One of those games I got to the very end as a kid on my own, and got my ass kicked at the end and knowing how costly “lives” were in these old arcade games. Knowing I had to start all the way over from the beginning. Feeling unsatisfied from not finishing the game, the journey and, most of all, the gameplay are what’s important here. This is just one of those games that I wish I could re-experience again. It’s off the wall, it’s absurd with its zany cartoony humor, it even fucking introduced me to Beethoven and Mozart??? But most of all it’s got lots of GUNS. AND THEY GO BOOM. And your best pal is a giant booger.

I fucking love Earth Worm Jim 2 ok.

when people say ''style over substance'' i think they are referring to this game rather than stylized cool well developed indies, this is a clear example of great art and music with downright poor gameplay.
this is a game that thinks being ''Goofy Aah'' is more important than having a enjoyable gameplay, there are like 3 levels with normal gameplay, the rest is gimmick minigames, not even the base game is fun, the shooting feels off and jumping is unresponsive.

it also promotes animal cruelty, you either let puppies die or kill a raven!!
this is the last bad game by Nick Bruty, as he went on to make legends such as MDK and citizen kabuto, honestly i just pushed on to play these bealtiful garbos so i can get to mdk already

Playing Through My Evercade Collection Part 7: Interplay Vol 2

On one hand holy hell this is a much better experience than the first game. Levels are tighter, more interesting as a whole, mostly fairer and the animation of everything is gorgeous. Blasting through the various standard levels of this game is an absolute joy....

I said 'standard' levels though as this game has a bit of a problem with sticking to normal gameplay at any given time. Sometimes this is a good thing, the level where Jim has to blast away sand against the clock is a great time all round. The floaty head level, the one where you have to play as a cave salamander... all quite fun....

The shooting level? Uh.... Less so. And then PUPPY LOVE. Oh god. Its what happens when you take the Game & Watch fire game and make everything slippy as hell. Its really not fun. So naturally the game forces you to play this hell three separate times in a desperate attempt to hide the really short runtime that this game has. You'll be through this quite quickly. Not that its a 'bad' thing nowadays, just its notably quite a short game.

Overall the entire game certainly is a one step forward, one step back, one step into a sandpit full of mud sort of thing. Its fun but the issues hold it back from being amazing.

Once again its worth mentioning as well that Doug TenNapel is a gigantic piece of shit btw. Its still not relevant to how the game plays but its just worth mentioning and repeating yet again that Doug TenNapel is a gigantic piece of shit.

P.S: Its weird that on both the Evercade and Switch Online that the first game is the Megadrive edition.... But this game is the SNES edition... Its weird right? Im confused.

I’m not even gonna give a long length paragraph here, the GBA version of this game is atrocious. I played the SNES version a couple of years ago and it was good even if it has some crappy levels but this port is just something. If you thought the port of the first EWJ is bad then you need to play this.

First off the controls are similar to the console versions. You can jump and shoot with the face buttons which is simple enough. Select switches weapons which is good because I think the MD version lacked swapping. The whip attack is on R and then there’s this shield that protects you from hits if you hold L, though it’s inconsistent. Was this in the SNES version? I’ve never seen it before but I forgot it was there anyway. I’m gonna make it clear that I will probably get some stuff wrong about comparisons. So let’s talk about the actual issues.

The controls are terrible. The jump just feels so fast and you move fast doing it too. The whip feels terrible too, you have to not only hold it but you lose any movement in the air doing it. I swear I don’t remember that being the case in the SNES version. The collision for things is also inconsistent and doesn’t feel matched up a lot of the time. In the 2nd level, the collision felt so buggy that I grabbed onto the soil and I went to the top of that section immediately. At least the gunplay is fine but that is the only playable feeling thing this has.

The levels aren’t fun either because of the issues. The Villi People level was surprisingly terrible in this version. The collision on the walls is just broken like they don’t even sometimes come close to matching what the graphics show. The bumpers also just have inconsistent physics to them. They don’t even play the game show music in this version. You will be sick of hearing Moonlight Sonata because every song in this version sounds really bad. If you thought Puppy Love was the worst part of the game before, well prepare to hate it here. The screen crunch actually screwed me over once and I swear it’s impossible to rescue them all. The Flyin’ King level is also so painful with the screen crunch and it’s so easy to screw up and the final part of this level pisses me off.

Then, tragedy struck. After beating The Flyin’ King, the well done screen showed up and after that…black screen. It just never loaded anything. Even after using rewind to try again, black screen. I’m sorry for doing this but that’s where it ends for me. I can’t tell you why it happened. Should I feel thankful I didn’t have to suffer more? I don’t know. There are passwords but I felt kind of demotivated by then and plus they’re buggy. One of the passwords on Gamefaqs takes you to level 2 but you instantly die because it starts you with 0% health. How does that even happen? In fact almost all of the passwords start you with like 1 or 2 percent health. I’ve read the passwords can also take you to a null level that instantly kills you but I couldn’t figure out how to see it. I don’t even know how you get passwords in general and that goes for any version.

