Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy

• Release Date: November 09, 1999
• Genre: Shooter
• Style: Platform Shooter
• Similar Games: Earthworm Jim 2 (Sega Genesis), Earthworm Jim 2 (Sega Saturn), Earthworm Jim 2 (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), Earthworm Jim 2 (IBM PC Compatible), Earthworm Jim 2 (PlayStation)

Game Description

As owners of the Genesis and Super NES may recall, Earthworm Jim was once a simple and very ordinary worm. One fateful day, he discovered a large, ultra high-tech indestructible super space cyber-suit.

Through sheer luck, Jim's body fit perfectly in the neck ring of the suit and a miraculous transformation took place: the suit melded with Jim's soft wormy flesh and a superhero was born. The suit was equipped with a Plasma Blaster and gave Jim powers far beyond those of an ordinary worm.

In Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy, Evil Jim has stolen the Inter-Dimensional-Transporter-of-Doom from Professor Monkey-for-a-Head and is raising heck across the galaxy. Luckily, Earthworm Jim has constructed an Inter-Dimensional-Transporter-of-Goodness and is in hot pursuit of his villainous twin brother.

Your job in this game is to guide Jim through 12 levels of utter silliness and stop Evil Jim before he can assemble a super weapon. Using the transporter to move from level to level drains energy, so you must collect a certain number of power cells in each world before you can progress. You'll run, jump, swing (on chains) and slide in graveyards, jungles, bedrooms, subways, gardens and other exotic (and not so exotic) locations. You'll also ride in Pocket Rockets, flush yourself in toilets across space and time, and float around using Jim's snot!

While you look for power cells in each level, worm-eating plants, mutant sheep, zombie chickens, trashcans, bottomless pits and other enemies and obstacles will interfere with your progress. You'll also confront Smiley-Face and other archenemies. Obstacles should be avoided and enemies can be destroyed with Jim's standard blaster or with other weapons you can pick up, such as a rocket launcher or the Big Blaster.

Roots & Influences

Earthworm Jim made his debut in 1994's Earthworm Jim for both the 16-bit Genesis and Super NES platforms. Doug TenNapel created the animated annelid, who appeared in versions for the Sega CD, Game Boy and Game Gear before returning for a sequel in 1995's Earthworm Jim 2. The traditional 2D gameplay was brought to 3D in 1999 with the release of Earthworm Jim 3D for the Nintendo 64.

Review: Overall

One of the first things longtime Earthworm Jim fans will notice about Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy is that the superworm cannot use himself as a weapon. In the original 16-bit platformers, Earthworm Jim and Earthworm Jim 2, Jim could pull his body out of his super space cyber suit and wield it like a bullwhip. This was a fun and funny way to dispatch all manner of strange and unusual enemies. Luckily, the fast-shooting Plasma Blaster remains intact, and there are several cool weapons and items that you can collect. Especially clever is the snot you can use to bounce to otherwise unreachable heights, and the Pocket Rocket, which can take you anywhere in the level.

While it's not as pronounced or as funny, Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy maintains much of the comedic flavor of the series. Gun-totin' teddy bears and teleporting toilets are almost inherently funny. When shot, aliens split in half and skeletons fall apart. If you leave Earthworm Jim standing still long enough, he will begin meditating yoga-style. There are few (if any) laugh-out-loud moments in the game, but, if you are not sick of this brand of humor (as I am), you'll enjoy the various comic touches from level to level.

Speaking of levels, the ones in this game are huge. Each level has well over 100 Power Cells to find. Unfortunately, I found each search to be more of a chore than a form of entertainment, especially if you die just prior to achieving your goal and are forced to start over again at the beginning of a level. Despite the fact that the game has tight controls, amusing moments, crisp graphics and rockin' sound, there is very little fun to be had in having to go back and gather all those darn cells. Redundancy, mundane platform action and low intensity levels kill much of the replay value; you'll definitely be thankful for the password feature, which lets you bypass completed levels when you start a new game.

The Power Cells and other items in this game are very easy to find, and most of the enemies are easy to kill. The action picks up as you get deeper into the levels, but most gamers will beat Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 The Galaxy without too much trouble. The biggest challenge is to try and stay away from the holes and bottomless cliffs that appear throughout. Many times you will die when all you were trying to do was get to a lower portion of the playfield. Jumping blindly off platforms, not knowing whether you will land safely or plunge to your death, is an unfortunate and frustratingly unfair aspect of the gameplay. You can go from having 212 cells to zero cells in the blink of an eye.

Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy is an average 2D platform contest in a slick package. Hyperactive music, detailed graphics, comical props, a familiar character and big levels can't hide the fact that this is standard issue material. If you enjoy running around, jumping on platforms, avoiding obstacles, looking for seemingly endless amount of coin-like objects and using cool weapons to ward off humorous but nonthreatening enemies, this may be the game for you. I found it marginally interesting when it came time to advance to a new level or battle a major enemy, but tiresome more often than not.

Review: Enjoyment

The game looks and sounds better than it plays. The controls are solid, but hopping around and gathering up Power Cells gets old.

Review: Graphics

The levels and backgrounds look great. From the wood grain to the alien planet's surface to the tile floors of the laboratory, there is graphic detail to spare in this game.

Review: Sound

The music and sound effects are NES quality, which is not bad at all for the Game Boy Color.

Review: Replay Value

This is definitely the kind of game you'll want to beat one time, if only to see all the levels. However, I can't imagine wanting to do it all over again. I get bored just thinking about it.

Review: Documentation

The manual tells you exactly what you need to know.

Production Credits

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