New Joe & Mac - Caveman Ninja

Welcome to the land of quirky cavemen with their clubs, snarls, and dinosaurs. A really fun 2D platformer, and the 2022 update of a hit arcade game. Suitable for all ages thanks to its many difficulty options. Kids will love it straight away! 2-player mode is even more fun.

Sometimes the old ways are still the best. Need proof? Well, here's another co-op arcade classic that left its mark on an entire generation of gamers, starring a Neanderthal duo who were using their clubs to bludgeon anything that moved all the way back in 1991: New Joe & Mac.

This release is a remaster – or rather a remake – brought to you by M. Nutz Studio, the same developers behind Toki and the fantastic Asterix & Obelix: Slap them All! New Joe & Mac even features artwork by the talented Philippe Dessoly!

Our favourite part? The cartoon graphics and amazing 2D backgrounds that remain true to the original game.

For anyone out there who didn't spend stacks of 10p pieces playing the arcade original, here's a recap: New Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja is a co-op platformer (even though you can still have a shot in single player). Each player controls a somewhat dense prehistoric man: Joe, with the green hair, or Mac, with the blue. Over the course of the horizontally- and vertically-scrolling levels, you'll be taking out dinosaurs and the nasty Neanderthals who have kidnapped your wives. Joe and Mac can jump and shoot, using weapons collected form eggs (just watch out: some eggs are booby-trapped!). Every time you die, you lose your weapon and start again with your default club. But any weapon is good as long as it gets the job done. However, only the "stone wheel" lets you run the bad guys over.

Our tip to help you on your way? It's worth finishing the game twice, as it features branching paths. Indeed, you'll regularly be asked to choose between two different levels (A or B). We'd recommend taking route A the first time you play, so that you can get used to the gameplay and all its subtleties.

We liked the Extended mode where the original levels have been remixed to make them a bit longer. It's similar to the NES version of the game.

As for the gameplay, it's easy to just pick up and play, but it does remain true to original level of difficulty. That means it's hard, and a real baptism of fire! As hard as the life of a Cro-Magnon.

In short, you'll be starving to death... All the time.

Each hero has the usual life bar, but it's not just damage that causes it to deplete. It's also a hunger gauge that is steadily falling, but there's a solution at hand if you're to see the end of the level: pick up the chickens and fruit dropped by your defeated enemies and keep your stomach satisfied. Otherwise, it's certain death. Fans of Die & Retry games will love it.

The three lives and three credits you get at the start won't last long, and the temporary game saves die with you. Once you see that "Game Over" screen, you'll have to start again from the beginning.

A demanding game for gamers who don’t mind dying quite a bit!