ToeJam & Earl III

Sega (64020) ToeJam & Earl III XBX

The Toe Jam & Earl franchise is an anomaly to the trend of hyper-realism and violence in video games, and this latest addition to the series excels at creating another gloriously fun and wacky cartoon experience. The goal of Toe Jam & Earl III: Mission to Earth is to recover the stolen Twelve Sacred Albums of Funk by exploring various levels on Earth, befriending Earthlings, and finding keys and presents to aid in the journey. The real fun of the game, however, is its funk theme. You can convert unfunky Earthlings to the ways of funk, and there are inspired funky touches throughout the game, including a gospel vocal trio that sings whenever a new level loads. The game doesn't take itself seriously, and to enjoy it, a competitive gaming mindset should be set aside. In two-player mode, the game promotes teamwork by allowing players to share health (just high-five each other) and immunity to attacks. The game's combination of 80s funk and overall goofiness won't appeal to everyone, but it's an ideal mix for parents in search of a game that they can enjoy with their kids (the game is rated Teen for animated blood and violence, but the gore is all cartoonish) and anyone else with an offbeat sense of humor. --Sung Nicholas Kim

Pros:

Excellent 3-D graphics
Kitschy fun for all ages

Cons:

Erratic split-screen view in the two-player mode
Older gamers may find the game too simple

1 A Platform Game Outside the Mario/Sonic Mold
I really enjoyed this game despite being completely unfamiliar with the previous two games. Like most other platformers it has all the worlds you've come to expect such as desert, ice, forest, and water. But what most sets it apart from the pack is the sense of humor; both in the cutscenes and in the wisecracks you will hear from the various characters ( crazed dentists, bratty kids, inquisitive nerds, and mischievous elves ). Unlike Ratchet + Clank and the Jak and Daxter series, the comedy here actually works since it is more mature and doesn't ape the Disney model ( goody two-shoes hero with a goofy/irritating tag-along sidekick ). And, if you're a child of the 80's, you'll get a kick out of the vinyl sleeves of the records you collect, which parody landmark hip-hop, r&b, and funk albums. The game is a respectable length and sells for reasonable price; the only knock against it is the level of challenge. It can't be adjusted, and is just a bit too easy to slide through ( although, some of the timed bonus challenges can be tricky ) once you get the hang of it. But this is somewhat alleviated by the abundance of unfunky earthlings ( midwestern 50's housewives with beehives? Hilarious! ) chasing you around the rather narrow dimensions of most worlds. All in all, this a game you should certainly pick up, since I haven't played any other that made me laugh more and few others that were quite as much fun.

2 Just a platformer with a theme
ToeJam & Earl III is a standard platform game (think mario).

On any given level you accomplish a set of tasks that include collecting things (keys, presents, food), convert humans to the funk, and delivering something from A to B. You can play as any of the 3 characters and switch mid-game.

Along the way you can find power-ups, replenish your health, jump, run...all the standard stuff.

The focus on the funk is all about old-school hip-hop. ToeJam, Earl, and Latisha are all sterotypical hip-hop characters. Mini-level cut-scenes include sweet-honey-in-the-rock style vocals. The focus on the funk is different although taken somewhat overboard. That's ok though. This is a platformer.

This is as much of a kids game as any platformer (crash bandicoot, spongebob) although there isn't really any violence (unlike flying body parts in crash). Humans will come up and kick you but when you blast your funk-fu at them they become nice and stop hitting.

More like Spongebob, this is more tongue-in-cheek and not serious like Mario.

All in all this is a decent platformer that is a little different and somewhat amusing.

I purchased mine from an alternate seller (used & new) which offered a reasonable price.

3 An Amazing Game!
I am quite suprised by the people who gave this game such low scores. Toejam and Earl III is one of the funnest games I have played in a real long time.

I've been a TJ&E fan since the begining back on Sega Genesis and I've been looking foward to this since they announced it would be released on Dreamcast. Unfortunatly, the game never made it to Dreamcast and ended up being released only on X-Box. Being a loyal sega fan and old schooler gamer, there's no way I'm going to buy an X-box. Toejam & Earl 3 is the only game on the whole system that I am even impressed with.

