Most video game systems have their respective mascots. Other third party titles have characters that are associated with a system, but they do not reach the level of popularity as say a Mario or a Sonic. 25 years ago, Shiny Entertainment bucked the trend and introduced a character who blow up huge, leading to a cartoon series and other merchandise. It was Earthworm Jim, a satire on platformer games and video games as a whole.
Jim was just a regular earthworm until a special suit fell on him. Given powers, Jim would set off to rescue Princess What’s-Her-Name from the strangest villains ever created. Jim would shoot his gun as he went from one wacky stage to the next. Along the way, Earthworm Jim parodied video games in many clever ways. Bob the Killer Goldfish might sound intimidating, but Jim just knocks his bowl over, a commentary on how many video game bosses are not really that tough. In between levels you must race Psy-Crow in a mini game.
The worlds and characters of Earthworm Jim are unique to the point that it’s hard to imagine that this was the company’s first original game. Peter Puppy, who becomes an attack dog if he is hurt and Queen Slug-For-A-Butt, whose name describes exactly what she is. Your helper character is Snot, who lives in your special backpack. The art style was astounding for a 16-bit game. The game moves like a cartoon and you will catch yourself looking at everything from the foreground to the background.
The game was released for the Sega Genesis, but it soon was ported everywhere. The characters showed up in a cartoon series as well as comic books and action figures. Remember that Earthworm Jim was not developed in house. This was third party developer and it was catching fire. Jim would make a few other games, but none could top the insanity of the first. If you have not played it, you are missing out on one of the most original games of all time. Suit up and remember to launch that cow.
