SEGA Saturn

Earthworm Jim 2

Earthworm Jim 2 comes together in a tight little bundle that's packed with humor at every turn. Even better, it looks and sounds pretty. Couple that with solid character control and a challenging but rarely unfair level structure, and you have a game that will not only hold your interest long enough for you to finish it, but one that will keep you coming back for more.

EJ2 for the Saturn, remains one of the freshest, most enjoyable games ever made. Don't expect to find anything new in this edition of the game, though. Unlike the special edition of the first game for the Sega CD, EJ2 will enjoy no new material on Saturn. What it does have, though, are much better graphics and sound, which make him brighter, louder and well worth playing all over again.

Juego realmente divertido, cargado de un humor absurdo poco extendido en el mundo de los videojuegos (por no decir en el resto de mundos), gráficos sugestivos con una adaptación al nivel según si éste es alegre o melancólico, una jugabilidad con mucho juego entre minijuegos, uso de la astucia y unos niveles que, aunque no son muy numerosos, sí son complejos, únicos en sí mismos y largos. Obligatorio probar la segunda parte de este gusano idiota con un traje especial anabolizante.

The game is a collection of slick computer rendered backgrounds with a bunch of new weapons that doesn't stray too far from the winning formula the game had on the SNES or Genny, but it has been tightened up and enhanced in a number of areas.

What we've got here is EWJ2 with arranged music, new backgrounds with crazy parallax, some cool lighting and new surfin' cows...great! Especially if you've never played it before! This is the way to go for you first time Jim'ers. The only drag is they took out the line scrolls in Puppy Love. While I do beg for a true 32-bit Jim, I'll be lovin' this one for the time being.

The only real drawback to Earthworm Jim 2 is that it is nothing new. We've seen this same game about a year ago on the Genesis and SNES. Even though this is the best version so far released, it doesn't have any new levels or enemies. (Side note: There was a version of Earthworm Jim for the Sega CD which did have an additional level.) Fans of Jim are eagerly awaiting a new game that takes full advantage of the next generation machines. With the success of both Earthworm Jim and Earthworm Jim 2, we're sure to see our favorite invertebrate again.

What this means in the end is that if you already own a 16-bit version of EJ 2, then it's revamped backgrounds and enhanced color palette are not really enough to merit a second purchase. However, if you missed the game this first time around, it's well worth picking up on the Saturn.

While Jim 2 is a port of an already familiar game, it's been pumped full of life so that it almost feels new. With EWJ 2's elements enhanced so well, a new and original next-gen Jim game should really be something.