Earnest Evans Collection Reawakens The Whip-Happy Hero You Forgot You Missed
Stepping into Earnest Evans Collection feels like unearthing a dusty relic from a forgotten corner of gaming history, only to discover it’s still buzzing with chaotic energy. This fresh dive into the rope-limbed adventurer’s world brings back the whip-cracking physics, unpredictable movement, and pulpy treasure-hunting spirit that defined his cult legacy. As you plunge deeper into its eccentric design and wild momentum, the collection reveals a strangely magnetic charm that begs for closer exploration, making every moment feel like a rediscovered slice of retro adventure.
Earnest Evans Collection Review Pros
- Decent original graphics.
- 4.33GB download size.
- Platinum trophy.
- Three games in one – Earnest Evans, El Viento, and Annet Returns.
- The music player has the soundtracks for each game, and you can play any song.
- The Museum has Japanese and English versions of concept art, Movies, and original scans.
- Earnest Evans has three versions of the game to play: cartridge edition, English CD edition, and Japanese CD edition.
- El Viento has two versions of the game to play: English and Japanese versions.
- Anett Returns has two versions of the game to play – the English CD version and the Japanese CD version.
- Each game has an overlay menu where you can change the screen size (original/4:3/stretch), border toggle, and CRT filter toggle. You can save and load from this menu at any time.
- Each game has a game rewind.
- All the games feel classically modern.
- El Viento is an action platformer, where you can shoot in all directions, and you have an MP to cast stronger attacks.
- Enemy health bars show when hitting them in El Viento.
- The games are not easy in any way and have limited lives, continuing to start you at the beginning of the level, etc.
- Earnest Evans is an action platformer game where you have full 8 directional attacks with your whip, you can duck, climb small ledges, and swing off hooks with your whip.
- The physics are more at play in Earnest Evans than in any of the other games.
- It’s a great little collection of games that I personally didn’t hear much about back in the good old days.
- Anett Returns has 3 game difficulties, its own sound test menu, and multiple controller layouts.
- Anett Returns is a side-scrolling 3D beat ’em up like Streets of Rage, so you can freely move around the world.
- Out of the three games, I found Anett Returns to be the most accessible as it’s a straight-up brawler, with destructible environments, boss fights, and it just plays well.
- At any tim,e you can bring up the overlay menu and go back to the game menu and pick a different one.
- The cutscenes and character interactions are all in-game and look fantastic.
- Classic Chiptune-powered soundtracks.
Earnest Evans Collection Review Cons
- You cannot remap the controls; games have multiple controller layouts, but you don’t know what the controls actually are.
- There are no game manuals, so you can’t see the story, controls or anything else.
- In El Viento, the animations go a bit crazy and jumpy as you walk along a platform; it also slows you down and is definitely the most prominent issue I had.
- These are all single-player only games, which is a strange choice for El Viento, as it’s a perfect multiplayer game.
- No mod Cons like leaderboards.
- There are no accessibility options.
- The animation in Earnest Evans is fine, but it all looks loose, so it can put off your timings and be able to feel uncomfortable.
- I found Earnest Evans the hardest to play, not just as above but also because the whip swing felt inconsistent, the background affecting my eyes with the way it scrolls, ledge grabbin,g, and even straight up attacks all feel off and frustrating.
- All games have the issue of not being able to see ahead and having to go ahead and get hot from off the screen.
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Earnest Evans Collection
Developer: Wolf Team
Publisher: Edia, Limited Run Games
Store Link:
Earnest Evans Collection Review
Summary
Earnest Evans Collection – The Thrills and Highlights of Gameplay
Earnest Evans Collection brings back a trio of retro experiences that still buzz with chaotic energy. You get three full games in one package, each with its own versions, sound tests, and classic chiptune soundtracks. The whip‑cracking physics of Earnest Evans, the all‑direction shooting and MP‑powered attacks of El Viento, and the accessible, straight‑up brawler action of Anett Returns all deliver their own flavour of old‑school challenge. With CRT filters, borders, screen size options, save states, rewinds, and a museum packed with concept art and scans, the collection feels classically modern while still keeping its original identity intact. Anett Returns stands out as the most accessible, offering destructible environments, boss fights, and smooth movement that just plays well.
Earnest Evans Collection – Where It Falls Short: Key Negatives
The collection has its fair share of frustrations. You cannot remap controls, and while layouts exist, you never actually know what the buttons do. There are no manuals, so story and controls remain a mystery. El Viento suffers from jumpy animations that slow you down, and Earnest Evans itself can feel loose, inconsistent, and uncomfortable, with whip swings, ledge grabbing, and scrolling backgrounds all affecting timing and readability. All games suffer from limited visibility, often forcing you to take hits from off‑screen enemies. The lack of accessibility options, multiplayer, and modern conveniences like leaderboards also holds the package back.
Earnest Evans Collection – Immersive Story and Narrative Elements.
The story elements across the Earnest Evans Collection are delivered through in‑game cutscenes and character interactions that look fantastic. While the games do not provide manuals or deeper context, the pulpy treasure‑hunting spirit and retro narrative style still shine through, giving each title a distinct sense of adventure rooted in its era.
Earnest Evans Collection – Visual and Performance Aspects.
The original graphics hold up decently, supported by CRT filters and screen options that let you tailor the look. The animations vary between games, with El Viento’s platforming movement being the most noticeably jumpy. Earnest Evans has a loose feel that affects timing, but the overall presentation stays true to the era. Classic chiptune soundtracks power each game, and the museum mode adds a welcome layer of visual history with concept art, movies, and original scans.
Earnest Evans Collection – Overall Verdict: Is It Worth Playing? Earnest Evans Collection is a quirky revival of three retro titles that still carry a strange magnetic charm. Despite the frustrations, the limited visibility, and the lack of modern features, the package offers a solid slice of retro adventure with multiple versions of each game, quality‑of‑life overlays, and a museum full of extras. It is a great little collection, especially for players who missed these games back in the day and want to rediscover their chaotic energy.
Back of the Box Quotes:
• A wild retro swing through chaotic charm and classic challenge
