when i was 12 years old, my sister and i bought a sega genesis. i begged and pleaded for a copy of Toejam & Earl for christmas that year, to the degree that my mom said if i brought it up one more time i’d never get it. 😅

she did buy it for me in the end, at the astronomical cost of $100 CAD (in 1991 dollars - a LOT of money back then)

my sister and i played it to death in co-op mode, and it became the game that we still talk about 30+ years later. i wouldn’t even realize it was my first roguelike until my late 20s.

ten years ago i stumbled upon this underwatched interview with Toejam & Earl co-designer greg johnson. and i see that it is still criminally underviewed.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xiakIFY5gBw

greg does something i’ve never seen before: he asks the interviewer dozens of questions about what makes the game fun to play, what would make it more enjoyable, and how he thinks the game could be improved.

it inverts a traditional game designer interview into a thoughtful, fascinating insight into player-led design. even if you’re not into computer games at all, greg’s insightful questions are a model for creative thinking in conversation

#sega #retrogaming #gameDesign #roguelikes