Data East, back when they were still around, weren’t really that noteworthy or as big when compared to the other big boys at the time. They did make a few products that people would remember fondly, and would get plenty of follow-ups, such as with Burgertime and Windjammers, but in comparison to other companies like Capcom and Konami, they really weren’t anything all too special or memorable. That being said, there are still some good titles to be found in their library, and I have been meaning to get around to checking some of them out for a while now (he says, knowing fully well he’s not gonna do that for a good couple of months, possibly even longer). Out of all of their franchises though, the one that I am most familiar with, even if it may not be the most creative or appealing of them, would be with… Caveman Ninja. Ok, not gonna lie, that is a fucking terrible name, but it did get renamed to Joe & Mac when it got put onto the SNES, so I am calling it that from now on.
I first discovered Joe & Mac a long time ago via the Jontron video about it, and in the good ol’ Mega fashion, I then didn’t get around to playing it until only about three years ago. So, after finally checking it out, was it worth “waiting” that long to play it. I mean… kinda? Sure, it really isn’t anything all that noteworthy, as when you take a look at it, you pretty much know exactly what you are gonna get from it, but for what it is worth, it is still a pretty good game, and a good start to the Joe & Mac series.
The story takes inspiration from Avengers by having multiple girls that needs to be saved (so proud of the “progressive” nature of these stories), the graphics are pretty good, with all the characters and enemies not only looking good, but also having fun and detailed animations to give the game personalities, the music is pretty good, and it vibes with the prehistoric theme smoothly, the control is good, of course, but I won’t lie, moving around and jumping does feel sort of awkward, given how you do the different jumps, and the gameplay is your standard arcade platforming affair, but that doesn’t make it bad in the slightest.
The game is your average 2D platformer, where you move through various prehistoric levels, defeating all sorts of cavemen, dinosaurs, and what have you, getting various foods and weapons along the way to give you an advantage against the challenges, and fighting various bosses as well. Alongside all of that, there are also plenty of different routes that you can take while going through the levels, with paths you can only experience if you go one way over the other, and there are three endings that you can get depending on these pathways (specifically the ones at the end of the game), so it does allow for a good amount of replay value for those that want to get the most out of the game.
So yeah, it has a good amount going for it, but as you have probably thought at this point, there isn’t really anything too standout from other titles of the time in terms of content. With that in mind, is there anything to like and admire about Joe & Mac compared to others? Well, yeah, I would definitely say so. Not only is the gameplay itself fun, and experimenting with the weapons is satisfying, especially with charged shots, but like I mentioned earlier, this game has a lot of personality. Not only are the enemies and bosses full of life and variety, despite them all being creatures we have seen before, but Joe & Mac themselves are extremely expressive, having plenty of different animations for getting hurt, attacking, moving, and grabbing items, even with the health bar icon in the top left of the screen. Sure, it isn’t much, but considering how not too many other games at the time had varying expressions for their characters, this was admirable to see, and they still hold up very well.
Of course, it isn’t perfect. Like I said, for the most part, the gameplay is your standard 2D platforming affair, so if you are looking for something different from your old-school platformer, you aren’t going to get that here. Not to mention, the levels themselves are pretty damn short, which I wouldn’t necessarily complain about for a game released in this year, but then you notice that they placed checkpoints in these levels for when you die, when they REALLY didn’t need to be there at all. Although, with that being said, it kinda makes sense for later down the line, because OH SHIT, who is that behind the curtain? Why, it’s our good old friend, arcade syndrome! God, I really didn’t miss you. Yeah, you get it at this point, lots of enemies thrown at you at once, not too much breathing room, but thankfully this time around, it isn’t as bad or overwhelming as something like Wonder Boy in Monster Land, so that is better, at least.
Overall, while it isn’t anything too special, it is still a pretty decent platformer from Data East, and a pretty solid start to what would be a short lived series for the company. If you ever needed to kill 30 minutes, and you have a friend along for the ride, there would certainly be plenty of worse options to waste your time with. Let’s just hope that, for the next game, it doesn’t change itself too drastically from this original title, while still being very similar, making everything way too confusing. That would just be absurd.
Game #246
I first discovered Joe & Mac a long time ago via the Jontron video about it, and in the good ol’ Mega fashion, I then didn’t get around to playing it until only about three years ago. So, after finally checking it out, was it worth “waiting” that long to play it. I mean… kinda? Sure, it really isn’t anything all that noteworthy, as when you take a look at it, you pretty much know exactly what you are gonna get from it, but for what it is worth, it is still a pretty good game, and a good start to the Joe & Mac series.
The story takes inspiration from Avengers by having multiple girls that needs to be saved (so proud of the “progressive” nature of these stories), the graphics are pretty good, with all the characters and enemies not only looking good, but also having fun and detailed animations to give the game personalities, the music is pretty good, and it vibes with the prehistoric theme smoothly, the control is good, of course, but I won’t lie, moving around and jumping does feel sort of awkward, given how you do the different jumps, and the gameplay is your standard arcade platforming affair, but that doesn’t make it bad in the slightest.
The game is your average 2D platformer, where you move through various prehistoric levels, defeating all sorts of cavemen, dinosaurs, and what have you, getting various foods and weapons along the way to give you an advantage against the challenges, and fighting various bosses as well. Alongside all of that, there are also plenty of different routes that you can take while going through the levels, with paths you can only experience if you go one way over the other, and there are three endings that you can get depending on these pathways (specifically the ones at the end of the game), so it does allow for a good amount of replay value for those that want to get the most out of the game.
So yeah, it has a good amount going for it, but as you have probably thought at this point, there isn’t really anything too standout from other titles of the time in terms of content. With that in mind, is there anything to like and admire about Joe & Mac compared to others? Well, yeah, I would definitely say so. Not only is the gameplay itself fun, and experimenting with the weapons is satisfying, especially with charged shots, but like I mentioned earlier, this game has a lot of personality. Not only are the enemies and bosses full of life and variety, despite them all being creatures we have seen before, but Joe & Mac themselves are extremely expressive, having plenty of different animations for getting hurt, attacking, moving, and grabbing items, even with the health bar icon in the top left of the screen. Sure, it isn’t much, but considering how not too many other games at the time had varying expressions for their characters, this was admirable to see, and they still hold up very well.
Of course, it isn’t perfect. Like I said, for the most part, the gameplay is your standard 2D platforming affair, so if you are looking for something different from your old-school platformer, you aren’t going to get that here. Not to mention, the levels themselves are pretty damn short, which I wouldn’t necessarily complain about for a game released in this year, but then you notice that they placed checkpoints in these levels for when you die, when they REALLY didn’t need to be there at all. Although, with that being said, it kinda makes sense for later down the line, because OH SHIT, who is that behind the curtain? Why, it’s our good old friend, arcade syndrome! God, I really didn’t miss you. Yeah, you get it at this point, lots of enemies thrown at you at once, not too much breathing room, but thankfully this time around, it isn’t as bad or overwhelming as something like Wonder Boy in Monster Land, so that is better, at least.
Overall, while it isn’t anything too special, it is still a pretty decent platformer from Data East, and a pretty solid start to what would be a short lived series for the company. If you ever needed to kill 30 minutes, and you have a friend along for the ride, there would certainly be plenty of worse options to waste your time with. Let’s just hope that, for the next game, it doesn’t change itself too drastically from this original title, while still being very similar, making everything way too confusing. That would just be absurd.
Game #246