Data East's classic arcade game, Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja, was recently delisted from consoles and Steam due to expired licenses. New Joe & Mac is still available, but that's a full remake rather than a truly classic experience. Thankfully, French publisher Red Art Games (publisher of Sonic Wings Reunion) is on the case. They have just launched a Kickstarter campaign for Joe & Mac Retro Collection, which is planned for current-gen consoles and Steam. The collection will contain the Super NES versions of Joe & Mac, Joe & Mac 2, and Congo's Caper. The Kickstarter ends on July 10.
The original Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja (pictured above) is a classic 2D platformer starring two heroic cavemen who must rescue kidnapped damsels from evil cavemen and gigantic dinosaurs. Gameplay is similar to that of a run-and-gun platformer, with the protagonists wielding a variety of stone-age projectile weapons. The original Joe & Mac is famous for its gigantic, colorful bosses that include dinosaurs, carnivorous plants, mammoths, and more. The Super NES version of Joe & Mac adds new content not found in the arcade game, such as a Super Mario World-style map, redesigned levels, and keys that unlock areas on the map. To learn more, read our Co-op Classics feature.
Both Joe & Mac and Joe & Mac 2 (pictured above) support 2-player local co-op. Congo's Caper is a single-player game. It might not sound like part of the same series, but the Japanese titles indicate that Congo's Caper is the second game of the series and Joe & Mac 2 is the third. All three games are playable through Nintendo Switch Online in the US, but the Retro Collection will be the only way to legally play them on other modern systems.
Features:
- Three classic games from the 16-bit era
- Includes both the Western and uncensored Japanese versions of each title
- Save states have been added to facilitate progress
- Made a mistake? Go back in time by using the Rewind feature
- Optional CRT filter for an even more retro experience
- Joe & Mac 1 and 2 can be played by two players in coop mode
- Customizable aspect ratios
Joe & Mac Retro Collection is planned for Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 5, Switch, and Steam. The Kickstarter campaign ends on Thursday, July 10. Digital copies of the collection cost about $21 through the campaign, and physical copies for PlayStation 5 and Switch are also available for preorder.