The indie cred of Nintendo Switch is getting more legit by the day.
The Sega classic action game ToeJam & Earl is joining the Nindies or indie games slated for release on the Nintendo Switch. Dubbed as ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove, the fourth installment of the game has been successfully funded on Kickstarter. Creator Greg Johnson confirmed the game during the Nindie showcase in PAX East 2017.
ToeJam & Earl is adding to the games confirmed for Switch and is expected to release late this year for PC, Linux, Mac, and the Nintendo Switch.
ToeJam & Earl — The Funk Rapper Duo Is Back!
Writing in his Kickstarter post, Johnson outlined what fans can expect from his upcoming retro revival game. For the story, alien rappers ToeJam and Big Earl embark on a joyride aboard their rocketship RapMaster together with their friends Peabo and Lewanda. The duo brought their friends to see Earth, but during orbit around Earth, ToeJam caused a black hole to appear near Earth, breaking it along with their ship. Now they must repair the ship — and Earth — back together. ToeJam and Earl will be coming back of course, for a confirmed total of nine playable characters.
As for gameplay, Johnson outlined the following features:
Funky Music — Enough said. The funky music and hip-hop beats that made the original games popular is dropping some beats to the latest game.
Gameplay — Back in the Groove is going the rogue-like way, meaning "stacked, randomly generated levels" will be produced by the game.
A New Look — The 90s graffiti and hip-hop pop culture vibe of the first games will be making a return, with a touch of underground comic visuals.
3D Terrain — Maximizing modern graphics technology, Back in the Groove will feature a 3D terrain map that can be zoomed in or out. And "rocket skates" will treat the gamers to some rolling hills fun.
4-Player Coop — The game will allow up to four players to play co-op both local and online.
Other features that will come out in the new game are hidden presents, Jam Out mode, coin meters, the Hyperfunk Zone, and the capability for new game plus — meaning some elements can be carried over from game to game, which the players can build upon every new game. And probably the most exciting feature to come according to the developers is the "beat battle" mini-game.
"People wanted to have a little more control over what they were playing. So we added the ability to make your own beat, which is actually hearkening back to the little jam game in the first game. We wanted people to be able to feel that again, so you can make your own beat and then play it back," said Nathan Shorts, the game's lead artist.
