Cold Season Cure: ToeJam & EaRL

With midterms over, Julia finally has a chance to sit back and take in the full flare of fall. Sadly, this flare comes with a head-cold. So I found the perfect remedy: ToeJam and Earl for Sega Genesis.

It's working!

Not to be confused with Earl Grey tea, ToeJam and Earl is a two player cooperative game where you goof around with presents in a surreal landscape. It's as if the universes of Marvin the Martian, Ren & Stimpy and Roberto Matta intersected with hip hop on my 5th grade wallpaper. And it really will cure the common cold!

Health Benefits:
It's non-competitive. So much so that when Julia and I walk up to one another in the game, our characters give a high-five. Virtual high-fives are a great way to avoid spreading germs.

It's fun. Much of the fun comes from bizarre interactions between ToeJam, Earl and a strange crowd of cherubs, mad scientists, hula dancers and bees. I find myself less concerned with completing a level, than making Earl do a goofy dance that makes Julia laugh.

It's widely available. For those bleakest cases unable to leave their homes, you can find this game within the radius of your wireless signal. To play ToeJam and Earl on your computer, you just need a Sega Genesis emulator program and the ToeJam and Earl ROM file. If you're on MacOS you can download them both here:

Disclaimer: Now I'm not normally one to go for video games, but in the name of health, I'll do whatever it takes. Period.