My Played Video Games Review: Earthworm Jim for the Sega Genesis

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Earthworm Jim is a cartoony, run, and gun platform game developed by Shiny Entertainment. The game was released for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and Super Nintendo (SNES) in 1994.

This game surprised me with its fast and fluid, cartoony graphics back then. The kids in my neighborhood were amazed at it. But it was difficult enough for us all to enjoy.

The Story

Jim was not always a macho super-worm. He was once just a wriggly, dirty eater with no real mission in life... Then a funny twist of fate placed him in an ultra high-tech, super cyber-suit. Now Jim must make it to the Princess by staying clear of Psy-Crow, that intergalactic bounty hunter, until the final battle with the Queen Slug.

Sega Genesis box, manual and cartridge of the game. (Image source)

The Graphics and Sound

The graphics are great. The characters have an original look and have excellent and hilarious animation. The animation is some of the smoothest ever seen in a video game, in my opinion. Small graphical touches like snot coming off of your enemy in the bungee jump levels or Jim's humorous waiting animations are some of the highlights.

The in-game music is great, it always fits the stages nicely. The sound effects are also superb, each one is clear and fits well with the on-screen action perfectly. The only downside is that the music sometimes sounds repetitive.

Gameplay video sample of Earthworm Jim. Watch in 360p for near TV resolution of that time.

The Gameplay

Jim must go through many levels destroying enemies in order to get to the level’s boss. It is usually the same goal as in every other side-scrolling, platform game. But the great level design adds even more humor to the game.

The controls are perfect in almost every way. The only problem is that of swinging from one area to the next. It is a little choppy, but it is perfect in every other.

The replay value is great. It is always fun to play this game even though it is difficult in some areas. But there are no secrets to unlock after you beat it. Well, you can always try to beat your previous scores.

My Verdict

Earthworm Jim is close to being a classic platform game. The lead character rocks and has s a few downsides that can be easily forgotten. There is rarely a boring moment throughout the whole game. It is a very solid game and is one of the finest 16-bit platformers ever released. This is a must-have for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive game collectors and platform game players out there.

Play it on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive console or on a damn good emulator.

Let's keep on gaming in the free world!