ToeJam & Earl Making a Comeback Next Year

Adult Swim Games will be publishing ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove.

ToeJam & Earl is coming back, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign and Adult Swim Games. The new game is called Back in the Groove, and is due out for PC and consoles some time in 2017. Designer Greg Johnson stated in the Kickstarter that this will be the first true sequel to the original TJ&E, since development of the second and third installments were heavily influenced by publishers.

ToeJam & Earl is another one of those strange series that I feel I have a deep connection with even though I never played the earlier games. Back when the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive was all the rage, ToeJam and Earl stood with Sonic as recognizable Sega mascots, despite their game being comparatively less popular. While sales might not have been out of this world, fans and critics agreed that ToeJam & Earl was something special.

With the freedom that comes from an independent team funded by its fans, I’m sure that Back in the Groove will be a funky return to the series’ Genesis roots. The fact that Adult Swim picked this one up says something about how well it’s been coming together, and I think that they had something to do with making sure this got out to consoles in addition to PC. An early build of the game will be playable at this year’s PAX West, so we’ll be sure to update you guys with any new footage or news about the game. In the meantime, enjoy the announcement trailer:

[fvplayer src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laMURYkJO1s” width=”560″ height=”315″]

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Matthew Hayes

Matthew loves colorful, grindy, Japanese RPGs and esoteric philosophy - if you want to buy him something for his birthday and need inspiration, that's all you need to know. He is a full-time writer, lover of dogs, and book hoarder. While typically quiet and kind, Matthew does get aggressively competitive in online multiplayer games (sometimes he cusses). Favorite games include: Persona 4 Golden, Final Fantasy VII / Tactics Advance, Dark Souls, Rainbow Six Siege, Soul Calibur 4, Jet Grind Radio, and SaGa Frontier. For corrections, tips, or leads, you can reach out to Matthew at hayesface7@gmail.com.