I am now in pain because this game is only released on one system. I dont want to buy an X-Box for just this game, and I dont feel its right for Sega to ask us too. I hope they port this game to the PC or create a new version for GBA or something.

Here's an idea: why not port the original 2 games onto the Game Boy Advance? I'm still holding my breath.

Until then, Jam out to the funky music of TJ&E III and have yourselves a blast!

4 terrible
if anyone wants this game let me know! because this is the [dummmist] game ive ever played! actually i dont want to give this to any one because they would be pissed at me for life. this is the only review i ever wrote but i just had to warn people dont buy rent or give anyone this!

5 Insert Title With The Word "Funk" In It Here.
I loved ToeJam and Earl 1. When I was... ooh.. 13 we'll call it, me and my mates were playing TJ&E whenever we could get our hands on it.

III is I, but 3D. That's really all there is to it. The elevators, the presents, the food, the baddies, the chickens, the tomatoes. I must admit the voices weren't exactly as I'd placed them, but you get used to 'em.

But, this is a great game even if you haven't played TJ&E1 - OK, so it's a fairly easy collect-em-up, it's just so... funky. It sounds unimaginative to describe this "funk"-laden game as just funky - surely I could think of some better adjectives than one used every ten seconds in the plot scenes? - but that's what it is. It's funky. It's chilling (sorry, chillin'). It's so laid-back it's damn near horizontal. It also comes in PG and G-rated flavours, so get the irritating brat that kicks shins in YOUR house and teach them the Ways of the Funk. Really.

6 Cute but not enough! Sega did a poorly job this time.
I always have been a Toe Jam and Earl huge fan. ...Now, let's talk about the hird one. This game is cute ...! Its purpose is for children ... I have to agree that Sega did a good job on the graphics but the whole idea of the game is no fun! You have to look for 12 vinyl albums on Earth. What the heck is that? How fun is that? I think they should had kept the same concept of looking for the spaceship parts once again (maybe in a different planet, you know.) Another thing, what's with funk? Everything is related to funk on this game. WHY??? Sega lost it right there, when they came up with the whole funk thing (there are funk powers, funk vinyl's, and God knows what else). One more thing, who's the new character on the game? It didn't add much to the game, at least not on my view. The game is called Toe Jam and Earl and not Toe Jam and Earl and Latish. Let's say okay, fine, they created another character but did they have to call it Latish? It just doesn't add anything to the game with that name, you know. I wonder what the heck were they doing when they created her. It sounds almost ghetto with the whole Latish and funk idea.

It is very disappointing to me! My expectations were higher than that. Truly, I have not bit the game yet (though it is easy) because I have no desire to. The only positive word that I can say that describes it well is that it is cute. Nothing more nothing less. I just hope that Sega does not give up on Toe Jam and Earl and some day create another one.

Poor job Sega! Sorry but it was not enough. It seems that you did the game just to do it and not for the fans of Toe Jam and Earl.

7 the worst game ever made
this game should be for 3 year olds it's so easy. this game is so annoying all they say is funkify its so stupid. they're just these stupid annoying rappers

8 fun and easy
pro - easy; fun anyone can enjoy; easily beat
con - too easy

9 Here come the Funk
Plenty of other reviewers have commented on the theme and content of the game, so I figured I would point out the non-funk related attributes that blew me away. This game has a top notch camera system. Now, you may think, who cares? What makes a camera system important? Well, I was impressed because part of the fun in a platform game is looking around at the crazy worlds that these characters are adventuring through. In TJ&E, you get a fluid and flawless ability to control where the camera looks. I wish you could zoom in a tad tighter and pull out farther from time to time, but still, the folks at Sega paid some skilled programmers to get everything looking great in this game.
The other technical feature I enjoyed was the lighting. Time passes and you have dawn, noon, dusk, and night. The lighting is phenominal. And everything casts a shadow.
My thoughts on the double meanings in what some of the characters say is that it all comes a little too close to PG13 for my ears. Kids will figure this stuff out, "I am WannaHikki of the unusually small cocconuts." "I know what you geeks need, but you're not getting it from me." "Wanna see my third leg?" "Blue or Purple, I don't know which, all I know is Latisha is a..." "Hey Latisha, wanna see the South Pole?"
Lots of fun for teens and older. Worth every cent.

