A fourth title without Sega's involvement, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove, was released on Mawith funds from Kickstarter. The sequels' commercial and critical success were mixed. ToeJam & Earl was followed by two sequels: ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron and ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth, released for the Sega Genesis and Xbox respectively. It attained sleeper hit status despite low initial sales, and its protagonists were used as mascots by Sega. The game was positively received by critics, who praised its originality, soundtrack, humor and two-player cooperative mode. As such, ToeJam & Earl is often considered to be an example of a roguelike game. ToeJam & Earl's design was heavily influenced by the role-playing video game Rogue (1980) and derived various features from the game, such as the random generation of levels and items. It references and parodies 1980s and early 90s urban culture and is set to a funk soundtrack. As they attempt to escape the planet, players assume the role of either character and collect pieces of their wrecked spacecraft.
Released in 1991, it centers on ToeJam and Earl- alien rappers who have crash-landed on Earth. ToeJam & Earl is an action game developed by Johnson Voorsanger Productions and published by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) console.
