Joe And Mac 2 Player Super Game
The Japanese title makes sense, since Congo's Caper was Tatakae Genshijin 2 over there, but the change from Joe & Mac 2 to Joe & Mac 3 is a bit more puzzling (unless they were counting Joe & Mac Returns as 'Joe & Mac 2', which came out almost at the same time). Shout-Out: Upon defeating one of the bosses, your player will pump a fist in the air.
- As far as two player fun goes, this is my favorite SNES games. My wife and I can just sit and play this together for an hour. You play one of the two cavemen, Joe or Mac, and the mission is to rescue the 'cave babes' that all the Neanderthals scared off.
- Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics (released in Europe as Joe & Mac 3: Lost in the Tropics) is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game and a sequel to Joe & Mac.The object of the game is to defeat Neanderthals with two caveman ninja heroes along with dinosaurs and huge level bosses.
- Since I played the first Joe & Mac adventure back in Super Nintendo's early days, I admit I wasn't too excited to hear about this sequel. Not that the first game was bad - it was just a fairly ho-hum side-scroller. But Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics throws a little spice into.
- Joe & Mac, also known as Caveman Ninja and Caveman Ninja: Joe & Mac, is a 1991 platform game released for the arcades by Data East. It was later adapted for the Super NES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Amiga, Zeebo, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Joe & Mac | |
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Developer(s) | Data East (Arcade & SNES) Elite Systems (NES & PC) Eden Entertainment Software (MD/Genesis) Motivetime (Game Boy & Amiga) Flying Tiger Development (Nintendo Switch) Onan Games (Zeebo) |
Publisher(s) | Data East (Japan & North America Arcade & Nintendo console versions) Takara (Genesis version) New World Computing (North America PC version) Elite Systems (North American Amiga version), (Europe all versions) Motivetime Ltd. (Amiga) Tec Toy (Brazil Mega Drive version) Flying Tiger Development (Nintendo Switch) G-Mode (Zeebo) |
Composer(s) | Seiichi Hamada Seiji Momoi Seiji Yamanaka Matt Furniss (MD/GEN) Mark Cooksey (GB/NES) |
Platform(s) | Arcade, Super NES, Genesis, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Amiga, MS-DOS, Zeebo, Nintendo Switch |
Release | 1991 (arcade, PC, SNES) 1992 (Amiga) December 1992 (NES) April 1993 (Game Boy) 1994 (MD/Genesis) |
Genre(s) | Platform |
Mode(s) | Single-player or Two-player |
Joe & Mac,[a] also known as Caveman Ninja and Caveman Ninja: Joe & Mac,[1] is a 1991 platform game released for arcades by Data East.[2] It was later adapted for the Super NES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Amiga, Zeebo, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Gameplay[edit]
The game stars the green-haired Joe and the blue-haired Mac, cavemen who battle through numerous prehistoric levels using weapons such as boomerangs, bones, fire, flints, electricity, stone wheels, and clubs. The objective of the game is to rescue a group of women who were kidnapped by a rival tribe of cavemen. The game features a health system by which the player loses health over a period of time, apart from during boss battles.[3] A two-player mode is available, and in some versions both characters are capable of damaging each other.
The original arcade version and Amiga, Mega Drive/Genesis, MS-DOS and Zeebo ports have the distinction of allowing the player to select between different routes at the end of boss battles. Also, after defeating the final boss, the players can choose between three exits – each one leading to a slightly different ending sequence.
Ports[edit]
The game has been ported to various systems, some of which drop the name Caveman Ninja, referring to the game simply as Joe & Mac.
A Super NES version was developed and published in 1991 by Data East.[4] In December 1992, a version for the NES was released. It was developed by Elite Systems and published by Data East.[5] A Game Boy version, released in North America and the United Kingdom in April 1993,[6][7] was developed by Motivetime and was also published by Data East.[8] Finally, in late 1993, another version was developed by Eden Entertainment Software and published by Takara for the Sega Genesis and TecToy for the Brazilian Mega Drive in early 1994.[9]
The Mega Drive/Genesis version is considered a close match to the arcade version.[10] The Super NES version is a reworked game which features an overworld map used to choose the levels (unlike in other versions where all of them have to be played), which were longer, plus some bonus stages (either in the levels or out in the world map). Some of the weapons are missing and can no longer be charged up. The final boss is also different, and there are only two endings. The NES and Game Boy versions lack the option of choosing levels or endings. Both feature variants of the arcade boss.
