Review: Earthworm Jim HD

Game: Earthworm Jim HD
Format: Xbox Live Arcade
Developer: Gameloft and Interplay
Publisher: Gameloft

To say that Earthworm Jim has a rabid fanbase would be an understatement. Despite only featuring in a handful of games, Earthworm Jim managed to capture the imagination of a generation over 15 years ago when it was first released on the Sega Megadrive. The original game was ported over to every console under the sun at the time, and was eventually remade for the Sega CD with better graphics and a new sound track.

So you could say that Earthworm Jim has a history with remakes. Now Gameloft have taken the beloved classic and brought it over in shiny smooth, crystal clear HD for the current generations of consoles. But in doing so, has the game lost that initial magic?

The most striking thing about Earthworm Jim is the graphical overhaul. Gameloft have put in a lot of work in making the game look as good as possible. It has a very charismatic cartoon look, with wonderfully crisp and clear graphics. The music has also been reworked, using actual instruments rather than the old tiny synthesiser tunes of the past. As someone that still owns Earthworm Jim on the Sega Megadrive, I was incredibly impressed with how good the game looks and sounds.

The new graphics are stunning

In terms of gameplay, this HD remake of Earthworm Jim is exactly the same as the original version of the game. Armed with a machine gun, Jim has to navigate his way through a series of sizeable levels, fending off crows, dogs, demons, and steroid enhanced Cats, to name but a few enemies. There is something gloriously ridiculous about the character designs that constantly bombards you with 90s chic (if such a thing exists).

In order to navigate gaps Jim can use his worm body to latch on to hooks, allowing him to swing. Alternatively Jim can spin his head like a helicopter propeller, allowing him to glide over gaps. As well as being used for navigation, Jim uses his worm body as a whip, which proves useful in fending off enemies and turning cranks.

Between levels Jim races against his arch enemy, Psy-Crow (a crow in a yellow space suit) through a wormhole in outer space on a rocket. You must avoid asteroids and defeat your rival  using speed boosts and a shield pick-ups in the process. Losing the race means you must face against Psy-Crow in an impromptu boss fight, which can potentially use up precious extra lives.

The new levels may feature some fairly bland backgrounds, but they still feel authentic

It is in these races that you earn extra continues by collecting at least 50 blue orbs. At first the game is easy enough that you will not feel that you really need the continues. However, around the fourth level the difficulty ratchets up, making every extra life and continue count.

Anyone that played the original game will remember that it was incredibly hard. Fortunately, Gameloft have offered two new difficulties; easy and normal, as well as the game’s original difficulty. As previously mentioned, the opening levels are easy enough and it’s not until you reach about the halfway mark in the game that it suddenly becomes incredibly challenging. I actually find myself really enjoying the first few levels, and becoming incredibly frustrated with the latter half of the game, despite the new easier difficulties.

This is my own personal hell

Of particular note are the underwater levels, in which Jim must navigate an incredibly fragile glass submarine through a series of tight rocky path ways. If the fragility of the submarines didn’t make it challenging enough, you only have a limited air supply, which means you will have to balance speed and efficiency with care and accuracy. I personally hate the underwater levels and really wished that Gameloft had cut them out altogether, but that is just my own personal preference.

Gameloft have also included 3 unlockable entirely new levels, which feature new enemies including robot wasps and a jet pack wearing granny. While the backgrounds for these levels come across as being fairly uninspired, they feel genuinely authentic thanks to the character designs and music.

Also included is a new 4 player co-op mode that can be played both online and locally with four different coloured Jims for the players to control. These levels are based on the levels of the main game, but with a multiplayer twist. I was reminded of the 4 player co-op in last year’s ’Splosion Man, which has proven to be a bit of a mixed bag. While it is a welcome addition, it can prove to be a little frustrating if you are playing with someone that does not know what they are doing, or enjoys winding up other players.

The final Gameloft addition to this pack is Avatar rewards. As well as offering a fairly generic Earthworm Jim T-shirt, after completing one of the new single player levels you are rewarded with your own version of Jim’s Spacesuit. As far as novelties go, this is a pretty good one that should offer at least some amusement.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 5/5 – Gameloft have done a spectacular job in cleaning up the original graphics. The character designs and animations are smooth and clear, making the game look better than ever.

Sound: 4/5 – The music has been rerecorded, replacing the original tinny sounding synthesiser music completely. There is no real voice acting per say, apart from the odd “groovy!” and “woah Nelly!” that Jim will yell out at specific points.

Story: 1/5 – Those looking for an epic story need to look elsewhere. The only real story in this game comes at the introduction: Psy-Crow is after the space suit, it crash lands on earth (landing on top of Jim) and then the game begins. There is no real explanation for why Jim does what he does. But does that really matter?

Gameplay: 4/5 – There is a nice variety ranging from your standard run-and-gun platforming, to the dreaded underwater submarine levels, to a bungee jump battle against a man made of snot. Multiplayer adds depth to the whole package, but can be frustrating at times.

Longevity: 3/5 – The single player game can be completed in under one hour if you are particularly good at it. However, there are three new levels that will add on some extra time, as well as the reasonably lengthy multiplayer mode.

Overall: 4 Roided out Cats out of 5. Gameloft have done a spectacular job in bringing this 16 bit classic to modern audiences. The only real downside is the harsh difficulty spikes. Earthworm Jim is a must have remake for fans of the series and should definitely be tried by those that never had the chance to play the original.

[starreview tpl=16]

Earthworm Jim HD is currently available to download on Xbox Live for 800 Microsoft points (about £6.80) and will be available on Playstation Network and the Wii virtual Console soon.

- Luke Mears

Tags: 360, arcade, dave perry, Earthworm Jim, gameloft, Luke Mears, Mightyles, n00b, network, Newb, Noob, Playstation 3, PSN, remake, Review, Virgin, virtual console, Wii, xbox

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