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.

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_______________________________ 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

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asseveration (n): An earnest affirmation or declaration of support http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/asseveration

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