Earthworm Jim 2 - GBA

Also known as: Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy

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Also for: PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Saturn, Sega Megadrive, SNES
Viewed: 2D Side-on, Scrolling Genre:
Platform
Arcade origin:No
Soft. Co.: Majesco
Publishers: Majesco (US)
Vivendi (GB)
Released: 29 Nov 2002 (GB)
2002 (US)
Ratings: 3+, ESRB Everyone
No Accessories: No Accessories

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Summary

Earthworm Jim is fondly remember by 16-Bit gamers, as it is by generations of games journalists, all of whom have received a fresh pair of hilariously branded underpants each time a new release has surfaced.

Now residing with Vivendi, Earthworm Jim makes his inevitable second appearance on Nintendo’s premier handheld, bringing a new and much-needed dose of quality 2D platform action to the shelves in spite of the widely held belief that there is no financial room for manoeuvre in the GBA niche gaming marketplace.

Earthworm Jim 2 has already had its fair share of releases, seeing incarnations on the MegaDrive, SNES, Saturn, Game Boy Color and PlayStation, making it one of the more platform-agnostic franchises of all time.

A veritable cash cow, Earthworm Jim is the key property that led to the success of the company charged with developing one of the most secret and hotly anticipated games in recent memory: The Matrix Reloaded.

Earthworm Jim 2 is a greatly overhauled remake of the original, and is a perfect example of developers deciding that, as the original game was a glowing success, they can now do whatever they see fit, and to brilliant, mind-boggling effect.

As a platform-blaster, EWJ2 is a fine example of its genre. Jim comes equipped with a deadly tail and a lasergun, with which he must dispatch enemies whilst making his way through nine well-constructed and hugely colourful and lengthy levels. Symptomatic of the 2D frustration that was abundant when Jim made his first appearances in video games (see ToeJam and Earl or Micro Machines for examples) the levels are amongst the strangest ever seen. A true piece of early 1990's game design.

For fans of the genre that have exhausted Nintendo’s beautiful duo of Mario World and Yoshi’s Island, portable retro gaming enthusiasts could do far worse than embarking upon one of the strangest 2D platform adventures ever.

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