When Nintendo Switch Online added Earthworm Jim 2 to its SNES library earlier this year, everyone scratched their heads and wondered “Where’s Earthworm Jim 1?” Looks like the worm’s inaugural outing made it after all — just in a different collection.
We got the Genesis version of EWJ — it should be in that folder as of this morning (if it isn’t, let the update download itself). This isn’t a bad thing. Even though the Super NES version of Earthworm Jim has slightly better graphics and sound effects, the Genesis version is considered the definitive version as the game was made for that system (and also, people tend to like the FM-chip version of the soundtrack more).
Earthwirm Jim is what happened when the team behind the Genesis’ landmark Aladdin game broke off from Disney and pursued their own passion of making the weirdest platformer they possibly could. The result was a mix of cutting-edge (for the 90s) graphics and a very bizarre sense of humor. There’s nothing like EWJ unless you count EWJ 2. If there’s a downside, it’s that the team went so overboard with the painted graphics and wacky animations that it’s hard to gauge hit detection or what Jim can stand on, leading to a lot of unintentional deaths.
Two other games are now part of NSO: Alisia Dragoon is an offbeat platformer (though not nearly as offbeat as EWJ) where you can incinerate the screen with bolts of lightning and have dragon pets to do your bidding. Beyond Oasis is a half-RPG, half-action game from an overhead perspective. All three are now playable in the expanded version of Nintendo Switch Online.
Help Support PopGeeks
PopGeeks runs on reader support. We are not backed by corporate media, driven by algorithms, or overloaded with invasive ads. We are an independently run site created by fans, for fans, and we cover what we love: movies, TV, video games, comics, and tabletop RPGs.
Support PopGeeks for just $1/month and help keep our content free and ad-light. Your support covers hosting, pays our writers, and helps sustain independent coverage of movies, games, TV, and geek culture. Every dollar makes a difference.
This is a voluntary support payment. No physical goods or exclusive digital content are provided. PopGeeks content remains freely accessible to all. Sales tax does not apply.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. And thank you for helping PopGeeks stay fan-run, freely accessible, and fully independent.
I know Earthworm Jim 5 is very recent but I hope this port leads to Earthworm Jim 6. I just don’t want this franchise to die.
Well done, Nintendo; a strong lineup. Jim the Earthworm is the best. Nice! It’s amazing that Earthworm Jim is now available for NSO on both the SNES and Genesis! The memories is incredible, I remember playing this game as a kid! Back then, I even watched the cartoons.
How could I forget about the iconic, powerful super hero Earthworm Jim ? Even with his weaponry and elastic abilities, he was quite tough, and the way he used his head to swing about was pretty interesting. Kids these days needs to play games from the past as its history.