Earthworm Jim

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This article is about the video game series. For the character, see Earthworm Jim (character).

For the cartoon series, see Earthworm Jim (TV series).

Earthworm Jim<tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: center;">Image:Earthworm Jim.jpg</td></tr>
Developer(s)	Shiny Entertainment <tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)</th><td>Virgin Interactive (Mega Drive) Playmates Interactive Entertainment (SNES)</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Designer(s)</th><td>David Perry, Doug TenNapel</td></tr>
Release date(s)	Mega Drive/Genesis: June 9 1994 SNES: ^NA June 22 1994 ^EU January 26 1995 ^JPN June 23 1995 Nintendo Game Boy: 1995 Sega Mega-CD: March 15 1995 Sega Game Gear: ^NA 1995 ^EU] December 14 1995 Microsoft Windows 95 (PC) (also Windows 98 and Me compatible): November 30 1995 Microsoft DOS (PC): 1996 Nintendo Game Boy Advance: ^NA June 10 2001 ^EU] September 21 2001
Genre(s)	Platform shooter
Mode(s)	Single Player <tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)</th><td>VRC: GA ESRB: K-A ESRB: E (Game Boy Advance)</td></tr>
Platform(s)	Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, SNES, Sega Mega-CD, PC, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, Game Boy Advance <tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media</th><td>24Mbit cartridge (Original Mega Drive/Genesis version)</td></tr>

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Earthworm Jim

Earthworm Jim is a run and gun platform video game starring an earthworm named Jim in a robotic suit who battles evil. The game was developed by Shiny Entertainment, released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994, and subsequently ported to the SNES, Game Gear, Game Boy, and years later, the Game Boy Advance. Upon its release it was praised for its detailed animation, polished gameplay and wacky, absurdist humor; it became the first game ever to receive a 100% review in Games Master magazine. A special edition of the game was released for the Sega Mega-CD which features a Red Book audio soundtrack, improved graphics and expanded levels [1], and an even further enhanced version with redrawn, 256 colour graphics and an Earthworm Jim desktop theme, as well as all the Mega-CD improvements, was released for Microsoft Windows 95.

1 Plot
2 Levels
3 Sequels
4 Other media
5 Trivia
6 Ports
7 See also
8 External links
- 8.1 Fan sites

[edit] Plot

The storyline involves many colorful characters. Jim himself (a character designed by Doug TenNapel) was at first an ordinary Earth earthworm who did very earthworm-like things such as flee from crows and eat dirt. One day, in the space above Earth, the evil Psy-Crow had cornered a rebel spaceship pilot who had stolen an "Ultra-high-tech-indestructible-super-space-cyber-suit" built by Professor Monkey-For-A-Head. The suit had been commissioned by the evil Queen Pulsating, Bloated, Festering, Sweaty, Pus-filled, Malformed, Slug-for-a-Butt so that she could further conquer the galaxy. In the ensuing space fight, the suit was dropped to Earth, and fell on Jim. By a stroke of luck, Jim managed to land within the collar of the suit, and it ended up mutating him into the large and intelligent (at least by earthworm standards) superhero he is today.

Jim overhears Psy-Crow talking to Queen Slug-for-a-Butt about the scorch marks left by the suit and her plans for her sister, Princess What's-Her-Name. Jim thus sets out to rescue the princess, fighting many enemies along the way, such as Major Mucus, Chuck and Fifi, Evil the Cat and Bob the Killer Goldfish.

[edit] Levels

New Junk City - Jim's quest begins here. He must make it through a dangerous junkyard while dealing with crows and a poodle named Fifi. At the end of the level, he must face off with the junkyard's owner, Chuck.
- More Junk - This level appears in the Special Editions as an expansion to the first level. Here, Jim's suit is gone and he must slide on various ramps and avoid dangerous hazards to get back into the suit. The fight with Chuck is moved to this level, with a toilet in his place leading to the level.
Andy Asteroids? - Taking place between each level of the game, this is a race between Jim and Psy-Crow. Jim will have to avoid asteroids while collecting speed boosts.
- Psycrow! - A penalty level if Jim loses the race. Here, Jim is forced to fight Psy-Crow. The farther the game progresses, the more hits Psy-Crow can take.
What the Heck? - This level takes place on Planet Heck. Jim is at odds against fire, evil spirits, and lawyers. The snowman's part of the level has been expanded in the Special Editions. At the end of the level, Jim must face Evil the Cat and destroy his nine lives.
Big Bruty - This level is exclusive to the Special Editions, and is the only level without an Andy Asteroids level preceding it. Jim explores an eerie landscape and must outsmart a blind dinosaur named Big Bruty, who will eat Jim instantly, given the chance, taking away an entire life.
Down the Tubes - This level puts Jim in an underwater base. A prominent enemy found here is #4, a burly black cat who would attack Jim if they run into each other.
- Tube Race - A continuation of Down the Tubes, this level has Jim navigating a pod through a rocky path before time runs out. The level ends with an encounter with Bob.
Snot a Problem! - A bungee jumping showdown between Jim and Major Mucus. The only dangers here are Jim's bungee cord breaking and being attacked by Mucus Phlegm Brain. The level takes place in three rounds against the Major.
Level 5 - Prof. Monkey for a Head's laboratory. Jim has to deal with the Professor's bizzare experiments, including a mechanical chicken at the end of the level. After seemingly defeating the Robo-Chicken, there is a flash of light, and Jim starts falling down a seemingly infinite pit while again being attacked by the chicken.
- Who Turned Out the Light? - A secret level within Level 5, Jim ends up in complete darkness and must make his way though it.
For Pete's Sake! - Jim must help Peter Puppy get back home while protecting him from various hazards. If Peter somehow gets hurt, he turns into a monster and brings Jim back to where the obstacles begin.
Intestinal Distress! - This level is not present in the SNES version of the game. The setting here is made up of large intestines, with Doc Duodenum waiting at the end of the level. A different version of this level is present in the GBA port.
Buttville - The final level of the game. In the beginning, Jim needs to use his rotating head/helicopter ability to safely float down to the bottom of the level while avoiding the walls lined with spikes. This part of the level is commonly called "Use Your Head" by fans, after a phrase in the game's manuals. The rest of the level sees Jim dealing with various insects and fighting the Queen.

