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Earthworm Jim (Genesis) artwork

Earthworm Jim (Genesis) review


"Earthworm Jim thrives on its gaudy humor and wacky experiences. Complex things like plot would be entirely inappropriate here. Players aren’t looking for intricate story-telling or in-depth level design. They’re looking for kicks, for something more than a little different. And this game delivers. "

The average earthworm lives the most unexciting life possible. Every day of its 4-8 year lifespan, it feeds on organic matter, avoids predators, and, of course, reproduces. Sounds fun, right?

Earthworm Jim, on the other hand, spends his average 30-minute existence blasting aliens, dodging asteroids and avoiding bounty-hunting crows out to get their talons on his prototype superpowered spacesuit. Using skill and cunning every earthworm has, he must rescue some princess woman… I forget her name. Everyone does.

It’s the kind of romantic lifestyle every earthworm’s ever dreamed of!

Earthworm Jim’s plot is predictable. Actual play is not. Goofy and random, you’ll forget about its many frustrations. Instead, you’ll be engrossed in its silly humor and unpredictability.

Jim’s arsenal is small but unique. His most conventional weapon, the plasma gun, rains death upon his enemies; its upgrade annihilates everything in its path. His second weapon, however, strikes the most interest.

That suit must have endowed him with great elasticity, for his second weapon, quite literally, is his head. He can whip people with it, swing off hooks with it, helicopter with it, and even jump rope with it when he’s bored.

He does a lot of silly things when he’s bored. Wait too long to perform an action, and he’ll flex his wormly muscles until his pants fall down. Sometimes he’ll play Russian roulette with his blaster only to get blown up in the process. Or maybe he’ll just hit himself over the head with it instead. It’s completely random, but totally amusing.

Levels provide the most cases of randomness and unpredictability.

Hell Heck will see you facing demons while escaping torrents of fire. Nothing all that funny there… except for the occasional lawyer, who pelts you with stacks of paperwork! And the absolute horror to end all horrors, the thing people fear about Hell the most: elevator music. Then there’s the sub-boss, a fire-breathing snowman of all things. No wonder he melts every time he’s scored with a whip.

And then there’s the secret level. Surrounded by darkness, you must find your way through a series of spotlights and unseen stairwells. There isn’t much of a threat here – all your enemies are easily slain, and it’s pretty straightforward. Designed to be an easy means of collecting free power-ups, there’s nothing all-too shocking about the level. That is, until you get to the end, where you encounter a pair of GIANT EYES so frightening they cause Jimmy to scream like a nancy-boy and run in the opposite direction.

And with good reason… because these eyes will SUCK OUT YOUR SOUL if they stare at you too long.

It’s these amusing tidbits that’ll take your mind off the game’s multiple annoyances. Such as the Tube Race, where you’ll race against time in a fragile submersible as you weave your way through a maze of sharp turns and jagged rocks. You’ll die so often (and consequently have to start completely over) that you’ll hate yourself for being so addicted. But then you’ll remember events in the level earlier: how you precariously clung to an overgrown hamster’s back while it ate judo-throwing kittens. Or how you had to grab your ass while swinging from a chain to avoid getting punched by a super cat. And then you’ll also remember just how diverse the game can be, and that feeling alone will minimize your irritation as you begin anticipating what’ll come next.

Space races are a fine way to relieve stress. They’re simple yet challenging, and they offer a much-needed break from the high-intensity action of normal levels. Your goal sounds easy enough – just beat Psycrow (the bounty hunter) to the finish line. But you’ll have to be careful. Slamming into asteroids not only slows you down considerably, it also drains your health. Beating him, however, is totally worth it. Not just for the simple pleasure of satisfaction, but also for Jim’s goofy celebration. Watching him twirl his head around like a lasso while campy victory music plays never grows old.

You’ll wish he had that kind of flexibility everywhere, though. Poor Jimmy doesn’t have a whole lot going for him outside the suit, and in the event that it’s removed from him, he’ll be reduced to his natural wormy ways. Let’s face it. Crawling at a snail’s pace with no means of defending yourself is not helpful towards survival. With only an unusually high jump at his disposal, avoiding malevolent monsters and hazardous obstacles can be difficult.

Not to worry. These naked escapades are few, brief, and add a new element to the game unseen elsewhere. You’ll navigate your way across several conveyor belts, leap over rotating spike traps, and whiz through whirling fans. Your spacesuit will wait for you, impatiently beckoning with outstretched hand as your inching form draws nearer. And once you’re back in it, you’ll be on your merry way again.

Earthworm Jim thrives on its gaudy humor and wacky experiences. Complex things like plot would be entirely inappropriate here. Players aren’t looking for intricate story-telling or in-depth level design. They’re looking for kicks, for something more than a little different. And this game delivers.



wolfqueen001's avatar
Community review by wolfqueen001 (September 08, 2008)

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Feedback

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WilltheGreat posted September 09, 2008:

A fitting review for an epic Genesis game. Groovy indeed, WQ. Groovy indeed.
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wolfqueen001 posted September 10, 2008:

Thanks, Will. I appreciate it.
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WilltheGreat posted September 10, 2008:

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wolfqueen001 posted September 10, 2008:

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Genj posted September 10, 2008:

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww :3
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WilltheGreat posted September 10, 2008:

Group hug!
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EmP posted October 25, 2009:

NITPICKS: There’s a double line break after the second paragraph.

Paragraph five: It’s not so much Jim’s head that’s used as it is Jim the Earthworm himself.

Paragraph nine: It kind of fits, but did you mean scored with a whip? Sounds a little odd.

Otherwise, I still hold this up to be one of your best reviews, The quick-fire short paragraphs work well when describing the offbeat scenarios and you really nail the goofy ambience which drives the game on. Perhaps more could be made of the title’s unforgiving difficulty, and after all the praise an 8 feels too low (because 8/10 is apparently a low score these days) , but it’s clever and tidy writing about a title not overly easy to describe. Great job.
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wolfqueen001 posted October 25, 2009:

haha. Alright. The line break error I fixed (to my great relief because in the edit menu, it didn't look like an actual line break error...), but the others I'm leaving because modifying Jim's head to Jim himself with the whip thing would ruin the flow of the writing since I'd have to add more in. Besides, who other than you and anyone with the keenest eye will be able to tell such a thing in the game? =P

You may have a point about the word "score", but it should also be remembered that "to score" also means "to strike". Using a different word there might therefore also ruin the flow of the writing, and I don't want to do that. Call it "artistic license". =P Hahahaha.

Anyway, thanks! I'm glad you still really like this one. I did write it for your birthday last year after all, so that it turned to be a "worthy gift" (I hope! I mean, it is still a review.... lol), makes me happy. I really wanted it to be my best (or at least close to it) for you. So I'm really glad it seems to be.

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