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Earnest Evans

Sega Genesis

Sega Genesis

The story of the game is connected to that of El Viento. Earnest Evans is a brave treasure hunter. His grandfather was a famous archaeologist who searched for three legendary idols in the 1930s. It was said that those idols could bring disaster upon the Earth if fallen into the wrong hands. But d...

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Developer
Wolf Team

Released on
1992

Size
1 Player

Version
Sega Genesis

Requirements
Sega Genesis

Downloads
Action

Publisher
Renovation Products

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

The story of the game is connected to that of El Viento. Earnest Evans is a brave treasure hunter. His grandfather was a famous archaeologist who searched for three legendary idols in the 1930s. It was said that those idols could bring disaster upon the Earth if fallen into the wrong hands. But despite his efforts, he could never find even one of the idols. Now it’s up to the grandson to continue his work, fifty years later. But the evil syndicate leader Brady Tressider has his own plans, and will do anything to stop Earnest…

This is an action platform game in which you control Earnest Evans, armed with his trusty whip. The hero can jump, climb ropes, crouch, and crawl. There are plenty of obstacles on the levels (bottomless pits, spikes, crushing bridges, lava, etc.), as well as gangsters and monsters to dispose of.

Earnest Evans

Overview & History

Developed by Wolf Team and published by Telenet Japan, Earnest Evans burst onto the Sega Genesis in 1991 as an ambitious 2D whip-slinging platformer. Serving as a prequel to the cult-classic El Viento, the game follows the titular swashbuckling archaeologist in his globe-trotting quest to prevent the resurrection of the dark god Hastur. Initially released on the Mega CD with redbook audio and cinematic cutscenes, the Genesis port stripped away the multimedia flair but retained the game's distinct, eccentric identity. What makes Earnest Evans historically unique is its pioneering use of skeletal animation technology, where character sprites were composed of independently rotating polygon-like segments. While this gave the protagonist a fluid, boneless walking animation, it also made the sprite notoriously difficult to control, earning the game a polarizing reputation among retro enthusiasts for its slippery physics and challenging hit detection.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Spanning six diverse stages across locations like 1920s New York, catacombs, and ancient temples, Earnest Evans plays as a punishing action-platformer. Players must navigate treacherous environmental hazards, crumbling platforms, and waves of cultists and monsters. Earnest's primary weapon is a whip, which can be cracked horizontally, diagonally, and vertically to pick off airborne and ground enemies alike. As players progress, they can collect power-ups to extend the whip's reach or increase damage. Platforming precision is paramount, as Earnest's momentum-heavy jump physics require careful timing to clear bottomless pits. Boss encounters at the end of each stage demand pattern memorization and strategic use of the whip's multi-directional reach. Despite its frustrating quirks and steep learning curve, the game remains a fascinating artifact of early 90s Sega Genesis software engineering, offering an atmospheric, Indiana Jones-esque occult adventure unlike anything else on the 16-bit console.