one or game two, you ask? Well... (holding breath)... mainly like game one. We plan to go old school with this one. Fixed isometric camera, 2D sprites, simple controls, and an emphasis on coop play. It will also pull in some of the more beloved elements from game two, AND we have a list of exciting new gameplay elements planned as well.
You can say whatever you want to the other player!
Dynamic Split Screen... of course.Oh right, I almost forgot... and we'll have funky music, and more funky music, and... then we'll add in more funky music.
Game One Gameplay: As you can see we're going with a game one rogue-like play style. We'll have the stacked, randomly generated levels, and all the old Earthlings and presents, plus a pile of new ones.
Stacked Levels that make more sense spatially.A New Look: We're going for a retro vibe with this game. That's why it all looks like underground comics from the 90's. Neat, huh? That's all thanks to our awesome artist Nathan Shorts. "Hi Nathan!"
3D Terrain: Don't worry we won't make you sick and confused with an over-the-shoulder POV camera like we had in game 3. Nevertheless, 3D terrain will let us do some really FUN stuff. We can zoom in to see characters better, or zoom way out to see the stacked levels. You can now see the levels way below you, and when you fall, where you land on the level below makes sense. Also, we'll have hills! So what? I can answer that with 2 words... ROOOCKET SKAAAAATES!!.
Careful in the dark!Game Two Elements : As we said, this is mostly like game one, but we'll be bringing back some of the things you've asked for from game 2. Things like the Jam Out, hidden presents, and buttons and coin meters. Maybe we'll even be able to bring back the Hyperfunk Zone!
Recognize this place? Shhh! Don't tell.Which Platforms? Initially we are focusing all of our efforts on the PC (Windows, Mac, and Linux). We hope to eventually put this onto all platforms but this will, of course, depend on funding and on getting arrangements set up with the platform vendors.
4-Player Coop Play: Toejam and Earl is a multi-player game at it's heart. We're going to allow for 4 coop-players, and online play. We will have split screen.
Secret pathways! Don't fall!Meta-Play: Unlike the original TJ&E game, we now have elements that carry over from game to game, and players can gradually build up as they play repeatedly. We'll be introducing the idea of secret winged presents. Find and catch these to introduce new presents into the game. Collect hats that you keep from game to game, that boost your stats or give you abilities.
Growing Comic Book: Every time players reach the end of a game, they get to meet Lamont and he shares a few more pages of the Toejam and Earl comic book he is writing (it's TJ and Earl's origin story!). Eventually players have an entire comic book.
More Fun New Features: Imagine that you're Toejam and you can ride on Earl's back and shoot a rapid-fire tomato gun? Or you remember that little red 3-eyed dog from game 2? Suppose he could follow you around and help you find hidden stuff and chase away Earthlings. Or how about if the Wiseman in the Carrot suit let you apply your experience points to different attributes, so you could customize your character? Guess what! We plan to do all that and lots more.
Toejam and his homeboy Big Earl go out for another joyride in their RapMaster Rocketship, and this time Peabo and Lewanda and a few other friends come along. Of course, TJ and Big E. have to take their friends to see Earth, where all the craziness started. While in orbit around Earth, TJ can't resist showing off and pressing a mysterious new button on their ship called "Black Hole - DO NOT PRESS!"
The Earth now breaks apart in one of those Time-Warp-Black-Hole-Displacement thingies. Who could have guessed, right? Well, TJ, Big Earl, and their playable-character-friends must once again put that darned ship back together. The good news is that this time, when you find the ship pieces, much cooler stuff happens, AND once it's all put together you get to fly the ship around. Neat, huh?
Click here to listen to the full length Toejam and Earl Song.
The live-action music video is coming soon!
Tonez the Prince and Greg Brown perform the new TJ&E song.
Risks and challenges
As a kick starter backer you probably already know that video game development entails some risk. Still, there are good risks, and not-so-good risks. This is one of the good ones. Here's why...
1) I've (Greg) been making games as an independent developer for 34 years now ("How is that possible when he looks so young," you say?) And I've run a studio for a few decades.
2) I'm a big supporter of experimental games, but this isn't one of those games. There's a ton we want to get in, but it's pretty well understood territory. Also, I have a pretty good track record for being on time and on budget for my projects. (Check out the list of past games up above)
3) I will be personally designing and managing this project and not doing any other projects.
4) My plan for this project is to keep the team size as small as possible. This is really an indie project. More dollars will mean more time for us to add features and content, polish, and play test. Lots of pay-testing from an early date is the key to a truly fun game.
5) I'm working with some great people, who are passionate about this, just like I am. TJ&E has always been a game of the heart for me. It holds a special place that no other game does. This particular game is sort of a love letter to the Fans. (sorry for getting mushy on you there fans.... hug hug :). What does that mean? It means that I'm going to be giving it my all, and so is my team. Here's hoping we get the chance to make something awesome.