I could go on about issues like the brightness of this port or how one of Jim’s voice samples is pitched down for no reason or even the wrong timing on some sound effects like the accordion in the opening scene. It’s all just terrible, how did this happen? I guess it’s still beatable unless it crashes for you too but I don’t know why anyone would want to play this outside of massive curiosity. It’s fascinating that it even got released or even approved. I’m not sure if it’s the worst port on the system but it is down there. Avoid this version like you probably have been doing to begin with. No one should have to deal with a game like this. The worst sin of them all though is the cow in the back of the level complete scene doesn't smile anymore, shame on you. Still wish I could have beaten it though…

The good levels are better than EWJ1, but the bad levels are so bad that I think someone should actually be punished for them. Whoever came up with Puppy Love and determined it needed 3 rounds? I want that guy killed, clean shot. Level Ate consantly bombarding you with enemies and salt shakers? The Iron Maiden. The sick fucking monster who brought in the Flyin' King? The Baptist Hell. Suffer endlessly.

I want to rate this higher than Earthworm Jim 1 because there is stuff I love here: the animation is even better and more expressive, the game actually makes me laugh pretty consistently, it's pretty funny! The good levels like Udderly Abducted, Tangerines, Lorenzo's Soil, and Jim Is A Blind Cave Salamander are actually FUN and have INTERESTING GIMMICKS. But the rotten is like a limb blackened by frostbite, functionless and chipping off before your very eyes, and the only thing we need to do is get it to a hospital so amputation can happen.

A game that would gain more stars if content was actively REMOVED. Puppy Love is T.E.R.R.I.B.L.E. I cannot stand by For Pete's Sake being slandered while this nightmare is given a slap on the wrist. The fucking marshmallow you have to bounce the puppies off of has the most inconsistent hitbox in a game loaded with them by a company who is bad at them. It is a level so bad that I actively encourage cheating. If something fucking stinks: cheat. Don't feel bad about it, if it sucks, skip it. Under no circumstance should you beat Puppy Love how they actually intended, because they intended you to be a gaming God who can nail frame precise movements like you are fucking Simple Flips. You are not. I am not. Skip the shitty level.

Love this music though! It's known that Tommy Tallarico did not compose any actual music in his fucking life, and he especially didn't come up with any of the really great original music here. I highly doubt he even had the inspired choice to put Moonlight Sonata in the Salamnder level. It's a very fun soundtrack that once again has its name attached to a ding dong. Can't win with this franchise!

What I suggest is attributing every bad decision to Doug, notorious shithead. Puppy Love? His idea. Flyin' King? He programmed all of it! Level Ate? He wanted MORE Salt shakers! The game goes down so much easier once you do this.

Not as focused or infinitely as replayable as the original game, but still among my favorites. Every level is unique just like I praised in the first game, but in this case they're unique in a WAY more gimmicky way. There's very few normal levels to be found here, and almost no boss encounters. Which is wild considering the first game sometimes had 2 bosses per level. Instead of iterating on the run and gun gameplay this game will have you digging around in dirt, switching to an aesometric camera and having you guide a bomb as you ride a rocket...Inflating or deflating your head to fly around. One level is literally called "Jim is now a blind cave salamander" In which you hover around the dark as a cave salamander while Moonlight Sonata plays. When you hear 16 bit era game that invents new gameplay styles every single level you'd think the game would be a much bigger mess. But it's all very polished.

I find the first game more fun to replay at this point. I wouldn't say this one's quite as good at being permamently engaging to veteran players like the first game. At points I definitely am just going through the motions with this one (After beating it well over 15 times over the years that is) 2 Also leans more into the aburdist comedy cartoon angle. Which absolutely works, but the way the first game took itself seriously while also being so absurd is a bit more striking to me.

Both games have what could be considered filler levels between the actual levels. In 1, there was Andy's Asteroids and in 2 There's Puppy Love. Ironically the Puppy Love levels end up feeling more like padding than the Andy's Asteroids stages despite happening every 2 levels as opposed to Asteroids after EVERY level in the 1'st game. I like the Puppy one well enough but 4 rounds of it every time is a bit much. The asteroids for one felt like you were travelling to the next level so they fit in much more naturally, but they were short bursts with multiple complexities and risk vs. reward elements considering you could earn continues if you got 50 blue orbs AND won the race, and failing to win the race makes you fight a boss that's harder the farther in the game you are. Puppy love just isn't as dynamic, it's just a minigame that kills you if you fail. Again I like the level enough but it's very blatantly filler.

