Earthworm Jim
Developer(s)Shiny Entertainment[1]
Publisher(s)Atari[1]
Designer(s)David Perry
Doug TenNapel
SeriesEarthworm Jim
Platform(s)PlayStation Portable
ReleaseCancelled
Genre(s)Platform shoot 'em up
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Earthworm Jim, also known as Earthworm Jim PSP, was a planned entry in the Earthworm Jim series of video games, intended for release on the PlayStation Portable. Initially thought to be a remake of the original Earthworm Jim, it was later revealed that it would contain mostly original content. The game was reported to reunite some of the developers who had worked on the acclaimed Earthworm Jim and Earthworm Jim 2 but been absent during production of the more poorly received Earthworm Jim 3D and Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy. Although said to be 80% complete in August 2006 and slated for an early 2007 release date, the game was ultimately cancelled in mid-2007.

Development

Rumors of an Earthworm Jim game started in 2006.[2] It was originally believed to be a remake of the original Earthworm Jim due to footage of Jim in a level very reminiscent of the "New Junk City" level from the first game.[2] The game was formally announced at E3 2006 by Atari, who had obtained the rights to the franchise.[3] However, the game was reported to still be made by members of the original two titles, Earthworm Jim and Earthworm Jim 2, including Shiny Entertainment founder Dave Perry, Doug TenNapel, Nick Bruty, and Tommy Tallarico.[4] The developers later announced that the game would be mostly new content, with elements of the earlier games included.[2] Past characters to return in the game included Princess What's-Her-Name[5] and Peter Puppy.[5]

By August 2006, the game was reportedly at 80% complete, and many video game journalists had hands-on playable builds of the game, such as GameSpot,[6] GamesRadar,[7] and IGN.[1] It was scheduled for an early 2007 release.[6]

Gameplay

The game was to retain the gameplay of the original two titles, playing as a 2D sidescrolling platformer with elements of a run and gun, but now with 3D computer graphics.[8] It would be two-dimensional gameplay with three-dimensional graphics, much in the vein of Sonic Rivals or Klonoa: Door to Phantomile.[5][9] Similar to the original two games, the gameplay consisted of maneuvering Jim through levels through running and jumping, and defeating enemies with a machine gun, and by using his head as a whip.[10]

Many new features were planned as well. One was the ability to collect different parts for Jim's powersuit, such as new gloves, boots, and armor.[10] Some parts were used to make specific aspects of levels easier, such as the speed boost from the boot upgrade that made traversing a conveyor belt section of a level easier.[1] A two-player, competitive mode was to be included as well.[3] The player also possessed the option to, at any point in the game, make Jim start dancing.[6] For instance, the player can make Jim "do the worm", and make him crouch and fit into smaller spaces.[10]

The game was reported to have eight separate levels,[1] although only two, "New Junk City" and the level referred to as "The Birds and the Bees",[1][6] were specifically detailed. "New Junk City" was to be a remake of the level of the same name from the original Earthworm Jim, where as "The Birds and the Bees" was a completely new level to be about Jim being trapped in a literal war between birds and bees.[6] GameSpot described the level as "Jim is caught in the middle of a war between the birds and the bees and will have to progress through an increasingly complex level that's design is inspired by the old mousetrap board games. In other words, something Jim does that affects something in one part of a level will fan out and be felt by the complex machinery somewhere else in the level."[6]

Cancellation

Atari had quietly put the game "on hold" by June 2007, with Atari representative Alissa Bell stating "I believe EWJ is off the roster. It may be revisited in the future, but the title is, as I hear it, on hold".[11] The lack of subsequent announcements regarding the game, and Atari’s financial difficulties, led to the general belief that it had been cancelled.[2][12] In late 2007, Atari announced it had sold off its internal development studios, including Shiny Entertainment, which it owned at the time, and ceased all of its ongoing game development projects as of the end of 2007.[13][14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Castro, Juan (August 9, 2006). "Earthworm Jim Hands-on". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on August 12, 2006. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Kalata, Kurt (October 10, 2008). "Hardcore Gaming 101: Earthworm Jim". Hardcore Gaming 101. p. 3. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Hatfield, Daemon (May 10, 2006). "E3 2006: Earthworm Jim Crawls Again". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 21, 2006. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  4. ↑ Bailey, Steve (April 19, 2006). "The worm has returned". GamesRadar. Future plc. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 Robinson, Andy (August 17, 2006). "PSP News: Earthworm Jim wiggles in new PSP screens". Computer and Video Games. Future plc. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ekberg, Brian (August 16, 2006). "Earthworm Jim Hands-On". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  7. ↑ Reparaz, Mikel (August 16, 2006). "Earthworm Jim hands-on". GamesRadar. Future plc. p. 3. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  8. ↑ Reparaz, Mikel (August 16, 2006). "Earthworm Jim hands-on". GamesRadar. Future plc. p. 1. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  9. ↑ Spencer (August 16, 2006). "Screenshots of Earthworm Jim's PSP revival". Siliconera. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 Reparaz, Mikel (August 16, 2006). "Earthworm Jim hands-on". GamesRadar. Future plc. p. 2. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  11. ↑ Arendt, Susan (June 19, 2007). "Earthworm Jim for PSP Gets Shelved". Wired. Condé Nast. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  12. ↑ kombo (February 23, 2010). "Why Was Earthworm Jim for the PSP Canceled?". GameZone. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  13. ↑ "ATARI INC. -- Form 10K Annual Report for Fiscal Year Ending 31 March 2008" (PDF). Atari Inc. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 8 Oct 2020. See page 2: [B]eginning in 2005, because of cash constraints, we substantially reduced our involvement in development of video games, and announced plans to divest ourselves of our internal development studios. During fiscal 2006 and 2007, we sold a number of intellectual properties and development facilities in order to obtain cash to fund our operations. By the end of fiscal 2007, we did not own any development studios. During fiscal 2008, we stopped developing games, even through independent developers.
  14. ↑ "Cancelled Earthworm Jim Sequels". Rocket Worm!. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
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