"Heeeeeeeeeere's Jimmy!"

What do you get when you have a hospitalized hero in bed seriously injured and a smaller version of himself inside himself? You get Earthworm Jim, a worm-headed character with superhero-like clothes. You'll have to fight through your memory, fear, happiness, etc. as you struggle to save yourself from your fatal state. You're armed with various weapons, you have a friend named Snott who guides you through, and you'll meet a cast of characters on your journey, like General Pluckitt, the sacred cow and King Gherkin. The gameplay has some of the main platformer elements, some mild humor, and a pretty high rate of action.

Graphics
7/10
The graphics are above average, somewhat good, but not that detailed. You start out in the brain, and then continue through your different emotions and feelings, running through a barnyard, a murky swamp, a graveyard, and places filled with giant food. The characters are designed well, and have their differences. Something interesting to note is that when you go in front of your eyes you can see the outside world. Well, not really, but you can see a doctor looking at you and the wall behind him.

Story
8/10
The story is definitely different from most platformers (save the world). This time, you have to save yourself. Rather, you are the world. As a hero, you wind up in the hospital after a fatal injury. You have small chance of living, but wait... There's a smaller version of yourself- and you have to work your way through your different types of emotions, moods and feelings. There are also some characters who will ask for help, and have a reward with them that they'll willingly hand out, if you can complete their task. The story stands out from other platformers, but the gameplay doesn't. But that's not the point right now...

Gameplay
7/10
The game uses most platformer elements: jumping on crates, evading enemy attacks, pulling switches opening up new doors, etc. The gameplay may entertain you at times, (the enemies show good promise at times) and might sometimes just give you nostalgia. But, like modern day games, we also have weapons. The collection, I'll have to admit, is an impressive one: a regular blaster and surprisingly, a leprachaun launcer! That's right, you launch leprachauns out your gun, they cover a moderate range, but can do some serious damage. (There are more, but let's not get spoiled) Enemies require patience to beat, as some shoot rockets which you have to dodge by crouching down. You have to wait for an opening, and sadly, you'll have to keep an eye on the enemy as they move about a lot. The collectibles are marbles (apparently you've lost your marbles) and golden udders. The camera is quite uncomfortable, as you can't set it to your mouse. In fact, unless you have a joystick, you'll find yourself struggling with the controls. Overall, the gameplay, I'll say, above average, almost good.

Audio
6/10
There isn't that much voice acting, there is hardly any music, and the sound effects have low volume even on their max. But the sounds are more or less good, and whenever you get a new weapon or enter a new level you hear something random getting said, e.g. when you get the leprachaun launcher, Jim goes, "Leprachaun!" or when you enter the brain you hear a voice say, "And it's a really big one!" Pretty good, but no super.

Playtime/Replayability
6/10
This all depends on your skill. You may have a hard time finding your preffered control scheme, and the AI is pretty skilled. It may take a while to complete, and replaying it probably won't entertain you much. It's a platformer that shows moderate promise, but is not top banana. So, meh, what else can I say?

Final Rankings/ Summary

Graphics: 7/10
Story: 8/10
Gameplay: 7/10
Audio: 6/10
Playtime/ Replayability: 6/10
Should I Buy It?: Yes.
Final Score: 6/10.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 12/22/06