Earthworm Jim 3D
Encyclopedia
Earthworm Jim 3D is to date the last console game in the Earthworm Jim series
. It is a sequel to Earthworm Jim
and Earthworm Jim 2
. Created by Interplay
and based more on the television series
than the canon of the previous games, Earthworm Jim 3D was released for Nintendo 64
and PC
. While the game featured classic villains such as Psy-Crow and Professor Monkey-For-A-Head, it was criticized for falsely advertising on the game box that Evil the Cat was included. This omission was due to a rushed development cycle, leading to the removal of a number of game locations (some also appearing on the game box) in an attempt to meet the game's release date. And as such, a planned PlayStation version of the game was cancelled.
of the era, notably competing with Banjo-Kazooie
and Super Mario 64
. New locations in Jim's brain are opened up by collecting Golden Udders, and new levels in each location are opened by collecting Jim's marbles. Like previous Earthworm Jim games, despite many platforming elements, Jim's primary method of combat comes from shooting his blaster.
which by the time of release, had been off the air for more than three years. Also many locations displayed in early versions of the game are nowhere to be found in the released copy (such as a level set in a house, where Jim is ant-sized), and locations that were kept from early screenshots changed drastically before release. In some cases, entire characters were changed - originally, Evil the Cat was to be the boss of Fear, but was changed to Professor Monkey-For-A-Head at the last moment, although his face can be seen on the records and record needles in the level "Boogie Nights of the Living Dead". Additionally, Evil Jim, Earthworm Jim's evil twin
from the cartoon series, was reportedly a part of the game. Early screenshots and footage also display Jim riding his Pocket Rocket, with a fuel meter, in races and other missions, as well as snowboarding.
At the time, original series designer David Perry had sold the rights to the franchise. The characters had to be redesigned for the shift from side-scrolling 2D to free-roaming 3D. Perry and original series creator Doug TenNapel
were at first involved in the game as minor consultants, but their advice was dismissed for unexplained reasons, and they eventually left. TenNapel has since showed extreme hatred towards the game whenever talking about it, and Perry has expressed regrets over selling the franchise. Problems were still arising in the game as development started to near completion.
gave it a 6.3, praising the controls while also criticizing the camera, stating that it was on a "kamikaze
mission" to destroy the game. The PC version scored lower, with a rare 3.2; the review stated, "Earthworm Jim 3D has something to discourage all types of people from playing it" .IGN was slightly more forgiving for the N64 version, giving it a 7.3, praising sound, graphics, and presentation, but criticizing the camera and lasting appeal. They also stated that is was good for rent at best. The PC version also scored lower, with a 6.0 (passable). Heavy criticism targeted the lasting appeal, presentation, and sound, but they deemed it playable despite the camera problems. It was compared to Super Mario 64 and Rayman 2: The Great Escape, stating that they couldn't make it after these games.
Earthworm Jim (series)
Earthworm Jim is a series of side-scrolling platforming video games. First released in 1994, the series is noted for its shooting/platforming gameplay and humorous and edgy style....
. It is a sequel to Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim is a run and gun platform video game starring an earthworm named Jim in a robotic suit who battles evil. Created by Doug TenNapel and designed by David Perry, the game was developed by Shiny Entertainment and Playmates Interactive Entertainment, released by Sega for the Mega...
and Earthworm Jim 2
Earthworm Jim 2
Earthworm Jim 2 is a platform video game originally developed by Shiny Entertainment and released in 1995 in Europe, and 1996 in the US, it is a sequel to the 1994 original Earthworm Jim. Again, the game was created by Doug TenNapel with design from David Perry and music from Tommy Tallarico...
. Created by Interplay
Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment Corporation is an American video game developer and publisher, founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by Brian Fargo. The company had been a quality developer until they started publishing their own games in 1988, like Neuromancer and Battle Chess. The company was renamed...
and based more on the television series
Earthworm Jim (TV series)
Earthworm Jim is an American animated television series which appeared on Kids' WB! for two seasons from September 9, 1995 through December 13, 1996. It is based on the video game series of the same name...
than the canon of the previous games, Earthworm Jim 3D was released for Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. While the game featured classic villains such as Psy-Crow and Professor Monkey-For-A-Head, it was criticized for falsely advertising on the game box that Evil the Cat was included. This omission was due to a rushed development cycle, leading to the removal of a number of game locations (some also appearing on the game box) in an attempt to meet the game's release date. And as such, a planned PlayStation version of the game was cancelled.
Gameplay
Earthworm Jim 3D borrows much of its gameplay from other platformersPlatform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
of the era, notably competing with Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie is a platform and action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998...
and Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
. New locations in Jim's brain are opened up by collecting Golden Udders, and new levels in each location are opened by collecting Jim's marbles. Like previous Earthworm Jim games, despite many platforming elements, Jim's primary method of combat comes from shooting his blaster.
