Random Game O' the Day: Earnest Evans

[digitalpress]

A little experiment, let's see how it goes. Starting today, I'm going to post one random game from within the DP Database. This will be more or less a DP Guide entry listing.

These titles won't always be easy to discuss, but that's OK. *Tomorrow's* Random Game 'O the Day may be.

So. If you've played this before... what do you think of it? How far were you able to get? Do you own it? Give us a mini-review in your own style.

Earnest Evans (Genesis, by Renovation) $7/R3

[buttasuperb]

It was a prize for the super bowl pool, and the only time I played it was to test it, which was only for 5 minutes or so. I thought it wasn't very good. Ugly cover art too.

[orrimarrko]

I remember that Genny game - I think that there was some hype about it, although I can't remember what for.

The game was kind of awkward - the main character was weird in some way (again, I'm stretching the memory banks here). Not very appealling.

[portnoyd]

I actually got this complete from the snugglable chocobokick as part of my DP Secret Santa present. It's basically a Indiana Jones ripoff, which is fine. It's weird to control, because the whip and body system were very.... maliable? Is that the word I'm looking for? As in each body section was flexible. Made for some weird crouching/crawling animation.

Wasn't that bad of a game at all. I played it for a half hour, and enjoyed it. :D

dave

[Tempest]

I believe the Sega CD version was also the pack-in or launch title in Japan. Never came out in the US (the CD version that is).

Tempest

[den68]

I own it. I won it in the Super Bowl Pool. I have not tried it yet.

[Kid Fenris]

I've actually got a complete, mint copy of this up for trade or sale. While I love the El Viento series, I really don't care for Earnest Evans. I wouldn't mind owning the Mega CD version for its cinema sequences, but the Genesis edition omits all but one animated scene, and feels rather empty.

Oh yeah, here's my opinion, in a nutshell.

While the box and manual will tell you otherwise, Earnest Evans is the prequel, not sequel, to the excellent El Viento. Sadly, Wolfteam made some unnecessary changes to the original’s structure, and the result is a mediocre action title with chunky controls, ugly puppet-like character animation, and only occasional visual appeal. It's probably one of the developer's weakest titles.

[ManekiNeko]

It's what would have happened if the first Indiana Jones film had a budget of thirty six dollars and all the actors were replaced with puppets.
Fun fact: Earnest Evans is the birth name of popular dancer and musician Chubby Checker.

JR

[digitalpress]

Hey, pretty good turnout for what I thought would be a pretty obscure game!

I'm more or less indifferent to the game itself. Back in the day, I actually had good contacts with Renovation, and they'd send me games to review in the pages of Digital Press. So I got one for FREE! Kind of a good thing, though I know I didn't HATE it. I thought the game used its sprites in an innovative fashion. It may not have worked but Earnest's "independent body parts" still remind me of a very early Virtua Fighter, which was the first game I saw this done properly.

I'll disagree with the "bad box art" comment, I thought this had a really cool drawing, and I was always partial to the box styles where the art wraps around from front to back - too many Genesis games have that red striped spine border. GENERIC-ESIS.

Although you gotta ask yourself why Earnest would use a whip on a bad guy who's standing just 3 feet away LOL

Allow me to direct you to my partner Dr. Hinklesnort's website, so you can see all of the "parts" to a complete Earnest Evans package if you so desire:
http://www.genesiscollective.com/ShowPage.php?GameLink=790

[HaggarCodyGuy123]

Never owned the cartridge, just the Mega CD version and all I can say is that this game really blows. This autrocity of a game has a puppet man feel to it, although seeing Annet (El Viento and Annet Futatabi) in some cinemas is funny. Argh!!! The censorship (a visual of a "nude" Annet with a towel one moment, nothing the next in a farther away shot), the endless uncontrollable somersaults, the horrid controls and visuals. It all made a very bad gaming experience.