This post is number 12 from the series of articles we started about games that have taken too much of our time (some of them still do). Today we talk about Earthworm Jim, a 2D sideways platform game developed by Sega.
The first time I remember playing this game was in the living room of my parents house, using the then cutting edge Mega Drive 2 system plugged into what can only be described as a wooden trunk with a piece of curved glass on the front. Yes thats right guys it was the mid 90′s and as I sat there in my shell suit wielding the gigantic mega drive 2 controller I remember thinking 2 things; 1 – I hope the fact that Jim’s trousers came down in the first 5 seconds of the game was a one off and 2 – this is flipping awesome!
The graphics seemed more polished than previous games, the storyline more in depth and definitely had my buy in from the get go, even though the female in distress was the aptly named – Princess what’s her name.
The game plays as a 2D side scrolling platformer. The player controls an earthworm…named Jim… and must manoeuvre him through the level while avoiding obstacles and enemies. The player can use Jim’s gun or his head as a whip for defeating enemies. The whip move also allows the player to grab hold of, and swing from, certain hooks in the game.
The original version was released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994. A version for the Super Nintendo was released shortly after the original, in 1995, and is largely the same as the Genesis version. The Super Nintendo version has altered graphics, with alternate backgrounds and special effects, but lacked some sound effects and one of the levels from the Genesis version – so it’s a good job I grew up in a Sega home !
Overall one of the most enjoyable playing experiences of my early teens, amazing sounds and graphics with fun and creative gameplay all went into making this the game to have on the playground. Now if they would only remake it…… oh hang on they did!
By Ian Kane
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