New ToeJam & Earl Game Delayed, "Overly Cinematic" Trailer Released

The new ToeJam & Earl game, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove, is not going to come out on time. A Kickstarter statement from series creator Greg Johnson confirms that the game is not going to be released until 2018.

Johnson said developer HumaNature "tried super hard" to have the game ready to launch this year as scheduled. But it's not going to happen, in part because "game development is an inexact science," Johnson said. Fans may be happy to hear that Johnson and his team are working hard to put a game worth of the Toe Jam & Earl name.

"It's our priority to deliver the best, most solid game we can," Johnson said. "To get the game across the finish line we need to push into 2018, but rest assured we are working our butts off and you guys are going to get an awesome game."

"Thanks for the continued support and keeping the faith! We're working so hard over here and will have additional updates over the coming weeks and months."

A new trailer for Back in the Groove was released today, and it's pretty funny. An "overly cinematic trailer," the video sets up the game's absurd story with some wonderful, over-the-top narration. It also doesn't shy away from the fact that the game has been delayed.

Back in the Groove was successfully funded on Kickstarter in 2015, when people donated more than $500,000 to make it happen. The fan-funded game is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, and Mac. Back in the Groove is being published by Adult Swim Games, a division of the TV network.

The original ToeJam & Earl was released for the Sega Genesis back in 1991. This was followed up by a 1993 platforming sequel called Panic in Funkotron, and then ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth in 2002.