Earthworm Jim HD | |
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Developer(s) | Gameloft |
Publisher(s) | Gameloft |
Platform(s) | Xbox 360 (XBLA) PlayStation 3 (PSN) Windows Phone |
Release |
Xbox Live Arcade
|
Genre(s) | Platform shoot 'em up |
Mode(s) | Single player, Multi-player |
Earthworm Jim HD is a high definition remake of the original Earthworm Jim video game. While the original was released in 1994 for the Sega Genesis and then ported to many other platforms, the remake was released digitally through Xbox Live Arcade on Xbox 360 on June 9, 2010 and then later through the PlayStation Network on the PlayStation 3 on August 3, 2010. While critics had mixed feelings with regard to how well the game had aged, they generally praised the new content, mainly the cooperative multiplayer mode.
The core gameplay is still left intact from the original. 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 head as a whip for whipping enemies.
While levels are faithfully recreated in the remake, it does not feature the original's secret level "Who Turned Out the Lights?", nor does it feature the "Big Bruty" level that was only present in the special edition version of the game. It does feature three new levels and other extra content, such as a boss fight against Pitch the Cat, a reference to "Keyboard Cat".Achievements were also added to the game. New difficulty settings, both easier and harder than the original, were also included.
The main addition to the gameplay is the inclusion of a 4 player cooperative online multi-player mode. The game contains new levels, not present in the original release, which can be played with up to four players both locally or over the internet, and involve teamwork-based puzzles and gameplay. There are fifteen multi-player levels in total.Achievements can also be unlocked in the multiplayer portion of the game, rewarding players for being "No. 1' in each Xbox Live multiplayer level".