ToeJam & Earl is an action video game developed by Johnson Voorsanger
Productions and published by Sega for the Mega Drive video game
console. Released in 1991, it centers on the titular ToeJam and
Earl—alien rappers who have crash-landed on Earth. As they attempt to
escape the planet players assume the role of either character and
collect pieces of their wrecked spacecraft. ToeJam & Earl's design was
heavily influenced by the computer role-playing game Rogue, and took
from it such features as the random generation of levels and items. It
references and parodies 1990s urban culture and is set to a funk
soundtrack. The game was positively received by critics, who praised
its originality, soundtrack, humor and two-player cooperative mode. It
attained sleeper hit status despite low initial sales, and its
protagonists were used as mascots by Sega. ToeJam & Earl was followed
by two sequels: ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron and ToeJam & Earl
III: Mission to Earth, released for the Mega Drive and Xbox,
respectively. The sequels' commercial and critical success was mixed;
research has suggested that series fans favor the original ToeJam &
Earl. The game again received positive reviews in 2006 when re-released
for the Wii's Virtual Console, but certain critics believed that it had
become dated.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ToeJam_%26_Earl>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1790:
George Washington delivered the first ever State of the Union address
in New York City, then the provisional capital of the United States.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Union_address>
1815:
American forces led by General Andrew Jackson defeated the British Army
at the Battle of New Orleans near New Orleans, two weeks after the
United States and United Kingdom signed the Treaty of Ghent to end the
War of 1812.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_New_Orleans>
1956:
Five Evangelical Christian missionaries from the United States were
killed by the Huaorani in the rainforest of Ecuador shortly after
making contact with them.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Auca>
1979:
The oil tanker Betelgeuse exploded at the offshore jetty of the Whiddy
Island Oil Terminal off Bantry Bay, Ireland, killing about 50 people.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betelgeuse_incident>
2004:
RMS Queen Mary 2, at the time the longest, widest and tallest passenger
ship ever built, was christened by her namesake's granddaughter, Queen
Elizabeth II.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary_2>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
asseveration (n):
An earnest affirmation or declaration of support
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/asseveration>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.
--Gerry Spence
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gerry_Spence>