You want to corner the market for computer games – then you need a cartoon to go with your product. Mario, Sonic, Zelda, Sam and Max all got the treatment, as did everones favourite garden creepy crawly, the one and only Earthworm Jim.
Launced in 1995 and diasapointingly ending a year latter the accidental star was a sure fire hit, receiving plaudits from critics and the general public alike. A catchy intro, funny names, a narrator and non other than Dan Castellaneta voicing our intrepid hero. Every possible base was covered other than the men and women in power been stupid.
The game followed many of the cartoons beats and like its brethren fell unexpectedly short, the game was a joy to behold and originality was it’s hallmark.
A bungee jumping contest with a demented ball of snot, a level with the worlds most vile cat and a soundtrack to match, the accursed underwater level, giant hamsters, end of level bosses that climax in a most excellent way, a space race against a psychotic crow and cows – always with the cows.
The game had it all and a sense of humour to boot, the damsel in distress is called Princess-What’s-Her-Name and Jim can be counted on to exclaim whoa nelly every so often. In the design of the levels the imagination of the boys and girls at Shiny Entertainment really comes to the fore.
A sequel and the compulsory 3d outing was pretty much it. No Christmas special, no tennis outing, no racing sim, no spin on the genre and a two player mode, no thought of shaking up the industry with slight role playing elements. Not even a game of golf to be seen. With all the accolades from the paying public and the high marks from the professionals it must only be matter of time before the nations most popular earthworm is up to his old tricks of saving the galaxy once more.
Groovy!
@DolefulDoug
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