snickothemule
November 29th, 2008, 08:17
Earthworm Jim – a retro review
What the heck?
The glory days of the platformer genre have long since gone which is quite shameful really because in the height of the SNES, Genesis era platformer gaming gave birth to some of the greatest games of the 1990’s. The Mario series is the one that sticks out in the minds of most people, yet the highlight of that decade came from Shiny entertainment and their cream of the crop, star pupil in action gaming, everyone’s favourite earthworm, Earthworm Jim.
Yes the same Earthworm Jim that spawned a decent sequel, a hilarious tv series voiced by the legendary Dan Castellaneta and a myriad of poorly executed 3D adventures. Barring the 3D outings, the original still stands as the highlight of the series. So how does the old worm stand up in a world where 2D platforming has been casted aside for the likes of 3d shooting action, online gaming motion controls?
Oh, so the Narrator’s too good for our predictable story-structure, eh?
Of course that the story is a completely feasible and realistic as it gets. One day a space suit lands on an ordinary, everyday earthworm who decides to crawl inside it, only to find himself mutated into a highly intelligent (well….at least by worm standards) super worm who now controls the most powerful super suit in the galaxy, created by the nefarious Professor Monkey-for-a-head (yes, he is a professor who has a monkey on his head). Originally the suit was designed for the evil Queen Pulsating, Bloated, Festering, Sweaty, Pus-filled, Malformed, Slug-for-a-Butt so that she may take over the universe and it is up to Jim to make sure that this doesn’t happen. Jim also has to save the queens sister, Princess Whats-her Name from distress, but unlike the Princess Peaches of platformers, she really doesn’t need saving as she is much tougher and smarter than Jim is.
EAT DIRT! Everyone in the vicinity!
At first glance it is easy to say that EWJ has taken a different approach to most platformers of the era, as Jim utilizes his head not only for spectacular thought, but as a whip that Indiana Jones would be proud to own. His head can be used to latch onto objects into the game which can be used to swing to new areas to reach further into completing the level, or to explore other areas to find secret items and other points of interest.
Jim can also take continuous damage, and his health is determined out of a percentage, rather than a one hit death which plagued games of the 90’s. This not only allows the player to progress through the game more smoothly without having to worry about being killed at every corner, but it has allowed the level design to be more treacherous and thus allowing more skill to be involved, while minimizing the frustration of having to be taken back to the start of the level every time Jim scrapes against any form of enemy. He also has a ray gun.
Enough of this witty banter, I’ll get the door
Level design has been taken to new heights with EWJ, not only in the visual department, but the actual context of the area. New Junk city is littered with tyres that cause Jim to bounce around the place as if he were in a giant bouncy castle, Heck has a stack of places to climb, and swing from thanks to all the pointy spikes everywhere and in the case of the under water level, Jim’s transport ship will crack whenever he hits the walls and doing this too many times will result in his ultimate demise. The themes of each level are played to their strengths which keeps the levels fresh and interesting. It never really gets boring as each level is highly challenging thanks to the changes in theme and the humor keeps coming thick and fast.
*Head Whip*
Attention to detail is the name of the game here, sporting some of the best 16bit graphics of the era EWJ is seriously good to look at. Colours are vibrant and contrast well against Jim’s white suit, and the animation employed is meticulously played out. Even when standing still, Jim keeps moving about and left long enough to his own devices will occupy himself with his gun, or just simply fart ass about. The backgrounds have been given some particular attention, and highlights include in the ‘What the Heck?” level, Evil the Cat can be seen perched atop his mountain dancing and moving about while overseeing his domain while Jim scurries about the landscape. The depth is quite nice and a far cry from the boring vistas that entice the lands of many other platformers.
The audio though, is the real standout in this game though. Having one of the best soundtracks going, every level has its own tone and vibe and gives a lot of depth to the themes set in place. Hecks music is a real stand out, with violins and other string instruments quickly played out, giving a torturous sound to the level, before changing to elevator music, topped off by the screams of the fallen. Rocking some wicked banjo tunes while Jim fly's through space is another shining example of why southern culture is severely lacking in modern video games. The sound effects from the weapons and the crack that Jims head gives when he is whipping about comes across as nothing other than hilarious. Enemy’s explode when hit and Jim screams out “owwwwwwwww” when hit, further administers the laughs which are a major element to the story.
