Earthworm Jim – I is a 1994 run and gun platform game developed by Shiny Entertainment, featuring an earthworm named Jim, who wears a robotic suit and battles the forces of evil. The game was released for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System, before being subsequently ported to a number of other video game consoles.

It was well received by critics, and received a sequel, Earthworm Jim 2, in 1995. In 2009, Gameloft developed and released a remake for mobile phones and Nintendo DSi which was later ported to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as Earthworm Jim HD. In February 2018, Gameloft’s contract with Interplay ended and all of the ports developed by Gameloft were removed from digital stores.

Gameplay – Earthworm Jim – I

The game plays as a 2D sidescrolling platformer with elements of a run and gun game as well. The player controls Jim and must maneuver him through the level while avoiding obstacles and enemies. The player can use Jim’s gun as a method of shooting enemies, or his worm body as a whip for whipping enemies. The whip move also allows the player to grab hold of, and swing from, certain hooks in the game. Some levels have additional requirements beyond merely getting to the end of the level. For example, the level “For Pete’s Sake”, involves making sure the computer-controlled Peter Puppy character gets through the level unharmed, which is accomplished by whipping him to make him jump over pits, and defeating enemies before they can damage him. Failure to do so results in Peter lashing out at Jim, taking away from his health. Earthworm Jim – I

Levels commonly culminate with a boss battle. The game incorporates a large variety of villains in the boss battles, including Hickboy, Psy-Crow, Queen Slug-for-a-Butt, Evil the Cat, Bob the Killer Goldfish, Major Mucus and Professor Monkey-For-A-Head exclusive Robotic Chicken. Two villains made their only appearance in this game, Chuck, a junkyard man with a tendency to vomit bizarre objects, and Doc Duodenum, a crazed organ of a giant alien. Earthworm Jim – I

In-between most levels, a racing level called “Andy Asteroids” is played. Unlike the rest of the game, it places the viewpoint behind Jim. The player must direct Jim on his rocket, in a race against Psy-Crow, through a tube-like structure while collecting items and boosts and avoiding asteroids. If the player wins, the next level is started instantly. If the player loses, a boss fight against Psy-Crow must be won in order to progress to the next level. Earthworm Jim – I

Other variations in gameplay occur over the course of the game as well, such as a competitive bungee-jumping and fighting level, and an underwater maze that must be traversed both within a timelimit and without crashing too many times.^[10]