ToeJam & Earl

The selling point of ToeJam & Earl in 1991 was how thoroughly strange it was, and that’s a feature that hasn’t aged a day. It stars rapping aliens evading tomato-launching chickens and phantom ice cream trucks by using collected presents containing anything from rocket skates to rose bushes – and that’s barely scratching the surface. For once, the word “random” legitimately applies, because the game is also a roguelike that relies heavily on chance and mystery items. It actually feels like a predecessor to other oddball exploration titles like LSD and Yume Nikki. Like those games, it suffers from sluggish movement and a garish and primitive visual style. Its inclusion of actual gameplay also adds numerous chance-based frustrations and some decidedly annoying enemies. However, these problems are balanced by the convenience and hilarity of two-player co-op and a fittingly infectious soundtrack.