Man, I don’t know what it was about the early 90s, but there was a fascination in entertainment media with cavemen for a while.  In movies you got stuff like Encino Man and the live action Flintstones movie for instance.  It was especially apparent in video games.  There were mascot platformers like Bonk, Chuck Rock, and Prehistorik Man.  Joe and Mac was another one.  They first starred in an arcade game called Caveman Ninjas, but then had several console games afterward.  This collection has three of those console outings.  They’re all 2D platformers with colorful visuals and expressive animations.  It may not seem like much now, but back then those cartoony graphics really set them apart from the rest of the pack.  Anyway, Joe & Mac Retro Collection is available on most current consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.

The three games on here are all from the Super Nintendo, which is my favorite console.  I feel like the controls on these would’ve been better with an original SNES controller.  I know they make one for the Switch but I don’t have it.  I could’ve sworn some of these were also on the NSO SNES service, but maybe they’re not.  Like all good game collections, they let you toggle all sorts of options for screen size and graphic displays, borders, sound, HUD displays, and more.  You can also view artwork and music and such.  I love the rewind feature since a lot of these games were tougher back then and I don’t have as much patience now.  Anyway let’s take a look at the games on this collection.

Joe & Mac

The first game is loosely based on the arcade game.  Some of the stages are changed a bit, as some are a little longer now.  You have a map screen, too.  Two players can play at the same time.  You can run, jump, and hit enemies with your club.  Pick up long distance throwing weapons like bones, boomerangs, and fire.  The wheel is the best weapon, so hold onto that when you can.  Know that you can ride on enemies heads and do a high jump by pressing up and jump.  The stages are short, but that’s because the highlight of this game are the boss fights against giant dinosaurs.  Your job is to save all the cavewomen who have been captured by enemy cavemen.  I rented this game back in the day and I know I beat it.

Congo’s Caper

At first glance you wouldn’t think this is a Joe & Mac game.  It has a prehistoric theme and some of the dinosaur bosses are similar, but that’s it.  But in Japan, this game is called Joe & Mac 2, and the third game that we got as Joe & Mac 2 is called Joe & Mac 3 there.  Also in US Joe & Mac 2, there is a picture of the main character from this game in one of the huts, so maybe this is a prequel?  I don’t think they were too invested in Joe & Mac lore back then, so best not to think about it too much. Anyway, in this game, a bunch of monkeys are hanging around when two red orbs fall from the sky.  They make two of the monkeys evolve into cavepeople, a boy and a girl.  But the girl gets captured by a little demon, so it’s up to the caveboy to stop them.  The game plays similarly to Joe & Mac titles.  You can run and jump and hit enemies with your club.  Press up and jump to go higher.  You can stun enemies with one hit and roll them around and ride on their heads.  Controls are tighter, but the graphics aren’t as expressive as in the other Joe & Mac games.  If you get hit, you get turned back into a monkey.  Get hit as a monkey and you lose a life.  Grab a red orb to turn back into a caveman.  What you want to do is get three red orbs in a row, because when you do, you’ll turn into a super caveman that flashes and can jump really high, glide down by pressing the jump button, and you can take even more hits before reverting back.  The game is a bit derivative, but it’s still fun.

Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics

They go back to the basics with this one as you play as Joe & Mac again.  The sprites are even bigger and more detailed here.  This game adds more adventure elements like a world map, sprawling levels, and items you can buy in villages.  A bad caveman has stolen the chief’s crown so Joe & Mac are back to save the day.  One thing I like is that when you eat meat items, not only do you restore your energy, but you can now spit out a few bones as projectile weapons.  You can do this with other things like water.

And those are all the games.  Honestly the only complaint I have is that I wish they had ALL the old Joe & Mac games.  The arcade game is a little different, and the SEGA Genesis version is based more on that arcade game than the SNES version. And the NES version is also different, too.  There was another arcade game called Joe & Mac Returns that plays like a single screen Bubble Bobble style arcade game.  I never played it, but it looks like a reskinned version of another Data East game called Tumble Pop.  A few years ago I reviewed New Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja but that wasn’t very good and not considered retro anyway. Also I think they could’ve done better explaining certain gameplay aspects of these titles.   But aside from that, I’m always thrilled to play some SNES games I didn’t play to death back in the day.

Kid Factor:

Joe & Mac Retro Collection is rated T for Teen with an ESRB descriptor of Violence.  You bonk enemies with clubs and other weapons and they just make silly faces and fall over and disappear when defeated.  I’m surprised they didn’t get an ESRB descriptor of Suggestive Themes with all those scantily clad cave women you have to save.  I’d be OK with kids younger than teens playing this because the violence is no worse than a Looney Tunes cartoon.  Reading skill is helpful for the text, though.

Tags: Game Reviews