If you were a fan of the original Earthworm Jim back in the 16-bit days, then chances are that the gaming nerd in you will love Gameloft’s spin on the hit SNES and Genesis title. Though the game remains true to the original, there are some changes. In this case, the changes are all for the better as Gameloft’s developers were careful not to muck up this cult classic.
The story: Jim’s a normal earthworm that sets out to rescue Princess What’s Her Name with the aid of his supersuit. Along the way he encounters different types of enemies with slightly different behavioral types. Crows still pull away at you when they get the chance, dogs still clamp down on you, hell hounds still chomp you, and the lawyer dude still hurl stacks of paper at you. To defend yourself, you can use Jim’s body as a whip or his big ol’ gun. The former is the stronger of your weapons.
New to the game is the different mini games and bonus levels. Occasionally, players will run into a large camera that triggers a game where you have to match Jim’s facial expression. It’s pretty silly, but the game itself was always noted for its humor.
Remember how the original was so hard that you used to get so mad that you’d hurl a controller, or, you know, do something radical like go outside to play? Well, that difficulty is still around. However, players also now have the “Normal” option that is tailored toward a more mainstream audience that may pick this game up from the Nintendo DSi shop. Even in the new easier difficulty, the game is still quite tricky (such as when you’re trying to cross platforms by swinging from hook to hook with the Jim-whip).
Graphically, this game has been given a facelift. The DSi version isn’t as well polished as Earthworm Jim HD, but it still does look very spiffy and runs smoother than the original. But this isn’t and shouldn’t be used as a major selling point of the game. There are much better games graphically for the DSi—Hero of Sparta and Assassin’s Creed being two of them. For a game that came out years ago and was given a make-over, it is the best it could get without major changes.
Playing the game itself is actually very simple. The controls are the directional pad for movement, X to shoot , A to jump, and B to whip. That’s it; nothing else is really needed. Casual gamers will appreciate this accessibility.
The audio is unchanged, which is good; the sound effects and music in Earthworm Jim are top notch. From the wacky voices, the dogs barking, the crows, the music (which ranges from classic to muzak), and the gag-reel sounds of farting flames shooting up in the “What the Heck” level.
Overall, Earthworm Jim for the DSi is the game that you remember from back in the day, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. For 500 DSi points, players will get a game that they’ll return to on a regular basis, because of its challenge, addicting gameplay, and humor. Most of all, it oozes fun.
And that’s what games were originally meant to do—be fun.
