Joe & Mac

Also known as:  Joe & Mac: Tatakae Genshijin (Japan), Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja (Europe)

Developer: Data East

I don't think that too many people would put Joe & Mac in the same conversation as Super Mario World, but it's a decent little platformer in its own right. Controlling either Joe (green hair) or Mac (blue hair), your goal is to traverse to the other end of the level that you started from, and then battle some sort of prehistoric boss fight at the end of each level, and get embraced by some sort of cave hussy after the boss is defeated. Honestly, Joe & Mac is simply just a decent game. It's nothing that's going to blow you away, though. It feels like a game that does what it needs to in order to make a decent, average game, but doesn't really go above and beyond in any aspect to really make it memorable. The game controls just fine, some of the enemies are well-designed and nice to look at…the level design and boss fights might have benefited from a little more creativity, but as I said before, it's fine for what it is. If you've played through just about every critically acclaimed 2D platformer and are looking for something else, then give Joe & Mac a try. It's probably not going to wow you, but I'm sure you'll find something to enjoy here regardless.

Review added: 01/23/2023