Earthworm Jim

About Earthworm Jim

Earthworm Jim is a chaotic platform shooter that dropped on the Sega Genesis and SNES in 1994 before finding a home on modern consoles like the Wii. Shiny Entertainment built this title around a simple absurd premise where a worm accidentally bonds with an indestructible space suit. The story kicks off when a renegade captain loses the gear to Earth, letting Psy-Crow hunt Jim down while Queen Slug-for-a-Butt plots to steal the suit for her beauty routine. Players control Jim as he battles through bizarre alien worlds filled with flying cows and insectoid henchmen. It runs on classic single-player mechanics that rely on fast reflexes and precise jumping rather than complex story choices.

Gameplay

You move side-to-side while shooting your gun or using the suit's special abilities like the vacuum beam. Most levels involve running across platforms while dodging lasers, enemy fire, and falling hazards. You can slide under low obstacles and jump over pits with tight timing. The controls feel snappy but demand precision since one mistake often means restarting a section. Some stages feature quick-time events or mini-games that break up the shooting action. You spend most of your time aiming at flying enemies while hopping over gaps. Boss fights require pattern memorization since they attack in predictable waves. Collecting power-ups changes your weapon loadout temporarily, adding variety to standard combat encounters.

What Players Think

PlayPile data shows a solid 76.3 out of 100 rating based on 216 user reviews from IGDB. The community mood leans heavily toward nostalgic amusement with players praising the humor and sound design. Average playtime sits around 8 hours for a standard completion run without extensive exploration. Achievement hunters note that there are no hidden secrets blocking full completion, making it accessible for speedruns. Critics and regular players alike agree the voice acting carries the entire experience. Review snippets frequently mention how the absurdity of the plot works in its favor despite simple graphics. The game holds up well on modern platforms with minimal input lag or display issues affecting performance.

PlayPile's Take

Earthworm Jim is worth playing if you enjoy fast-paced platformers with a weird sense of humor. It costs very little on digital stores and offers a complete single-player campaign without microtransactions. You will earn achievements for defeating bosses and collecting all items, which takes patience but no luck. The game lacks deep mechanics or complex puzzles, so it might feel shallow after multiple playthroughs. Fans of retro shooters from the mid-90s will appreciate the tight controls and creative level design. Do not expect a modern narrative depth, but you will find plenty of laughs during your run.

Storyline

Jim is a normal earthworm, until a special "super suit" falls from the sky and allows him to operate much like a human, with his "worm-part" acting as a head and the suit acting as arms, body, and legs. Jim's task is two-fold, he must evade the game's many antagonists, who are after him because they want the suit back, and also rescue and protect Princess What's-Her-Name from them. The game plays out with Jim eluding and defeating all enemies, and saving Princess What's-Her-Name. However, not only does she not return Jim's affection, but she is also crushed by the flying cow that was launched at the beginning of the game by Jim himself.