The Pit of Unimaginable Fear?...No." "The Cavern of Flesh-ripping Weasels?...no. "DETROIT?!?...No.
Jim came out for many different consoles, the Super NES, the Mega Drive, Genesis, Mega-CD, Game Boy and the PC, so which version should you get? Ultimately for best sound clarity the PC version cannot be denied as the sounds are very crisp and the games soundtrack can be listened to when placed into a CD player. As for visuals, the SNES is a real stand out here, and thanks to emulation techniques Jim can be viewed in spectacular smoothness and vibrant colours whereas the PC version has a faster speed to it, and a few extra frames in the animation, as well as some animations that were nixed in the console counterparts all together. Although does not have the advantage of bilinear filtering and as a result the game has a pixelated look to it. The PC version also has an extra level which to die-hard fans is like winning the lottery. My choice, the PC version is the best version going around, but ultimately either version you choose, you will be satisfied with the laugh out loud humour and compelling action, so it doesn’t really matter. It has also been ported to the Wii VC, so no doubt that will be a popular choice for the youngsters.
You've forced me to use the most powerful weapon of all! Strategic retreat!
The main problem with Earth Worm Jim game is its difficulty, so to casual players completing the game will be a major challenge even by today’s standards. As challenging as it is though the game is not impossible and by sticking with it, completion of the game is incredibly satisfying (the audio track at the end of the game is nothing short of gut busting funny).
Groovy!
Being incredibly funny, well designed and beautiful to look at, completed with compelling, challenging and rewarding game play Earthworm Jim has managed to stand the tests of time and is a shining example of what dedicated programming and design can accomplish. So many games of this generation can take a few lessons from this marvelous piece of gaming history. And if you ever manage to come across a copy of the game, do yourself a favor and pick this timeless little gem up. You won’t be disappointed.
Visuals – 90
Audio – 96
Gameplay – 86
Overall – 92
A platformer for the ages, and if the new game is anything like this one, then it is going to be gold.
(Reviewed on SNES)
(as a side note, when the heck are they going to release the tv series on DVD?)
What the heck?
The glory days of the platformer genre have long since gone which is quite shameful really because in the height of the SNES, Genesis era platformer gaming gave birth to some of the greatest games of the 1990’s. The Mario series is the one that sticks out in the minds of most people, yet the highlight of that decade came from Shiny entertainment and their cream of the crop, star pupil in action gaming, everyone’s favourite earthworm, Earthworm Jim.
Yes the same Earthworm Jim that spawned a decent sequel, a hilarious tv series voiced by the legendary Dan Castellaneta and a myriad of poorly executed 3D adventures. Barring the 3D outings, the original still stands as the highlight of the series. So how does the old worm stand up in a world where 2D platforming has been casted aside for the likes of 3d shooting action, online gaming motion controls?
Oh, so the Narrator’s too good for our predictable story-structure, eh?
Of course that the story is a completely feasible and realistic as it gets. One day a space suit lands on an ordinary, everyday earthworm who decides to crawl inside it, only to find himself mutated into a highly intelligent (well….at least by worm standards) super worm who now controls the most powerful super suit in the galaxy, created by the nefarious Professor Monkey-for-a-head (yes, he is a professor who has a monkey on his head). Originally the suit was designed for the evil Queen Pulsating, Bloated, Festering, Sweaty, Pus-filled, Malformed, Slug-for-a-Butt so that she may take over the universe and it is up to Jim to make sure that this doesn’t happen. Jim also has to save the queens sister, Princess Whats-her Name from distress, but unlike the Princess Peaches of platformers, she really doesn’t need saving as she is much tougher and smarter than Jim is.
EAT DIRT! Everyone in the vicinity!
At first glance it is easy to say that EWJ has taken a different approach to most platformers of the era, as Jim utilizes his head not only for spectacular thought, but as a whip that Indiana Jones would be proud to own. His head can be used to latch onto objects into the game which can be used to swing to new areas to reach further into completing the level, or to explore other areas to find secret items and other points of interest.
