Earthworm Jim 3D

About Earthworm Jim 3D

Earthworm Jim 3D dropped on October 31, 1999, as the third entry in the series after Shiny Entertainment lost control of the franchise. Interplay handed the reins to VIS Interactive, who struggled with a messy development cycle before releasing this 3D platformer on Nintendo 64 and PC. The premise sees Jim hit by a cow and waking up inside his own mind to fight off his fears. It was supposed to be a major leap forward for the character, but the final product felt like a rushed attempt to capture the 2D magic of the first two games in a new dimension.

Gameplay

You run through levels collecting green marbles and golden udders to unlock new areas inside Jim's brain. The controls feel floaty compared to the snappy movement of the original sprites. You jump, shoot with your blaster, and use the suit's vacuum ability to grab items or enemies. Boss fights happen in four distinct mind chambers where you face villains like a giant chicken head or a sentient toaster. The camera angles often fight you during tight jumps, making precise platforming frustrating rather than fun. You spend most of your time trying to figure out which path leads to the next objective while dealing with inconsistent hitboxes.

What Players Think

The reception was rough from day one and hasn't changed much since. IGDB lists a score of 53.3 out of 100 based on just twelve ratings, showing very little consensus among players who actually tried it. Reviewers consistently mentioned that the charm vanished in translation to three dimensions. The average playtime hovers around four hours for most users who finish the main campaign without getting stuck in the confusing level layouts. Community mood tags mostly reflect frustration or nostalgia for the 2D games, with very few positive sentiment markers. Critics called the game sloppy despite years of development, a sentiment echoed by players who found the experience disjointed and unfinished.

PlayPile's Take

This title is only worth your time if you are a completionist hunting for obscure late-90s platformers or need to see every achievement in the series catalog. At its current low rating and with a price tag that often fluctuates, it offers poor value compared to the original Earthworm Jim games. The single-player campaign drags on while feeling mechanically broken. You will likely finish the four boss fights and move on without wanting to revisit this specific nightmare of a game. Skip it unless you are collecting every entry in the franchise for historical documentation purposes.

Storyline

Earthworm Jim is hit by a flying cow that sends him into a coma. Jim awakens within his own subconscious and discovers he has gone insane. His past villains have entered his subconscious and if something doesn't happen soon, Jim will be in the coma forever. His super ego has been unleashed within his subconscious to stop the madness. To restore his sanity he must find the Golden Udders of lucidity. When Jim enters his subconscious, he finds out that his four mind chambers have been taken over by his worst fears. He must collect Golden Udders to unlock the other three chambers and Green Marbles to unlock the levels within the chamber. Jim defeats four villains who took over his mind chambers, and finally faces the personification of his trauma: Earthworm Kim.