Customer Reviews

ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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!

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!

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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!