Retro gamers across Europe seem to have an affinity for certain classic Japanese-developed games. Here in the UK, Taito’s Bubble Bobble, The New Zealand Story, and Rainbow Islands are cherished thanks to their excellent home conversions for systems such as the C64, ZX Spectrum, and Master System. ’90s Dragon Ball Z games released in and around Spain were hugely popular too, thanks to the anime airing there during prime time. We can only assume French gamers have a passion for Joe & Mac, as publisher Microids recently gave us a remake, and now Paris-based Red Art Games has prepared a new retro collection.
Funded through Kickstarter, Joe & Mac Retro Collection brings together the three SNES/Super Famicom versions, along with a gallery, jukebox, and boss rush mode. There’s a virtual unboxing section too, in which box art, cartridges, and manuals can be opened and examined. All the usual quality-of-life features are present, including save states, a rewind tool, a choice of borders and screen sizes, plus a CRT filter. The UI is colourful and inviting, using original artwork to good effect. I couldn’t fault the emulation either, with each game running smoothly.
For those in need of an introduction, Data East’s Joe & Mac franchise was developed in Japan with western audiences in mind. The titular heroes are axe-lobbing cavemen who often find themselves pitted against rampaging dinosaurs and other primitive beasts while trying to save their girlfriends. The franchise became a hit in arcades before spreading not only to consoles, but also to computers such as the Amiga.
Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja for the SNES arrived not long after the system itself in 1991. There are telling signs that it is both a first-generation SNES game and an arcade conversion: its visuals are leagues apart from what we saw on the NES, yet fall short of the standards set later in the console’s life. It’s slightly longer than the arcade game, as Data East implemented new features such as a Super Mario World-style overworld and a handful of extra stages to extend the runtime. There’s no escaping its arcade roots, but it does at least retain the two-player mode. The stages offer modest variety, and the difficulty rises gradually as health pick-ups become scarcer. One thing you’ll notice is the repeated use of the T-Rex boss – something that always stood out in magazine screenshots – with the battle reused several times. Other bosses look a little goofy, partly because of the way they’re animated. This outing gets a pass, even if it does have that ‘new system launch title’ feel.
All change for Congo’s Caper, which doesn’t star Joe or Mac but is still regarded as a sequel. Made exclusively for the SNES, it both looks and plays more like a typical single-player platformer. Congo is a half-caveman, half-monkey hybrid who devolves into a club-wielding simian upon taking a hit, then evolves back into a caveman after collecting red gems. Both forms can run – enabling long jumps – and curl into a ball to reach higher platforms. Alongside the standard jump, you’ll need to master all three moves to progress smoothly, with running also coming into play during boulder-escape sections. The number of levels and bosses is high, and after beating the first world, you can choose the order in which to tackle the four remaining. These include a haunted area filled with pesky, unavoidable ghosts. The bosses are fun and reasonably challenging, with one standout being a vampire formed from several bats. To defeat them, you need to hit each bat once, with some harder to reach than others. The level design changes often, even including forced-scrolling swimming stages, although they’re all incredibly short – most last only around two minutes. A roulette system also comes into play whenever 100 crystals are collected, which is a neat touch. While the game is somewhat generic and visually unspectacular, it remains reasonably enjoyable because it never feels unfairly challenging.
This leaves us with Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics, confusingly known as Joe & Mac 3 in Europe because of the existence of Congo’s Caper. It was a later SNES release -1994 in the US and 1995 in Europe – and another console exclusive. The graphics are a leap above those of the original Joe & Mac, with our heroes appearing far more expressive and the backdrops much richer. It also feels more like a console experience than an arcade game, thanks to its non-linear approach. The duo set out to collect scattered gems and a magical crown snatched by a new Blanka-like nemesis. You can stroll around a world map and tackle stages freely, ranging from lava-filled areas to ice worlds.
Friendly rideable dinosaurs also feature, adding variety to the platforming action. Keys must be found to progress, prompting some brief backtracking. Between stages, it’s also possible to return to a village to purchase health, check in with the elders, and modernise the heroes’ homes – with an extra ending available if you woo a love interest. If there’s a problem, it’s that the game is quite short and easy: I didn’t have to use the rewind tool often, reaching the bad ending in just over an hour. Still, it’s interesting to see how Data East tried to evolve the series so that it could rival other 16-bit action games.
Red Art Games has included three boss rush modes, with the number of lives adjusted to reflect how many bosses each game contains. It feels well balanced and add an hour or two of extra playtime. As all three games are surprisingly short, this new addition is welcome. Viewed as a whole, the collection has a lot working in its favour, from its neat presentation to the light-hearted tone shared by all three games. They’re littered with comical moments that help them remain enjoyable, and if you’ve never played them before, you may be surprised by how well they hold up. Congo’s Caper might be a weak link, but it still gives the package variety by stepping away from the franchise’s arcade roots. Their lax difficulty makes them accessible too, should you be looking for something to play with the younger generation. A golden opportunity to show the nippers how we rocked ‘n rolled in the ‘90s, perhaps.
Red Art Games’ Joe & Mac Retro Collection is out 29th October on PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, Switch, and PC. A physical release is planned for early 2027.