Plot
Earthworm Jim is hit by a flying cow that sends him into a coma. Jim awakens within his own mind and discovers he has gone insane. His past villains have entered his mind and if something doesn't happen soon, Jim will be in the coma forever. His super ego has been unleashed within his mind to stop the madness. To restore his sanity he must find the Golden Udders of lucidity. When Jim enters his mind, he finds out that his four mind chambers have been taken over by his worst fears. He must collect Golden Udders to unlock the other three chambers and Green Marbles to unlock the levels within the chamber. Jim defeats four villains who took over his mind chambers, and finally faces the personification of his trauma: Earthworm Kim.Main characters
- Earthworm Jim - The hero of the game. After getting hit by a falling cow, Jim's worst fears and anxieties were unleashed and are destroying his psyche. As a last line of defense, Jim's four worm brains embody Jim as his own superego, and send him out to collect his marbles to repair his damaged IQ. When he starts off the game, he's as smart as pond scum. More levels within Jim's brains open as Jim gets smarter.
- Peter Puppy - Earthworm Jim's friend. He basically tells Jim inside of his mind what happened after the cow fell on him and what to do about the resulting turmoil his mind is in.
- Snott - A boogerDried nasal mucusDried nasal mucus, pieces of which are colloquially known as bogeys in English and boogers in American, is commonly found in the nose and is a result of drying of the normally viscous colloidal mucus .-Formation:...
who is also Jim's friend. He appears from time to time, giving Jim hints and telling him how to perform moves. - The Sacred Cow of Contemplation - A cow that controls the portals to Jim's brains. His powers can only be recharged when Jim finds Golden Udders. He is a master of disguise (i.e., he wears an afroAfroAfro, sometimes shortened to fro and also known as a "natural", is a hairstyle worn naturally by people with lengthy kinky hair texture or specifically styled in such a fashion by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair...
in Fear, a chef hat in Happiness, a cowboy hat in Fantasy and an army hat in Memory). - Psy-Crow - the evil space crow who took over the "Memory" portion of Jim's mind.
- Fatty Roswell - alien chef who entered Jim's "Happiness" mind chamber to find the recipe of the Ultimate Burger.
- Professor Monkey-For-A-Head - the mad professor has taken over "Fear" section of Jim's mind.
- Bob the Killer Goldfish - Jim's old nemesis who, along with his henchman Number 4, has taken over "Fantasy" mind chamber.
- Earthworm Kim - Jim's suppressed feministic persona, she is the personification of Jim's trauma and the final opponent of the game. If all green marbles are collected, she is unlocked as a playable character (with Earthworm Jim as the final boss).
Development
During its drawn-out three year development cycle, Earthworm Jim 3D changed publishers several times. This caused some problems as the game was based on the Earthworm Jim TV seriesEarthworm Jim (TV series)
Earthworm Jim is an American animated television series which appeared on Kids' WB! for two seasons from September 9, 1995 through December 13, 1996. It is based on the video game series of the same name...
which by the time of release, had been off the air for more than three years. Also many locations displayed in early versions of the game are nowhere to be found in the released copy (such as a level set in a house, where Jim is ant-sized), and locations that were kept from early screenshots changed drastically before release. In some cases, entire characters were changed - originally, Evil the Cat was to be the boss of Fear, but was changed to Professor Monkey-For-A-Head at the last moment, although his face can be seen on the records and record needles in the level "Boogie Nights of the Living Dead". Additionally, Evil Jim, Earthworm Jim's evil twin
Evil twin
The evil twin is an antagonist found in many different fictional genres. They are physical copies of protagonists, but with radically inverted moralities. In filmed entertainment, they can have obvious physical differences with the protagonist—such as facial hair, eyepatches, scars or distinctive...
from the cartoon series, was reportedly a part of the game. Early screenshots and footage also display Jim riding his Pocket Rocket, with a fuel meter, in races and other missions, as well as snowboarding.
At the time, original series designer David Perry had sold the rights to the franchise. The characters had to be redesigned for the shift from side-scrolling 2D to free-roaming 3D. Perry and original series creator Doug TenNapel
Doug TenNapel
Douglas Richard "Doug" TenNapel is an American musician, animator, Eisner Award-winning artist, author, essayist and Christian. He is best known for creating Earthworm Jim, a character that spawned a famous video game, cartoon series, and toy line.-Early life:TenNapel was born and raised in the...
were at first involved in the game as minor consultants, but their advice was dismissed for unexplained reasons, and they eventually left. TenNapel has since showed extreme hatred towards the game whenever talking about it, and Perry has expressed regrets over selling the franchise. Problems were still arising in the game as development started to near completion.
Reception
Reviews towards Earthworm Jim 3D were mixed. Earthworm Jim 3D was thought to be a solid platforming game with a good selection of levels and weapons, but with terrible camera controls and a lack of any big innovations. GamespotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave it a 6.3, praising the controls while also criticizing the camera, stating that it was on a "kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
mission" to destroy the game. The PC version scored lower, with a rare 3.2; the review stated, "Earthworm Jim 3D has something to discourage all types of people from playing it" .IGN was slightly more forgiving for the N64 version, giving it a 7.3, praising sound, graphics, and presentation, but criticizing the camera and lasting appeal. They also stated that is was good for rent at best. The PC version also scored lower, with a 6.0 (passable). Heavy criticism targeted the lasting appeal, presentation, and sound, but they deemed it playable despite the camera problems. It was compared to Super Mario 64 and Rayman 2: The Great Escape, stating that they couldn't make it after these games.