10 May The Funk Be With You
toe jam & earl three is by far one of the most satisfying games i've played on the xbox for a number of reasons.

first and foremost, the game is funky fresh. that's right. if you can remember that saying from back in the days when hiphop was playful and simple, this game is right there. it's got bootsy collins and utfo appeal complete with breakdancing, complicated dap, and pg-rated street dialog which is right up to date.

secondly, the game is very clever in its concept of integrating lighthearted funk culture into a theme of integration and redemption. (did i actually say that?) funky aliens come down from the planet funkatron to funkify obnoxious earthlings and rescue the 12 vinyl albums which are the source of all funk in the universe from the minions of the anti-funk. there is no killing or anything, it's about using music to transform squares, geeks and a host of hilarious characters (including a demented dentist) into afro sportin' bootsy sunglasses wearing disco dancers, for a moment anyway.

it was my wife who picked out the game. when i first played it, i had to do a double-take. funk in a videogame? i kept thinking they're going to screw up something and i'm going to be offended. but i wasn't disappointed, in fact i was inspired. the authors ought to be proud of delivering the bomb metaphysics in a way even george clinton himself would appreciate. and of course if you are truly funky, you'll be pleased at all the inside jokes and references even if you are not familiar with the earlier toe jam titles.

my elementary school kids absolutely love it. they sing the songs, they repeat the dialog (which has some subtle double-entendres on the border of pg-13, but you can turn the characters from 'naughty' to 'nice') and they run to tell me when they graduate from a 'dufus' to a 'poindexter'.

now here's the kicker. i have never seen a videogame of any sort in which you use musical skills to defeat the enemy. but toe jam and earl will have you playing your xbox controller like a beat box to infect the earthlings with that irresitable funk fu.

gameplay is not particularly challenging, it's laidback adventuring capture the goody style without tricky puzzles or traditional boss challenges. but there are plenty enough levels to keep you busy and characters that can render you helpless in novel and frustrating ways. this is another game that even when you die it's funny, and there's plenty fun to be had just roaming through the levels and having your avatar speak to the other characters. i wish there were more avatars to choose from and you run into the occasional glitch where your character gets stuck in some crevice, like between a tree and a lake shore. but on the whole the execution is very smooth and you are totally immersed. action gets fast and furious like gauntlet. the voices are excellent and the music is just right.

the levels are bright and fanciful with a kind naive surrealism and you get to run around like bebe's kids trick or treating and kicking silly rabbits to the curb. it has the same kind of snarky badboy appeal as conker's bad fur day but in a totally lighthearted way. it's not even as dark as banjo kazooie or blinx. in that way it's really cool for kids and you can play and play and lose and lose without getting angry, which is a lot to say given the state many videogames leave you in.

in the end it's all about the funk, what could be cooler?

11 one of the coolest games in the universe by sam rayburn
i think toejam and earl 3 is a great game ever since i play the very first toe jam and earl video game when it first came out i think it great because it a game that kids and adults alike will enjoy it to the extreame it capture the imaganation and let's your imaganation run wild with the thought of being one of the three coolest e.t.'s in the galaxy in my own a openion toejam and earl 3 coming to earth forthe x box is definey worth the money to buy one of the greatest games ever made ia going to get myself a copy of it as soon as possible so if you a hardcore video game fanatic like me then you gotta get yourself a copy of it and get funkafied with toejam and earl 3 coming to earth because i am!!!

12 Awesome Game
This game is very fun for people of all ages. It is also very funny. The graphics are very colorful and nice, and the voices are very well done. If you like the last Toe Jam and Earl games you will love this one also. A great game to add to your library. With the downloadable levels availible, the fun won't end for a while.

Graphics: 8.5/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Value: 9.5/10

13 The old school has returned!
I've waited almost ten years for this game. Sega could have released a TJ&E screensaver and I would have given it three stars. So my perspective is a little skewed. But, for people who played the original this is a mighty treat. This is almost the same game brought up to XBox (well, Dreamcast) standards.
Skip the annoying cinemas and the useless new character. Grab a beer and a friend, and get ready to play the most whacked out light-hearted game to come out in ages. Like the soul sistas say, Hallelujah!