Image:Earthworm Jim Nintendo.gif

[edit] Sequels

A sequel, Earthworm Jim 2, was released in 1995 for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation, SNES and PC, and a port was later released for the Game Boy Advance. Although the first title retains the same platforming gameplay throughout most of the game, many of the stages in the sequel feature some bizarre twist or gimmick, requiring the player to adapt to a new control system. For example, one level requires Jim to burrow through dirt using his gun; another is presented as an isometric shoot 'em up; in another the character wears a salamander suit and must be guided through an intestine lined with villi.

Two further games, Earthworm Jim 3D (1999, PC, Nintendo 64) and Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy (1999, Game Boy Color), were produced without the involvement of Shiny and were met with mediocre to poor reviews. Earthworm Jim also starred as a fighter on Interplay's Nintendo 64 title, Clay Fighter 63 1/3 in 1997 and the Blockbuster rental, Clay Fighter 63 1/3: Sculptors Cut in 1998. In the original, Jim was a default character, however in the Sculptor's Cut, he was required to be unlocked. Also in the game, he and Boogerman hold a strong rivalry between one another.

Earthworm Jim PSP (working title) promises a re-imagined adventure for the PlayStation Portable. It is to be an enhanced remake, although it is being made by a different team and will incorporate new level designs, it promises to retain the feel and fun of the original to Earthworm Jim game. It features an all new 3D graphic style, while still being reminiscent of the original. It is planned for a 2007 release.

[edit] Other media

Though today Earthworm Jim is primarily recognized as a video game character, Doug TenNapel always intended his character to appear in many diverse entertainment media.

An animated television series was thus produced and created by TenNapel, and aired from 1995 to 1996, with Dan Castellaneta providing the voice for the title character. Other voices were provided by Andrea Martin, Kath Soucie, and Ben Stein. It is usually considered as being one of the best cartoons based on video games.

Main article: Earthworm Jim (TV series)

A line of action figures based on the cartoon were also produced (although a miniature figure of Major Mucus, who had not appeared in the cartoon, was included with the Psy-Crow figure). A second line was planned (featuring a figure of Chuck, who also had not appeared in the cartoon), but canceled.

Two separate Earthworm Jim comics were published: one in the United States, and one in the UK. Aside from featuring the same characters, the two comics were completely unrelated. The UK comics were based more on the cartoon series than the original games. The US comics, printed under the Marvel Comics Absurd label, consisted of a three-issue story arc attempting to bridge the gap between the games and the television show, with mixed results.

Currently, series composer Tommy Tallarico is planning a release of an Earthworm Jim Anthology album featuring tracks from the Mega-CD/Saturn versions of the original games, "live" versions of said tracks, and fan-made rearrangements chosen from OverClocked ReMix.

[edit] Trivia

Creator Doug TenNapel provided the voice of Earthworm Jim in the first two games and Dan Castellaneta played Jim in Clay Fighter 63 1/3, Earthworm Jim 3D and the animated series.
Shiny have also made references to Earthworm Jim in their later titles; their game Sacrifice features an earthworm-like god called James, and there were additional references in the game MDK.
Over ten years after its original release, Earthworm Jim was the featured game in Nintendo Power's first ever edition of Playback.
On the PC CD-ROM version of the game there is an Assets folder, containing the said desktop theme and another folder named EWJ_DT00. This folder contains a picture of a boy wearing a white Snoopy shirt standing next to a screen, the words "Tin with 1,000,000 points in Activision's Laser Blast, from 1982." written in white at the top. The remaining file is a wave file 26 seconds long of someone cussing while playing Earthworm Jim, with increasing frustration due to repeatedly "getting hurt" on the game.
The music for "What the Heck?" initially starts with the opening of a tone poem named Night on Bald Mountain, but then quickly cuts to gratingly annoying elevator music.

[edit] Ports

Game Boy

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Fan sites

Earthworm Jim
Games:	Earthworm Jim \| Earthworm Jim 2 \| Earthworm Jim 3D \| Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy \| ClayFighter 63 1/3 \| Earthworm Jim PSP
TV series:	Earthworm Jim (TV series)
Heroes:	Earthworm Jim \| Snott \| Peter Puppy \| Princess What's-Her-Name
Villains:	Psy-Crow \| Queen Slug-for-a-Butt \| Evil the Cat \| Professor Monkey-For-A-Head \| Bob the Killer Goldfish \| Evil Jim
Other topics:	List of Earthworm Jim characters \| List of Earthworm Jim locations \| List of Earthworm Jim items