Earthworm Jim - Thoughts?

[JD!]

I just bought Earthworm Jim 1+2 from GoG as I haven't been able to track down a copy of EWJ2 for my MD. Over the last few days I've been replaying them (finished 1, not yet done with 2) and I have to say I have VERY mixed feelings about both games.

I remember thinking that EWJ was a brilliant game back in the day. Playing it now, though I find it incredibly frustrating. Yes, the humour is still funny but the game play is so tedious. For example, New Junk City, the first level in EWJ, is a great platform level. However, the next level, What the Heck? has parts where the only way to advance is to take damage. Move onto the bungee level of Snot A Problem and similar and it gets tiresome quickly. The difficulty is all over the place, and that's just in one level, never mind the whole game.

EWJ2 I personally feel is the better of the two, but it does feel like a whole bunch of mini games. Saving falling puppies, taking part in a game show, flying along in a SHUMP style level, it's all just kind of there for the sake of it. I feel EWJ2 is a lot more enjoyable than the first game, but at times it is still annoying to play through those mimi-game type levels.

Yes, the graphics are beautiful, and yes I found myself tapping my toe to the soundtrack and will probably put it on my iPod (you can download it from GoG after buying the game) but as a gameplay experience it's not as good as I remember or that its reputation would lead you to believe, IMO. I know it got that reputation because it was SO out there at the time of release, but as a game it just doesn't quite work for me.

However, I'd be interested to hear what others think of the title/s.

[snowkatt]

i always thought it was horribly over rated
looked great played arse

[sebadude]

Thought that while graphically it looked great, I didn't like how overexagerrated the jumping was, and how it felt pretty unintuitive when you were trying to make your way to the end of the level. Where do I go next?!

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Which part of What The Heck requires you to take damage? Been playing it loads on the Mega CD recently, and haven't happened across anything like that.

They're both still fantastic games by my reckoning - right down to his exagerrated screams when he takes the slightest bit of damage. It's hard to decide which of the two I prefer...

The Mega CD version's great if you can ever find it. It has an extra level, new bits in the standard levels, and you can put the disc in a CD player to hear the music. I know the PC version's pretty much the same as that, but here's to comparing it to the Mega Drive one. The GBA version's are slightly terrible, mind. But Earthworm Jim 2 on the Saturn is one of those that comes "highly recommended" from here.

One more thing: To this day, I've never seen a magazine review of Earthworm Jim 2, which bothers me slightly. Was it received as well as the first one?

[DPrinny]

All of them are

Well maybe not the 3D one

[Liamh1982]

Got the first on MD, second on SNES.
They're both pretty good games, but they suffer from that "Dave Perry 90s 2D platformer syndrome" of the animation occasionally compromising the gameplay, where you should go next not always being clear and just general frustration.

[DigitalDuck]

I've never had any problems figuring out where to go next, at least not in the first game. If you've just come from the left and you can't go right then you go up or down. It's almost always that simple. At worst you end up going down a dead-end path with an extra life or some blaster ammo in it.

Also the Special Edition is the definitive version; best soundtrack, best level versions, new levels, new weapon etc. but that's already been said.


Not really a fan of EWJ2, though.

[eeztheman]

Have the first one on the Mega Drive, looks great, but to me, I just find it too annoying to persist with it.......

[RetroMartin]

I've got both on the Megadrive, thought they were FANTASTIC.

Got a bit stuck the first few times and sucked big style at EWJ1. but eventually got used to it and can complete both now.

Loved the hidden bonus levels in each hahaha!

[JazzFunk]

Always though they were graphically fantastic, they were STILL boringly slick n' floaty n' squishy-feeling Dave Perry platformers to me, so I never really liked them that much, plus I found the plot/humour a bit over-obviously 'zany' and didn't find it funny at all.

I thought MDK on PS1 was brilliant, though. And SNES EWJ2 looked dreamy (as did SNES Cool Spot, another dull Dave Perry platformer).

[RMLF]

Sign me up to the not as good as it thinks it is. Prefer Cool Spot and the Terminator from Perry

The Cartoon series was class though

[James A]

Always really liked the first one on the Megadrive. There where some faults in the gameplay but the sounds and graphics for the day were really good. Always liked the humour in it as well. Not played the second one although im sure ive got a copy of it for the MD sitting in my to play pile.

The 360 versions got quite a bit of extra stuff on it hasn't it?

[DigitalDuck]

The 360 versions got quite a bit of extra stuff on it hasn't it?

It has three extra single-player levels that all look the same (and a bit too much like New Junk City) while missing out parts of most of the other levels and not including Big Bruty or Who Turned Out The Lights? at all. Also the music was remade (ruined) as were the graphics.

Liked the multiplayer, though. Also, just in case you couldn't figure it out, everything in brackets in the paragraph above is my opinion.

[DreamcastRIP]

The only version I own is Earthworm Jim: Special Edition (CIB) for Mega-CD. While I "get" for why many have enjoyed the game I've never really fallen for it myself. Maybe it's just not my sort of preferred style of game. I played the demo of the recent HD version on PS3 and thought it okay but, again, not really my cup of tea. Oh well!

[nakamura]

Got the first on MD, second on SNES.
They're both pretty good games, but they suffer from that "Dave Perry 90s 2D platformer syndrome" of the animation occasionally compromising the gameplay, where you should go next not always being clear and just general frustration.

This.

Dave Perry is hugely overrated in his field. Most of his games were average but mixed up with lovely animation.