Joe And Mac Come Back In A Retro Collection

Early in the SNES’ life cycle Data East released Joe & Mac, a solid run and gun platformer about two cavemen on a mission to save their prehistoric world. It was based on an arcade game called Caveman Ninja (yes, they’re both cavemen and ninjas, don’t worry about historical inaccuracies in SNES games). Joe and Mac had a much longer life on consoles than in the arcade, spawning two sequels (though one is more of a spinoff). Congo’s Caper would retain the same gameplay but star a separate character, the half-human half-monkey Congo. The original caveman ninjas would return in what was called Joe and Mac 2 in the West and Joe and Mac 3 in Japan…this one added some light RPG mechanics to mix things up, and even what could be considered a dating sim. Red Art Games just announced they’re resurrecting these three titles…fir the first time in decades, they’ll be available on modern consoles as the Joe & Mac Retro Collection. You’ll get both the localized and uncensored Japanese versions of each game, plus modern amenities like save states, CRT filters and a rewind feature. Three classic games from the 16-bit era Includes both the Western and […]
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I remember playing Joe & Mac when I was a kid. My cousin had it on SNES and we used to take turns trying to finish it. I didn’t know there were Japanese versions that were different. That actually makes me more interested in this collection. I also never got to play Congo’s Caper or the sequel with RPG elements, so this seems like a good chance to catch up on all three games. The rewind and save state features are helpful for players like me who don’t have as much time to retry levels over and over. I’ve tried older games without those features and it can be frustrating. If they can get this on Switch or Steam, I’ll definitely think about supporting the crowdfunding. I don’t usually back campaigns, but this one feels worth it. It’s cool to see older games come back with extra attention to how players experience them now.

Giving people access to both the Western and Japanese versions is important for game history. So many games were changed in localization, and most people never got the chance to play the original versions. Including things like save states and rewind doesn’t ruin the experience, it just makes it more accessible. And being able to turn on CRT filters? That’s a nice touch for people who want the old TV feeling. I’ve always felt Joe & Mac had unique charm, especially with the strange humor and fun animations. If they’re treating these games with care and not just throwing them on a disc, I’d be happy to support the project. I’ll be checking the campaign page as soon as it’s up.

I’ve never played Joe & Mac before, but this article made me curious. I usually don’t like difficult old games, so the save state and rewind tools are really good news for someone like me. Also, I love when two-player options are included. I could see myself playing this with my brother on a weekend. The dating sim idea in the third game sounds really funny—I didn’t expect that in a caveman game. If the price is fair and the crowdfunding gives good rewards, I will think about supporting it. I like to try new things, and these retro collections are a nice way to learn about game history while still having fun.

It’s interesting that they’re offering both versions of each game. I wonder how different the uncensored Japanese ones are. Sometimes it’s just small changes, but sometimes it reveals a completely different tone. The fact that they’re adding CRT filters and aspect ratio options tells me they care about presentation. This is important for retro games because modern displays don’t show them the way they were originally designed. Also, the save state and rewind features are standard now, but I’m glad they didn’t skip them. My only concern is performance—will they run smoothly on all platforms? If they’re emulated well and the crowdfunding goal includes stretch features like extra content or a physical release, I’ll probably support it. I enjoy these projects when the developers take time to do them right.