14 The best tj&e ever hands down
This game is definately one for the fans. Anyone who loved the first one and spent hours playing it on the genesis will love doing the same now on the xbox i say buy it if you liked the first

15 Great Spyro-ish gameplay in a Funky world!
ToeJam and Earl III for the XBox is a great game for funk-loving teenagers, and even features a naughty/nice setting so younger kids can play too!

You're in control of three funky space aliens who love funk music. There's the slim, hip DJ ToeJam, the portly, upbeat Earl, and their female sassy chick Latisha. All three have unique personalities and really get along well together, while poking fun at each other too.

The general plot is about as meaningful as any other capture-coins-and-solve-quests game, which means not much at all :). It's very similar to Spyro. You start out in a "world" (The Grassy Zone) with a look. In this case everything is grassy and green. From there you gather keys and go into sub-worlds, each with its own keys to collect, items to gather, enemies to "funkify". Your ultimate aim is to find all of the funk albums that were lost by your leader.

The graphics are great. Each character has his or her own moves, and is nicely 3D rendered. The worlds through which they jump, swim, fly and crawl are great. The trees in the grassy land are different from each other and look like trees. The water ripples. The city streets of the Urban Zone have graffiti on them and have street lights and other objects. The sky cycles from day to night. It's very well done!

Combat is great, too. You're not actually "killing" things, unlike Spyro and other similar games. Instead, you're trying to "funkify" all these poor musically-inept humans! You run after them blasting them with your funk rays and notes, and eventually they get a shining disco ball over their head indicating that they now appreciate funk music. It is TOOOO funny!

Add in to that the wicked sense of humor the characters have. Note again that there is that nice-naughty setting. So if kids are playing, the comments are pretty tame. "Why don't you have a mouth?", one girl asks TJ. "I wanna be just like you, Latisha" says another. Each player's comments are unique, and they say different things to different people. Some are hilarious! Even the naughty setting isn't "bad", it's just a little risque.

We've played this game both with adults and kids and everyone has loved it. Get with the funk, and get your own copy!

16 I bought an XBOX for this game
I steadfastly refused to purchase an XBOX when they came out. I am not a huge fan of Microsoft?� products, and the XBOX didn't really have any games that I wanted to play anyway.

However, when Sega� pulled out of the hardware market, the up and coming Toe Jam & Earl 3 game that had been slated to come out on the Dreamcast -- was suddenly in limbo. When the game developers announced they would be releasing TJ&E3 on the XBOX, as an EXCLUSIVE title, a lot of long time Sega fans went into hysterical convulsions -- including me.

I dragged my feet for a long time on this issue, but the bottom line was I wanted this game, and I needed an XBOX to play it (and I didn't want to rent the system or the game) -- so I went out and bought both the game and the system on the same night.

I got the XBOX bundled with two games (GT Racing and Jet Set Future -- neither one of which I care for), and the new S-controllers. And popped in the game. All I can say is ...

***WOW!!***

[Let us pause for a moment of silence to appreciate that "wow"]

The game is wonderful! It is almost EXACTLY like the first game in almost every detail, except it is bigger, better, and beautiful!

The graphics are stunning, the controls are crisp and responsive, and the game play is out of this world (pun intended). I won't bore you with the storyline because I am sure you already know the story line from the Editorial Review, and past history.

I cannot say enough good things about this game. New earthlings to play with, along with most of our favorites -- devils, tourists, shopping cart lady, lawn mower man, cupid, crazy mortar chickens, insane dentist, etc.

Then to add a REALLY neat aspect to the game, the developers gave the characters the ability to fight the earthlings without presents (it was a real drag in the first game to have to run from earthlings if you ran out of presents) -- by using what Lamont the Funkapotamus calls "Funk Fu." Which is a silly title for a martial art based on being funky. You can progress in belt rank all the way up to black belt -- and if you outrank or equal an earthling in Funk Fu, then you can use your Funk Fu attacks to convert them to the ways of Funk! If the earthling outranks you, then you need presents or other special techniques to convert them, but it can still be done.