But ok this game's soundtrack is unbelievable. Especially if you're playing the PS1 or Saturn releases where they updated the songs with CD quality instruments. "Anything but Tangerines" and ESPECIALLY "Subterranean" go so hard I'm moved to tears. Unfortunately most of the rest of the soundtrack is largely classical music. Don't get me wrong, I love me some classical music and these are great renditions that fit great in their respective levels. They fit the tone and mood they're going for perfectly. But good heavens the first 2 levels OST absolutely sends me to another plane of existence. I know next to nothing about how this stuff works but it's like the composer decided to spend almost his entire allotted time putting together these 2 songs and had to resort to royalty free classical music everywhere else. It was beyond worth it to hear how those songs were given a glowup on the CD releases. You do not get ANYTHING that goes this hard on their soundtracks anymore.

So yeah pacing and level design isn't as timelessly tight as the first game for me but I still love this one. The official bootleg GBA port aside, just about every version of this game is good. The EWJ steam releases are based on the DOS releases, which for this game is ok, but it's unfortunately missing one of the best levels. The Sega Saturn release is by far the best of the bunch imo.

Pros: Incredible hand drawn 2-D animation, rivaling the best of western 2D animation in film, it's really top of the line, even to this day. The sense of humor is also wackier than ever, just a hodge podge of seemingly random silliness that shouldn't make sense when thrown together, and it doesn't, but the absurdity does make me laugh (the stairlift minigame with the falling grannies always got me, it's so good! Oh and the blind salamander level with Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata in the background? It's spectacular, haha!). And amongst the funnies, there's a good variety of gameplay scenarios, that I found mostly refreshing and fun. The main EWJ gameplay is pretty well done here too, Jim can whip his head around, swing around by the snot buddy in his backpack, and of course, Jim's Plasma Blaster gun, which has him stand in place while you can shoot and aim in all directions with an auto rapid-fire style, that feels, just, mmm, oh so good, just as it did in EWJ1. What EWJ2 introduces though, are new guns! Guns that go from useful and cool like the homing missile (shaped like a house) the Three-Finger blaster (a gun in the shape of a glove that gives you bullet spread), and the Barn Blaster (brick lookin gun that clears the screen with one shot)... to guns that are just a big ol joke, like the bubble blaster... which, heh, it's funny, it's good. The SNES version allows you to switch weapons on the fly, making it the superior version of EWJ2. Also, another aspect of this game that I find really well done, is the music. The aforementioned Moonlight Sonata is a highlight, for sure, but several new compositions like Anything But Tangerines and Lorenzen's Soil are legit great songs, I wouldn't attribute Tommy Tallarico to them, as he probably didn't compose them, but some poor shmuck on his team certainly deserves credit. But the best part of the game? The intermission cows between each stage congratulating you with a "Well done", as you can then make them repeat the phrase over and over again with different pitches and speed, using the A,B,X,Y buttons (something I think the SNES version had over the Sega version as well?)

Cons: There may be too many gimmick stages, I will say. I loved the variety, but they might've taken it a step too far... Particularly once you reach the stage 'The Flyin' King' you'll be whipping your head against a wall in frustration. There's the Puppy Love stages, where you bounce puppies across a stage, using a giant marshmallow, just like the Game & Watch game 'FIRE', and you play this same stage, at least three times, and at first it's really funny, it's a great time! Then... by the third time you come across this stage, you'll wish you were a mush of puppy goo flattened onto the ground yourself. Yeah, this game is a bit messy.

What it means to me: It was the mid 90s, we all loved Jim Carrey, absurd cartoonish outrageous and wacky humor was what we craved, and Earthworm Jim was just the right worm for the right time. I loved this game, more than the first game even. I rented this game so many times, and every time I got a kick out of it. One of those rare games (not made by Rare, no no, these guys were big rivals to Rare, heh) but one of those games that I actually beat as a kid, from a rent! I really did enjoy this one back in the day, truly. But time has been less kind to it, even though there's so much in it that has aged well, such as the music and animation. Not a bad time overall though.

Every frame of this game has me questioning my grip on reality.

I pull cows from flowers and protect them from aliens. I use a mouse in a cage to start a meat grinder and use it for transportation. I take a break from floating through an intestine pinball machine to participate in a game show. Have you called the men in white coats yet?

Even barring the surreal level themes, this game is bizarre metatextually as well: how are the difficulty spikes this sharp? How can a hour-long game have almost no consistency in terms of gameplay? How did anyone ever finish this game before the switch's rewind feature? This game is making me crazy.

If you want an acid trip, smoke some weed and watch a lets play. If you want a fair, balanced platformer, play something else.