Summary
Greg Johnson, the designer of the popularToeJam & Earlvideo game series has unfortunately lost his home due to the devastating Maui wildfires.ToeJam & Earlwas inspiredby the Hawaiian islands, and Johnson has been vocal in the past about his love and admiration for Hawaii.
The originalToejam & Earltitle that brought Greg Johnson his fame first arrived on theSega Genesisback in 1991. The game focused on two funky over-the-top aliens who crash-landed their spaceship on Earth and had to explore several islands in order to pick up the fragments from their spaceship’s debris to return to their planet.ToeJam & Earlalso featured a two-player cooperative mode and was among the first roguelike titles, as the islands were randomly generated. The positive reviews earned from critics, as well as its impressive commercial success (350,000 copies sold), transformedToeJam & Earlinto a cult classic and paved the way for numerous sequels.
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Unfortunately,ToeJam & Earlcreator Greg Johnson and his wife Sirena were among the many impacted by the Maui wildfires. The pair reportedly lost their home, possessions, and even their office in the natural disaster. The couple were residents of Lahaina, theMauicommunity most affected by the recent fires. Johnson and his wife moved to the area after Johnson’s career as a game developer took off, a career that was partly inspired by the relaxing island atmosphere found in Hawaii. Joel Nelson has set up a GoFundMe page dedicated to helping the couple rebuild their lives, with the campaign already managing to raise $30,483 out of the $50,000 goal.
The Maui wildfires have been burning since June 14, 2025, and have been cited as some of the worst US wildfires in over 100 years. Hawaii governor Josh Green has said that 110 people have lost their lives in the inferno at the time of writing, with thousands more being displaced. In addition to the home lost by Greg Johnson and his family, it is estimated that over 2,200 structures have been destroyed with 86% of the buildings being residential dwellings. With fires far from being contained, support from around the country has been rolling in to help assist victims of the blaze, as evenPokemonmade a huge donation for the Hawaii Wildfire Relief.
In other news, the popularity ofToeJam & Earlhas earned the franchise an unexpected film adaptation. Announced at the end of 2022,theToeJam & Earlmovieis currently still in its early stages of development.
ToeJam & Earlis currently available on Sega Genesis, PC, PS3, and Wii.