The Japanese version of the game includes a beginning scene in which cavemen enter a hut and emerge while dragging cavewomen by their hair. The scene was removed from the US release, with Data East stating, 'We didn't want kids to see [the Japanese display] and think it was okay.'[11]
Reception[edit]
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The One reviewed the arcade version of Caveman Ninja in 1991, calling it 'A cutesie 'jumpy-jumpy' game which uses some good graphics and neat comic touches to overcome the unoriginal gameplay', recommending it as being 'worth a try'.[18]
Skyler Miller of AllGame criticized the NES version for its 'unresponsive controls,' writing that, 'Jumping and simultaneously throwing your weapon, an important move, is often hard to perform.' Miller also wrote, 'Although the graphics are above average for the NES, they vary from level to level.'[5]GamePro wrote that the NES version was colorful but that the graphics 'are prehistoric,' criticizing the 'flat backgrounds and sprites'. GamePro also criticized the music, described as 'rock-splitting clinks and clanks.'[19]
Super Play praised the SNES version for its colorful graphics, but also wrote, 'The snag is that there isn't a lot to hold your interest. [..] the appeal starts to flag after a few minutes. The collision detection is annoying as well, tending to give baddies the benefit of the doubt in any clash of heads. I'm afraid this, coupled with the awkward controls, soon saw me adopting a 'couldn't care less' attitude towards the game.'[17]
Brett Alan Weiss of AllGame praised the Genesis version's graphics and sound effects, and wrote, 'This game features some of the best music ever on a 16-bit system.' Weiss criticized the game's two-player mode, writing, 'With two players, you might help each other out of a jam from time to time, but you also slow each other down.'[9]Sega Visions praised the Genesis version's 'bright colors and bouncy sounds,' but criticized its controls.[10]GamePro, reviewing the Genesis version, noted similarities to the SNES version and praised the 'entertaining' two-player mode. However, the magazine concluded, 'It's fun, but this style of game is gradually going the way of the dinosaur.'[20]
British television program Bad Influence! gave the SNES version 4 out of 5.[15] Tony Dillon of CU Amiga wrote that the game 'is a lot of fun to play. Not as complete or polished as Zool, but still a great platform game. Controls are responsive, the graphics are good and the sampled sound is excellent, but I couldn't help feeling that in these times of epic Amiga games, this one is just a little too limited.'[15]
Huw Melliar-Smith of Amiga Action wrote that the animation of the game's enemies 'is pretty good. Not spectacular, but good nonetheless. As Joe & Mac are the focus of attention, perhaps a little more effort might have gone into their creation.' Melliar-Smith praised the multiplayer option as being superior to single-player mode, and also complimented the sound effects, but called the music 'repetitive and not particularly creative.' Melliar-Smith also criticized the unresponsive controls, writing, 'It is the gameplay that is most disappointing.'[12] Dave Paget of Amiga Format praised its 'clear graphics and well-drawn backdrops,' but wrote that the game 'is a bit shallow, your cavemen amble along and the levels are linear and allow no exploration.'[13]
David Upchurch of The One Amiga called the plot and gameplay 'uninspired.' Upchurch also wrote, 'The colour palettes are garish, and it's often hard to pick out the sprites from the backgrounds. Worse still, everything's so sluggish - the so-called Ninjas amble around like they've been drugged and getting them to do anything quickly (pretty essential for a game like this) is near-impossible. Difficulty-wise, it's paradoxically very hard and very easy.' Upchurch criticized the unresponsive controls, but praised the sound.[16]