The only complaint I have about this game is that once you reach the rank of black belt (and the title of FunkLord) then all the points you earn after that point don't count towards anything. The points cap out at 125,000. Which then gives you zero incentive to convert any more earthlings after that point. But I suppose the developers were trying to create the frantic pacing of the last few levels in the first game where you just popped in, grabbed what you needed then hightailed it to the elevator!

If I could give this game 10 stars I would!

17 Toejam and Earl 3
This game is a MUST get. When I heard that this game was going to be released exclusively for XBOX, I had to go out and get it. When I was like 8 years old, my friend and I would spend hours of mindless fun playing this. Now the third game is out(I heard there was another game besides 1 and 2 called tomatoe attack or something, but never got a chance to play it). All the classic characters from TJ&E 1 and even a few from TJ&E 2 make appearances. The graphics are amazing and the game follows the first game's gameplay, which is a huge relief from the side-scrolling TJ&E 2. Needless to say, all TJ&E fans will love this game. I also love how the makers made TJ&E 3 to sell to an older audience, mainly, the old fans of Toejam and Earl. My only complaint for this game is the introduction of a new character, Latisha. This is only trivial, but I feel they should have at least added another split to the multiplayer screen(or added a fourth character). The game still rocks, and you should really consider it.

18 Way underrated!
I've been a fan since Toe Jam#1 and needless to say I was excited to here about this new adaptation. Not being a fan of Bill Gates, I had to buy an X-box just to play it. I wasn't shure if I wanted to after I started reading some reviews, but figured any reviews that thought a hip-hop game was racist must have mist something. Let me tell you, they did. I've been way into this game have yet to be offended. I hold a BA in Ethenic Diversty in Psychology so I like to think I know when something is over the line. These bad reviews are just a case of some white writers that is way oversensitive and don't know what the hell their talking about. Otherwise gameplay is easy to grasp and playability is seriously addictive!

19 Finally!
this is a really great game, it's funny, stunningly beautiful and doesn't take itself too seriously. the dialogue is hilarious! the music is awesome (you gotta turn this one way up when you play) and the best part is it's different! i'm sick of all the shooters, i've seen all that before, tj&e 3 is fresh and a blast to play with friends. try it and you'll love it!

20 At Long Last - A Game with Heart
This game is one of the very few games out there that is actually uplifting. If you own an Xbox because you need to feel more powerful by killing things and solving tough puzzles then don't even look at this game. If you are ready to laugh and share lots of fun hours of cooperative play with someone and enjoy some great dialog, kicking funk music, and gameply filled with insane surprises then you'll never find a better gaming experience then this. There are a lot of gamers out there who need to show off how "tough and wicked they are". The Market is filled with one dark, bloody, serious game after another. People who like those games shouldn't comment on this one, cause they just won't get it. This game is a Joy. It's a Celebration.
It's a breath of refreshing creativity in a wasteland of heartless products. If you are a positive person you will LOVE this one.

21 Heres the real deal on this game.....
You read many reviews and such of this game being for children. Its the sheer randomness that makes it a great game. I must say, compared to many modern games, it gets blown away, BUT, if you played TJ&E on Genesis, chances are you loved it, and youll love this. This is a game for TJ&E Classic hardcore fans. If you didnt play the original, forget this one, you cant appreciate it the way the oldskool fans do. Its all about seeing things you used to love (like the hula dancers) and remembering what it was like back in the day. Reminds you of great things, like getting a rank-up to a poindexter, or using a game genie, and putting on the invincibility code, and on level 1, swim to the bottom left of the screen and fall down a secret hole to level 0, where you can get lemonade or sit in the hot tub with hawiian girls. Oh, great fun, great memories. Classic TJ&E fans, your in for a treat.

22 Ho Hum.
The idea of this game is to go around and collect funk records. Yup, that's about it. The game is simplistic and, although it does have some nice graphical effects, it is, overall, rather bland (and the funky music gets old rather fast). With that said, the game should keep the younger crowd occupied for a while, though. Although I would rate the game on the lower end of a Teen rating (i.e., closer to an E), I fail to understand why Sega would create a game obviously intended for the 10 and under crowd, and then put elements in it that give it a Teen rating. In this case, it is the standard "comic mischief" and some wiggling.

