Toe Jam & Earl in Panic On Funkotron - Reception and Legacy

Reception and Legacy

The game was met with considerable anticipation, positive reviews and commercial success according to IGN, with GamaSutra also recalling a positive critical reaction. A contemporary review in the Chicago Tribune called it a "beautifully designed game", as well as praising the Herbie Hancock-inspired soundtrack and non-violent action. The Washington Times also gave a positive verdict, stating: "This is one of the funniest games we've ever seen. The graphics are superb, and the action and control are flawless." Business Week wrote that "Sega knows what the kids find cool" with reference to the game. Mega placed the game at #14 in its Top Mega Drive Games of All Time. Fans of the original ToeJam & Earl however were disappointed and confused by the game's departure from the original concept to a more generic platforming format, with GameSpot and Shacknews later asserting that the game disappointed upon its initial release.

ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron and ToeJam & Earl comprised one of the Mega Drive's "key exclusive franchises". However, Sega's subsequent video game console, the Saturn, performed poorly in the North American market and thus the franchise was neglected. A ToeJam & Earl game for the Sega Dreamcast was canceled, but a third instalment, ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth, was eventually released for Microsoft's Xbox in 2002. The game returned to the concepts of the original game, but generated mixed reviews and poor sales.

Since its release, ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron "has developed a negative reputation as a selling-out of a daring design". With hindsight, Johnson and Voorsanger have stated they regret moving from the prototype sequel to a side-scrolling platform game, though Johnson maintains "ToeJam & Earl 2 was a very original side-scrolling game". Johnson has further asserted that Toyoda Shinobu, who had been Sega's Vice President of Development "admitted that it was probably a mistake on Sega's part to jump to a side-scroller". A survey by IGN found that a majority of the franchise's fans favored the original ToeJam & Earl as the best game in the series; however a significant minority of respondents preferred ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron at 28%. Research by the game's developers said that a majority of fans preferred ToeJam & Earl, though the developers also claimed that "Panic on Funkotron was loved and admired by many".

The game was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console on June 1, 2007 in Europe and June 4, 2007 in North America. IGN felt the original game was superior, but praised the two-player cooperative mode, fluid animations and the "fair number of extras that add a lot of depth". GameSpot however called the game "mediocre", "forgettable" and "not much fun", though it noted the detailed "unique look" and parallax scrolling. Eurogamer, which gave ToeJam and Earl's re-release a negative review, praised the departure from the predecessor's concept, saying "it gets some kudos at least for not following the 'more of the same' game sequel mentality." The reviewer praised the "forward thinking" environment interaction, but ultimately decided to give the game a middling score, saying "for all its bold ideas, the basic platforming mechanic is pretty shonky".

The game was released alongside its prequel as part of Sega's Heritage Collection on Xbox Live Arcade on November 7, 2012 and individually for PlayStation Network on November 6, 2012 in North America and November 7, 2012 in Europe.