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Toejam & Earl designer on being happy with giving players nostalgic experiences

Being back in the groove feels so good
by rawmeatcowboy
03 April 2019
GN Version 5.0

ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is out now on Switch, and I couldn't be happier. I've always been a HUGE fan of the original ToeJam & Earl game. It's something truly magical, and a wholly unique co-op experience. Subsequent entries in the series weren't bad, but they lacked a certain charm and magic the original had in spades. ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is the first game in the series to recapture that magic and build on it.

ToeJam & Earl designer Greg Johnson is more than happy to give fans a way to get back to that classic vibe. In an interview with Gamasutra, Johnson explains that he finds evoking nostalgic feelings is something to be proud of.

I always find the comment amusing that “all it brings is nostalgia.” What makes people nostalgic are wonderful memories. No one gets nostalgic over things they don’t care about. “OMG!! That’s that game I loved when I was a kid! I played it with my parents or my brother and sister and remember staying up late and laughing our a%#es off!” That’s nostalgia. If that’s all this “game brings,” then I think I’m pretty darned happy to help people relive that and share it with a new generation of people they care about.

For people who have no connection with this and don’t understand why others have such fond memories of it--well, fine. No worries. But respect the love others have for something. Or maybe just go see The Grinch who Stole Christmas. I think that might be the movie for you.

[Link]