23 Good Game (for kindergarteners)
This game is boring however it would be a good edition to the video game library of an 8 year old. You walk around picking up keys and eating food to get to new worlds. The point is to get 12 albums of funk that were stolen. You convert little girls into funk followers by hitting the x button twice and that is about it. If you dont they will kick you and you will lose energy but its easy to stop them. There were some cute parts but I like games to be a bit more involved and thought out. You can play tracks off the albums once you find them but the music isnt that good. Graphics were good but the game was silly and not challenging at all. It might be enjoyed by a younger audience however but it didnt win me over. I had the game for 5 days (rental) but returned it after 4 hours of play in exchange for Munch's Odyssey which is far better. I was hoping it picked up but it didnt so I wouldnt recommend it.

24 ok i take it back this is the best game for any system
it blew me away i played it for 6 hours straight and im goin to play it now ..........later

25 TJ&E reborn
(Only four stars, because it's not out yet and I haven't gotten my grubby little mitts on it.)

Ah, a cult classic. Featuring the classic game style of the original (dynamic split-screen).

Following the classic model for any 16-bit game: things are scattered around the land and it's your job to go get 'em. Wackiness ensues.

If you enjoyed the first two (or even if you've heard about the first two), then of *course* you're going to take this one for a spin. I don't even know why I'm *writing* a review. The only way you'd know about this game is if you've played the previous incarnations.

If it weren't for the premature death of the Dreamcast, we'd already be getting our funk on. Let's pray that the move to the Xbox will show a marked increase in funkitude and style.

I'm already giddy about what the soundtrack will be like. Think they'll release a music CD like they did with Jet Set Radio Future?

JSRF, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Shenmue II, and now TJ&E 3. Sega is definately Microsoft's lap-dog. That's why I bought the system. XD

26 It's back
I only gave this game 4 stars since I havent played it yet, but after hearinf it was being based on the original I know it will be at least 4 stars and 5+ for all the Toejam and Earl fans out there. The original still remains as my favorit video game ever and is the only reason I still have my genesis. X-box owners should be grateful Microsoft got the rights to this game, for anyone who has played the originals it is a must have and for anyone who has never played it before it is a definate muyst rent. I have never pre-ordered a game before because in this day and age who knows if it will be worth it. But I pre-ordered this the moment it was announced. 4 more days....

27 TOE JAM AND EARL ARE BACK!!!
what you've been hearing about is true.....on the 25th of ths month...they return.Thats right toejam and earl are back with a brand new mission. you may be intrested why im so excited about this game and the reaosn is this, when i was little my brother and me would always play the game and its finnally back after too many years of sleeping. The original concept for the game is simple....walk around worlds and get presents and things to open up an elevator to the next world while truying to find pieces to your ship. this game is veryyy fun....esspecially with multiplayer...my faverite lol. So i gurrentee you'll like this game...esspecially if your a fan of the first ones..(theres 2) this game comes out the 25 of october go get it right away!!!!

28 "Whats that Smell?" -"Wasn't Me"
Oh the countless hours spent playing the first Toe Jam and Earl on the sega genesis was all too worth it. (Always played it with my best friend, so never played it alone) Having such enemies as the crazed dentist, the chicken patrol, and that pesky ice cream truck forever burned in my mind is not a problem. It's more of a privelage. From roller scates to Icuris wings, from throwing tomatoes to having them rain down upon you, the game was a gem. Now number 3 is coming out? on X box? Hmmmm.... All i can say is, it is a good time to be alive. (Because it looks like it keeps the formula of the first Toe Jam and Earl) It might not be the number one game on X box, or might not even be a hit, but for me it is the game of the decade. RENT IT, BUY IT, BORROW IT, JUST PLAY IT!

29 A game you have to play....really!!
If you have never played Toe Jam and Earl on sega genesis.. then you have really missed one of the funniest and the funnest games ever. you play these to "hip hop" aliens who have crashed landed on earth and the pieces of their "space craft" have been scattered everywhere. To get you through some of the levels you got to wear rockets skates, use inflatable animals. It really is great game and this one will probably be overlooked like the last ones were. It is a shame though, cause well it just is .. at least rent it. It's definetly worth [money] just to see the cover... buy the game.