Overall 8.9 Graphics 8 Sound 9 Addictive 6 Story 5 Depth 8 Difficulty 7
7.8
Earthworm Jim 2 G789
Earthworm Jim 2 was developed by Shiny Entertainment (same as the first game), and came out in 1996. This game was originally developed for Sega Genesis, and was released/ported onto other systems. My experience reflects the SNES version of Earthworm Jim 2 (EJ2), although the gameplay is very much the same between SNES & Sega. Some notable differences in the sequel VS the first game is that there is more variety between levels. EJ2 is primarily a platformer, but a large handful of levels break away from this formula. Personally, I think the sequel is also easier to play through than the first game, though I'm sure there may be debate regarding that subject. The gameplay itself is very similar to the first Earthworm Jim so gamers who enjoyed the first game should continue to love EJ2.
Graphics: 8The graphics are similar to that of the first EJ game. In fact, the backgrounds may be more polished in EJ2. In other words, the graphics are good. Nothing particularly amazing, but they fit the game well, and do not obstruct actual gameplay.
Sound: 9I've always appreciated the diverse music of EJ2. One of my favorite tracks is the music in the first level, but the whole soundtrack for the game is really good. I also like the Beethoven pieces that are included in some of the levels. In essence, it's difficult for me to describe, in words, the actual music of EJ2, as it's very eclectic.
Addictiveness: 6EJ2 is not a particularly addictive game. I believe it's meant to be played in a single play through, but there is a password system to help ease progression through the game. I suppose completionists who are looking to obtain every single power up may find addictive potential as there tend to be lots of relatively hidden items/goodies in various levels.
Story: 5Earthworm Jim's charm often lies within its humor and randomness. There's really not much to say about its story; it's basically summed up within the title screen: the nefarious Psycrow has kidnapped Princess What's-Her-Name and Jim must go through a bunch of levels to reach her. I'm almost tempted to grade this subject as N/A because EJ is not a game played for its story, it's best enjoyed in terms of its gameplay and overall wackiness. It's about the journey!
Depth: 8When I think about depth, I think about the variation within the game itself of which there are many. One of the first notable things, Jim has an arsenal of different guns. These aren't readily available, but must be acquired as power ups during a given level. Ammunition does carry over. As for each level itself, there are classic platformer levels with Jim jumping around, but some notable levels that differ in style are
Puppy Love, The Flying King, Inflatable Head, Villi People, etc. Even some of the platformer levels have certain objectives or attributes that make it separate from convention (e.g. the final level). There are some fun asides within certain levels; one shining example is when Jim is suddenly in a game show format in which he must answer a random assortment of questions, often times both the question the answer choices make no sense, but I found the whole segment to be pretty humorous.
Other than extra/hidden power ups between levels, there aren't too many secrets hidden within them on the whole. EJ2 is a fun game to play, but admittedly replays of the game don't differ beyond adjusting the difficulty level, or any artificial barriers/challenges the player choose to impose.
Difficulty: 7This game doesn't strike me as super difficult, I stated earlier that I felt EJ2 was easier than its predecessor (cough cough, Tube Race), but there are 2 levels that I found
difficult, or perhaps better described as annoying, which is why I rated this as high as I did. I go into detail below:
*LEVEL SPOILERS* The Flying King is essentially an escort mission that plays out like a shoot-em-up game where Jim flies through an auto-scrolling level and must push a balloon, then detonate it at the end. However, there are tons of obstacles that get in the way, many of which physically push the balloon back, forcing you to change direction to go back and get it. Also, it's possible for you to destroy the balloon too early requiring the player to go back to the beginning, and escort it once again.
Udderly Abducted required Jim to rescue cows so that their milk can fill a bucket, lifting the gate to the rest of the level. This is one of the platformer stages, but gets pretty annoying because Jim is defenseless while carrying each cow, and this level contains UFOs that will abduct the cow, forcing you to go back to where it originally spawned to try and carry it over again. I just felt this particular level was a little monotonous.
*END SPOILERS*Overall: 7.8EJ2 is a fun platformer game, even in spite of the exceptions mentioned above that maintain the same good graphics and great music the first game had, not to mention some of the insane settings for levels/enemies. Some improvements/changes in EJ2 come in the form of multiple guns for use, great variation in level types, and a password system that help to make the game more user friendly, specifically in terms of difficulty. While the game is not particularly addictive or story-oriented, it's meant to be taken in stride for its gameplay and the levels contained therein. For those who enjoyed the first game, EJ2 expands upon it, while embracing its randomness. For newcomers, this is a lesser known franchise worth playing at least once. EJ2 is a gem of a platformer for the SNES, and its other respective consoles.
Graphics 8 Sound 9 Addictive 6 Story 5 Depth 8 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 4.7/5
Submitted: 01-10-15
Review Replies: 2
Button Codes
Pause the game, then press:
Effect Code
10 Extra Metal Worms A, A, B, A, A, Y, B, Y
3-Finger Gun X, X, X, X, A, A, X, Select
81 Meal Worms A, B, A, B, A, B, A, B
Ammo Refill Select, X, X, X, X, X, X, Select
Barn Blaster X, X, X, X, A, B, X, Select
Bomb Teleport X, X, X, X, B, B, B, B
Bright Pause Screen A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A
Bubble Gun X, X, X, X, A, B, A, Select
Debug Mode Select, Left, Right, A, X, X, Left, Right
Energy Refill X, Select, X, B, X, Select, X, A
Energy Refill (One Use) A, B, X, Select, Select, X, B, A,
Extra Continue A, Select, A, B, X, Y, X, Y
Extra Life Left, Select, Right, Select, Left, Select, Right, Select
Homing Missiles X, X, X, X, A, A, B, Select
Invincibility A, A, X, A, Left, Right, Right, Left
Invisible Soil (Only in Soil level) A, A, B, A, A, X, B, Select
Map View Mode Select, Select, Select, Select, Select, Select, B
Mega Plasma Gun X, X, X, X, A, A, A, Select
Skip to End of Game Select, Left, Right, L, R, Left, Right, Select
Stage Skip Select, B, X, A, A, X, B, Select
Super Cheat Code Select, Left, Right, A, X, X, Left, Right
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