Jim can also take continuous damage, and his health is determined out of a percentage, rather than a one hit death which plagued games of the 90’s. This not only allows the player to progress through the game more smoothly without having to worry about being killed at every corner, but it has allowed the level design to be more treacherous and thus allowing more skill to be involved, while minimizing the frustration of having to be taken back to the start of the level every time Jim scrapes against any form of enemy. He also has a ray gun.
Enough of this witty banter, I’ll get the door
Level design has been taken to new heights with EWJ, not only in the visual department, but the actual context of the area. New Junk city is littered with tyres that cause Jim to bounce around the place as if he were in a giant bouncy castle, Heck has a stack of places to climb, and swing from thanks to all the pointy spikes everywhere and in the case of the under water level, Jim’s transport ship will crack whenever he hits the walls and doing this too many times will result in his ultimate demise. The themes of each level are played to their strengths which keeps the levels fresh and interesting. It never really gets boring as each level is highly challenging thanks to the changes in theme and the humor keeps coming thick and fast.
*Head Whip*
Attention to detail is the name of the game here, sporting some of the best 16bit graphics of the era EWJ is seriously good to look at. Colours are vibrant and contrast well against Jim’s white suit, and the animation employed is meticulously played out. Even when standing still, Jim keeps moving about and left long enough to his own devices will occupy himself with his gun, or just simply fart ass about. The backgrounds have been given some particular attention, and highlights include in the ‘What the Heck?” level, Evil the Cat can be seen perched atop his mountain dancing and moving about while overseeing his domain while Jim scurries about the landscape. The depth is quite nice and a far cry from the boring vistas that entice the lands of many other platformers.
The audio though, is the real standout in this game though. Having one of the best soundtracks going, every level has its own tone and vibe and gives a lot of depth to the themes set in place. Hecks music is a real stand out, with violins and other string instruments quickly played out, giving a torturous sound to the level, before changing to elevator music, topped off by the screams of the fallen. Rocking some wicked banjo tunes while Jim fly's through space is another shining example of why southern culture is severely lacking in modern video games. The sound effects from the weapons and the crack that Jims head gives when he is whipping about comes across as nothing other than hilarious. Enemy’s explode when hit and Jim screams out “owwwwwwwww” when hit, further administers the laughs which are a major element to the story.
The Pit of Unimaginable Fear?...No." "The Cavern of Flesh-ripping Weasels?...no. "DETROIT?!?...No.
Jim came out for many different consoles, the Super NES, the Mega Drive, Genesis, Mega-CD, Game Boy and the PC, so which version should you get? Ultimately for best sound clarity the PC version cannot be denied as the sounds are very crisp and the games soundtrack can be listened to when placed into a CD player. As for visuals, the SNES is a real stand out here, and thanks to emulation techniques Jim can be viewed in spectacular smoothness and vibrant colours whereas the PC version has a faster speed to it, and a few extra frames in the animation, as well as some animations that were nixed in the console counterparts all together. Although does not have the advantage of bilinear filtering and as a result the game has a pixelated look to it. The PC version also has an extra level which to die-hard fans is like winning the lottery. My choice, the PC version is the best version going around, but ultimately either version you choose, you will be satisfied with the laugh out loud humour and compelling action, so it doesn’t really matter. It has also been ported to the Wii VC, so no doubt that will be a popular choice for the youngsters.
You've forced me to use the most powerful weapon of all! Strategic retreat!
The main problem with Earth Worm Jim game is its difficulty, so to casual players completing the game will be a major challenge even by today’s standards. As challenging as it is though the game is not impossible and by sticking with it, completion of the game is incredibly satisfying (the audio track at the end of the game is nothing short of gut busting funny).
Groovy!
Being incredibly funny, well designed and beautiful to look at, completed with compelling, challenging and rewarding game play Earthworm Jim has managed to stand the tests of time and is a shining example of what dedicated programming and design can accomplish. So many games of this generation can take a few lessons from this marvelous piece of gaming history. And if you ever manage to come across a copy of the game, do yourself a favor and pick this timeless little gem up. You won’t be disappointed.
Visuals – 90
Audio – 96
Gameplay – 86
Overall – 92
A platformer for the ages, and if the new game is anything like this one, then it is going to be gold.
(Reviewed on SNES)
(as a side note, when the heck are they going to release the tv series on DVD?)