To some of you, toejam is little more than an Americanism for the icky black stuff that can be found residing in the nooks and crannies of feet that haven't seen a bath for a while. But to others, ToeJam was the three-legged rapping alien that alongside partner Big Earl was a surprise success on the Sega Mega Drive some 10 years ago.

The original game saw the two aliens scurrying around earth searching for parts to fix their crashed spaceship so they could return to their home planet of Funkotron. It was a refreshingly different style of platform game rammed with off-the-wall humour, a great soundtrack, an original story and, most importantly, a style that was all of its own.

The sequel, Panic On Funkotron, saw the two having to capture stowaway Earthlings that had hitched a lift on their return journey to Funkotron. It was the same zany collect-'em-all platform recipe, but it was still funny so nobody cared and everybody loved it.

But like most successful double acts, the hapless duo eventually got put out to pasture as popularity shifted to the Next Big Thing. And poor old TJ&E were soon consigned to the Sega hall of fame alongside Wonder Boy and James Pond. But with this new outing, the boys once again step up to the mike and state their case. The question is, are we still listening? If there were such a thing as the Ten Commandments of gaming, then written in stone just underneath "Thou shall not make poor quality licence conversions" would be the mantra that platform games need an original approach if they want to be a success.

Through no fault of its own, the genre just doesn't have the immediacy of first person shooters or beat-'em ups. Nor does it have the excitement of driving games or the competitiveness of sports titles. As a consequence, platform titles need to work hard to get gamers' respect. Characters need to be original and engaging. Gameplay needs to be as varied as possible. And each title needs its own unique hook to reel us punters in.

Mario had the imagination and playability, Sonic had the speed and the crazy tracks, and Blinx had the innovative time control feature. So what can ToeJam And Earl offer us in their new instalment ToeJam And Earl III: Mission To Earth?

In a nutshell: Playability, humour, a fun 2-player mode, downloadable content and a shining example of how an old dog that may not know many new tricks can still be good fun to have around if his coat gets a polish.

If you're new to the TJ&E universe then the storyline is a good indication of the kind of game you'll be getting yourself into. Lamont, the Funkapotomus and source of all funk in the known universe, is missing the twelve albums of funk. ToeJam, Earl and new female character Latisha are sent to Earth to hunt down the missing LPs. During their quest, they encounter a disturbance in the funk caused by their arch enemy, the Anti-Funk - the evil mastermind behind the missing albums.

The game is of the 3D "collect-'em all" variety and is split into multiple game zones, each with a different environment such as a desert zone and a snow zone. The maps are a collection of aerial islands that can often be traversed via bridges or teleports. To unlock zones you have to win Gate Battles that either involve battling an anti-funk villain or completing a typically wacky objective like funkifying giant chickens.

In order to enter a Gate Battle you need to have a certain number of microphones, which are only available by successfully completing missions, of which there's a handful in each zone. Missions (that also tend to involve either collecting or unlocking things) can be accessed by collecting keys, which can be found in each general zone area and are also earned from the missions themselves.

Sound confusing? It's not really, as the items you need to collect are often very clearly displayed, even when there's a lot happening on screen. But what can be mind-boggling is the number of presents you have at your disposal. Presents can be collected or bought, and act as tools to help you on your quest. As the game progresses, you will collect dozens of different types of present that can be selected from a menu option and are often a ton of fun to use.

But what makes TJ&E feel unique is its style. From the gospel choir cutscenes that mask the loading times and harmonise the forthcoming mission objectives, to the sandwich board clad muscle-man who berates you for not beefing up the game with downloadable content via Xbox Live - TJ&E III has a very strong personality. In fact, it's something approaching a cross between Ali G and James Brown on laughing gas, as the humour is all "a'ight" or "feel the funk". And with strong personalities everywhere, you'll either love or loathe them. Graphically, TJ&E is very pleasing to the eye. The textures are highly detailed and are complemented by atmospheric lighting that accurately reflects time passing from day to night - which brings out a whole host of different bad guys to deal with. The game is filled with nice touches and the multi coloured reflection of a sunrise over a frozen lake in the snowy zone is an example of how this old-fashioned game has been given a proper next-generation polishing.

Handling is very intuitive, with an independent camera that can be used via the Right thumbstick. The two-player option works well, with both characters sharing the same screen when in close proximity and then switching to split-screen when further apart.

But the experience, though generally enjoyable, stumbles over the old hurdle of gameplay repetition. The variety of presents, different characters and enemies, and the overall TJ&E style can't fully camouflage the repetitive mission objectives. It may be a little unavoidable in this genre, but you'll find that after a while it all starts to become a little too similar.

But the repetition isn't a game-breaker and doesn't stop this from shining as an enjoyable and highly playable platformer. Looking for innovation? Look elsewhere. But looking for a stylish and playable platform game? Let ToeJam and Earl funk you up.

1. Highly playable
2. Very funny and stylish
3. Lots to do
4. Great presents to play with

1. Can get repetitive
2. And sometimes too simple

Power
Visually very detailed with some excellent textures and lighting effects.

Style
More style than a catwalk collection, and more "Street Cool" than a Nelly video.

Immersion
Good controls makes the game enjoyable, but hours won't fly by in minutes.

Lifespan
Stretched as much as the genre will allow thanks to a cool 2-player mode and Xbox Live downloads.

Summary
A very enjoyable platformer for both newbies and veterans alike. But only if you've got a sense of humour.