Stuart Campbell of Amiga Power criticized the game for using 'the kind of options screen that you'd have to be a professional semaphore operator to penetrate. I had to spend almost five minutes reading the manual just to work out how to select which of the two pointlessly-complicated joystick modes I wanted to use [..] and I still haven't quite got to grips with how to toggle the music and sound effects.' Campbell also criticized the game for 'some of the cheap 'n' nastiest-looking graphics seen on the Amiga in recent memory.' Campbell criticized the game's poor control system and its 'fairly short and tedious' levels, and concluded that the game was 'a lump of crap.'[14]
Total! gave the Game Boy version 75%, praising the graphics, but criticizing the collision detection. The magazine also criticized the backgrounds, which caused the main character of Joe to blend into the environment, creating confusion regarding his location.[7]Nintendo Power positively wrote about the Game Boy version, 'Good graphics and animation rival those of the NES and Super NES versions,' but negatively wrote, 'Background blur while walking is severe, making it difficult to see approaching enemies.'[6]
Legacy[edit]
The game was followed by various sequels. The Japanese version of the SNES game Congo's Caper was presented as a sequel called Tatakae Genshijin 2: Rookie no Bōken and featured a new protagonist. The title duo would later return in Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics, which added light role-playing aspects to the series. An arcade sequel titled Joe & Mac Returns eschewed the scrolling action of the original games in favor of gameplay similar to another Data East series, Tumblepop.
Joe and Mac appear in a German Mario comic, titled Super Mario: Verloren in der Zeit.
Possible reboot[edit]
In November 2009, Golgoth Studio announced plans to reboot the Joe & Mac series, following their completion of a Toki remake.[21] No further information has been released as of 2018.
Notes[edit]
- ^Known in Japan as Joe & Mac: Caveman Combat (Japanese: ジョー&マック 戦え原始人, Hepburn: Jō ando Makku: Tatakae Genshijin)
References[edit]
- ^'[1].' AtGames. Retrieved on April 19, 2019.
- ^Caveman Ninja at the Killer List of Videogames
- ^'[2].' Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved on August 04, 2012.
- ^'Joe & Mac (SNES) Overview'. AllGame. Archived November 14, 2014.
- ^ abc'Joe & Mac (NES) Review'. Skyler Miller. AllGame. Archived November 16, 2014.
- ^ ab'Joe & Mac'. Nintendo Power. Nintendo of America. April 1993. pp. 64–67, 106. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
- ^ abc'Joe 'n' Mac (Game Boy)'. Total!. February 1993. p. 61. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^'Joe & Mac (Game Boy) Overview'. AllGame. Archived November 14, 2014.
- ^ abc'Joe & Mac (Genesis) review'. Brett Alan Weiss, AllGame.
- ^ ab'Joe and Mac'. Sega Visions. February 1994. p. 82. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^Strauss, Bob (April 10, 1992). 'Japanese video games get tailored for the States'. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- ^ abMelliar-Smith, Huw (February 1993). 'Joe & Mac Caveman Ninja'. Amiga Action. Europress: 26–27.
- ^ abPaget, Dave (February 1993). 'Joe and Mac: Caveman Ninja'. Amiga Format. Future plc. p. 89. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
- ^ abCampbell, Stuart (February 1993). 'Joe & Mac Caveman Ninja'. Amiga Power. Future plc: 69.
- ^ abcDillon, Tony (December 1992). 'Joe & Mac Caveman Ninja'. CU Amiga. EMAP. p. 56. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
- ^ abUpchurch, David (February 1993). 'Joe & Mac Caveman Ninja'. The One Amiga. EMAP: 54–55.
- ^ ab'Joe and Mac (SNES) review'. Super Play (November 1992).
- ^Cook, John (April 1991). 'Arcades: Caveman Ninja'. The One. No. 31. emap Images. p. 87.
- ^'Nintendo Pro Review: Joe & Mac (NES)'. GamePro. May 1993. p. 40. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
- ^'Joe & Mac (Genesis)'. GamePro. March 1994. p. 54. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
- ^'Golgoth to resurrect 'Joe & Mac' series' Mark Langshaw, www.DigitalSpy.com (November 7, 2009). Retrieved January 4, 2015.
