Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack updated with Mercs, Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron, and Vectorman

On November 26th, 2024, Sega added Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron, Vectorman and Mercs to Sega Genesis – Nintendo Switch Online. Japan, despite only seeing Mercs release there originally, gets the same three games at the same time.

All four games are immediately accessible to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers following a quick patch update to the app. For more info on each game, check in after the break for a synopsis on all of them.

Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron (1993) was a stark contrast its 1991 predecessor Toejam & Earl in that it was a 2D sidescrolling platformer instead of a topdown roguelike exploration game. Sega, believing the original game to be too unlike what most console gamers were used to, gave the order to developer Johnson Voorsanger Productions to make the sequel a platformer instead. The game still had you exploring large levels rather than simply looking for an exit to the next stage like many platformers of the day. Most fans, and the original developers, believe the original game to be better, which is why the next two sequels Mission to Earth (2002) and Back in the Groove (2019), take after that instead of Panic on Funkotron. However, you can try this game out and judge for yourself now.

Taking place shortly after the events of the original game, the titular Toejam & Earl were shocked when news broke out that lots of busybody humans hitched a ride on their rocket as they returned to Funkotron from Earth and are all over Funkotron being a nuisance to the inhabitants. Toejam gets the idea to trap the humans in mason jars and have them shipped back to Earth in rockets to cover up their mistake. Playing as Toejam or Earl, players have to explore levels looking for all the humans, throwing jars at them to capture them, then taking them to the rocket at the level’s exit before you can move on. Two players can play simultaneously to help each other out just like the earlier game. Along the way, players will come across other denizens of Funkotron, such as Peabo, Sharla, or Lewanda who present our heroes with a short rhythm game, requiring players to press the buttons cleverly shown on screen in time with the beat. Portals are also scattered around, leading to the Hyperfunk Zone, where bonus presents can be obtained. You also have the Funkscan to help you scan the area for secrets and keep from getting lost. If you’re a patient player, and not prone to panicking, you may just really enjoy this silly, dare I say, funky, platforming adventure.

Vectorman (1995) is a run-and-gun platformer developed by BlueSky Software, who previously made several licensed games for Sega, including Ariel: The Little Mermaid (1992), Jurassic Park (1993), The Ren & Stimpy Show Presents Stimpy’s Invention (1993), and several American Football and Baseball games on Genesis and 32X. Even if all their other games varied greatly in quality, BlueSky Software was sometimes known for pushing the Genesis hardware in inventive ways, and in no game of theirs is that more true than Vectorman. Boasting some incredible pre-rendered 3D graphics, flashy particle effects, ultra smooth animation, and even real-time lighting, players in 1995 likely had a hard time believing that this was a Genesis game and not a 32X or Saturn game. Vectorman was more than just a technical showpiece, though. It was also an incredibly fun game and a highlight of Genesis history that’s earned its status as a regular in Sega’s Genesis compilations going as far back as Sega Smash Pack Vol 1 (2001). (The latest Genesis compilation, which features both this game and Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron, will be going away next week. Don’t forget to buy it if you still want it.)

The game begins on Earth in 2049, long after the human race has evacuated the planet after decades of unchecked pollution has left it inhospitable. (A fate that seems more and more assured for the real Earth by the day, it seems.) Robots made up of floating orbs called Orbots (Not to be confused with Dr. Eggman’s robot assistant Orbot) have been left behind to clean up the humans’ mess. One Orbot seemed to have mistakenly replaced its own head with a nuclear missile, turned into the diabolical Warhead, and seized control of all the Orbots on Earth, commanding them to destroy the humans as they come back expecting a cleaner Earth to return to. Vectorman, having been en route to the sun to drop off some toxic sludge during Warhead’s rise to power, returns to find Warhead having already taken control and takes it upon himself to fight back and restore order. Vectorman can fire explosive bolts from his palms to attack enemies and grab bonus items from CRTs hanging in the air. Within those CRTs, and some enemies, are special weapon powerups, transformation items that let Vectorman change into different forms for exploration, and score multipliers which have the extra benefit of multiplying health pickups and 1-ups you find while they’re active. Every few levels, you’ll face off against Warhead in special arenas that see Vectorman already in different transformations, but you’ll still have an epic battle against him in the last level, if you’re good enough to make it that far. Either way, you’re sure to have a blast along the way. (You might have missed the train on that $25,000 contest just a little bit, I’m sorry to tell you.)

Mercs (1990) is Capcom’s sequel to their own hit arcade shooter Commando (1985), both games being known as Senjou no Ookami, or Wolf of the Battlefield, 1&2 respectively in Japan. While Commando never appeared on a Sega platform until the Saturn, Mercs was ported to the Genesis for Capcom by Sega of Japan in 1991. The game saw you enter the shoes of a highly capable mercenary, deployed to the hostile country of Zutura to rescue the President of the United States of America. Your goal is simply to blast every terrorist in your way to smithereens with the variety of weapons and vehicles that you find. When you find yourself surrounded, you can use your Mega Crash Bombs to wipe out all onscreen enemies in a pinch, but you only have a few at a time and need to be on the lookout for extras.

As was usual when Sega brought a Capcom arcade classic to Genesis themselves, they added a special something to the Genesis port. In this case, they added an Original mode to compliment the Arcade mode, which is a direct translation of the arcade experience. The Original Mode was a more involved adventure that saw you rescuing soldiers that you could then play as in later levels. Each solder had their own special weapons to use, making them potentially more advantageous in certain situations. Special shops were also available where you could purchase health and weapon pickups or upgrade your available characters. Losing all of your characters in battle means the game’s over and you need to start right back at the beginning, so don’t get too careless.

If you enjoy the Genesis game, you can also play the arcade version as part of Capcom Arcade Stadium. (Which only has the Japanese version, Senjou no Ookami II, despite the arcade game having had an international release as Mercs). Commando is also featured in that collection.

The previous Genesis update to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack released a year and a half ago (Oh yeah. Sega forgot about Nintendo Switch Online for that long.) and it consisted of Crusader of Centy, Ghouls n’ Ghosts, Landstalker, and The Revenge of Shinobi.

Check the Sega Genesis – Nintendo Switch Online page to download the Genesis app onto your Switch and see the full list of currently available games. For additional info on Nintendo Switch Online and its other benefits, check here.

What do you think of this update? Have you played these games before? Which are your favorites? Have you been checking out the Sega Genesis – Nintendo Switch Online app a lot in the last year and a half wondering where all the new Genesis games were? (I have personally written 88 articles for SegaBits between then and this article. Can you believe how much happened in all that time?) Give us a funky rap about it in the comments below.