Adult Swim Games is publishing a new ToeJam & Earl game for PCs and consoles that pays tribute to the series’ formative years on the 16-bit Sega Genesis.
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove, launching in 2017, reunites the funky alien pair for a new procedurally generated quest, and developer Humanature Studios notes that multiplayer co-op will play a significant role in the finished product.
1992’s ToeJam & Earl broke new ground during an era defined by mascot platformers, presenting players a unique overhead-view adventure with roguelike elements. ToeJam & Earl stars a pair of wayward alien rappers who have crash-landed on Earth and must seek a way home while dodging their clueless human pursuers.
The original ToeJam & Earl featured procedurally generated levels with randomly distributed items that give players brief boosts in attack power and maneuverability, and the upcoming sequel will feature gameplay in the same vein. With Back in the Groove, Humanature Studios retains the series’ distinctive mix of action and roguelike gameplay while adding new worlds, items, weapons, and playable characters.
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $500,000 in funding. Designed by series co-creator Greg Johnson, Back in the Groove promises “a mash-up of the very best features from the classic console games, with a pile of new features thrown in.”
All previous games in the ToeJam & Earl series feature co-op gameplay, and Back in the Groove is no different. Players can enlist a local friend to explore the game’s massive worlds in a couch co-op mode, while up to four players can team up to tackle challenges together via online multiplayer.
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is available for wishlisting on Steam, and a release date will be revealed in the months ahead.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.