External links[edit]
- Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja at MobyGames
- Caveman Ninja at the Killer List of Videogames
- Joe & Mac Returns at the Killer List of Videogames
Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics | |
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Developer(s) | Data East |
Publisher(s) |
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Composer(s) | Tatsuya Kiuchi[1] |
Platform(s) | Super NES |
Release |
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Genre(s) | |
Mode(s) | Single-player Multiplayer[1] |
Joe And Mac 2 Player Super Game Download
Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics,[a] known in the PAL region as Joe & Mac 3: Lost in the Tropics, is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game and a sequel to Joe & Mac. It is the follow-up to Congo's Caper, the second game in the series.[4]
Gameplay[edit]
A caveman named Gork has stolen the crown belonging to the Chief of Kali Village, and it's up to the player to retrieve it by using the seven rainbow stones that he will receive in the story.[1]
The object of the game is to defeat Neanderthals with two caveman ninja heroes along with dinosaurs and huge level bosses. Each player controls either Joe or Mac with limited lives and continues. Players can also choose to fall in love with a girlfriend in their Stone Age village; giving her flowers and meat as presents. Once the player gets married, he gets to father a child. Stone wheels are the official currency in the game and players can replay levels in order to get more stone wheels. An overhead free roam map offers a chance for players to select their level like they were playing a console role-playing game. The action-packed levels are in side view.[1][4]
Boss enemies include Stegosaurus, Pteranodon, Triceratops, Elasmosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus. After defeating each boss, the player will earn one of the rainbow stones. During the game, friendly creatures such as Pteranodon, Styracosaurus and Plesiosaurus will give the player a ride.
The game features six levels, including a valley, a jungle, a snowy mountain range, a swamp, and a volcano. In the final level, the player must defeat each of the boss enemies a second time before battling Gork. When Gork is defeated, he gains power from the crown and turns into a warthog demon. When Gork is defeated a second time, the player will earn the crown and end the game.
Ports[edit]
Good multiplayer games on mac. Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics has been re-released on at least two different occasions since its original incarnation.
In late 2017, it was part of a compilation cartridge by Retro-Bit for the Super Nintendo titled Data East Joe & Mac: Ultimate Caveman Collection which also includes the SNES version of Joe & Mac and Congo's Caper.[5] Like other cartridges that came after the console's lifespan, the compilation was not licensed by Nintendo, but was nonetheless authorized by the copyright holder of the game G-Mode.
Since September 5, 2019, the game is available on the Switch Online service for the Nintendo Switch.[6][7]
Reception[edit]
GamePro gave the game a moderately positive review, commenting that 'If you already like Joe and his buddy Mac, you'll like 'em even more after playing this long, colorful game.'[8] In 2011, IGN listed the game as number 61 on their list of the top 100 SNES video games.[9]
Notes[edit]
- ^Known in Japan as Caveman Combat 3: The Protagonists Are Joe & Mac Again (戦え原始人3 主役はやっぱり ジョー&マック, Tatakae Genshinjin Surī: Shuyaku wa Yappari Jō to Makku)[3]
Joe And Mac Game Online
References[edit]
Joe And Mac 2 Player Super Game Play
- ^ abcd'Story overview/additional release information'. MobyGames. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
- ^'Release information'. GameFAQs. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
- ^'Japanese-English title translation'. SuperFamicom.org. Retrieved 2012-07-28.
- ^ ab'Advanced story overview'. Hard Core Gaming 101. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
- ^https://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/308554/JOIN_THE_RETRO_REVIVAL.php
- ^https://www.polygon.com/2019/9/4/20850054/nintendo-switch-online-snes-games-controller-nintendo-direct
- ^https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/nes/
- ^'ProReview: Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics'. GamePro (58). IDG. May 1994. p. 74.
- ^'Top 100 Super Nintendo (SNES) Video Games – Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics'. IGN. 2011. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
External links[edit]
- Tatakae Genshijin 3 - Shuyaku ha Yappari - Joe & Mac at superfamicom.org
- 戦え原始人3 / Tatakae Genshijin 3 at super-famicom.jp (in Japanese)