Earthworm Jim HD

Earthworm Jim is one of the strangest platforming stars of the nineties – an ordinary earthworm named Jim who accidentally acquires a cybernetic suit, along with superhuman strength, a plasma blaster, and a whip made from his own body. The original 1994 game by Shiny Entertainment built on absurd humor, grotesque hand-drawn graphics, and insane levels where platforming action alternated with bizarre minigames, such as riding a rocket, racing pigs, or falling through a chasm full of dangerous obstacles. This exact mix of humor and uncompromising difficulty remained the core of the game even sixteen years later, when Jim returned in digital form on new consoles.

Earthworm Jim HD, prepared for Xbox Live Arcade and later PlayStation Network by publisher Interplay Entertainment, is neither a remake nor a reboot, but a faithful transformation of the original game into high definition. The levels, enemy placement, and witty one-liners remain unchanged, but they received newly drawn graphics, sharper animations, and a widescreen picture instead of the original pixel art aimed at 4:3 televisions. Online leaderboards and a set of achievements were also added, motivating players to replay levels again, faster and without losing a life – something the original on fourth-generation consoles couldn't have imagined. The controls remained as stripped-down as in the nineties, so players quickly realize that the main challenge isn't graphical shortcomings, but simply tough old-school design.

Why play it: Earthworm Jim HD is the ideal choice for anyone who wants to enjoy the classic without nostalgic glasses squinting at blocky pixels – the controls and pace remain just as uncompromising as in the nineties, but the game finally looks good on a modern screen. Anyone who loves absurd humor and platformers that aren't afraid to be hard and don't explain every step will find a short but unforgettable ride here that can easily be finished in a single evening.