Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Congratulations, Jim ! You've just got screwed !
You just saw, probably without realizing it, while the Nintendo logo was still on the screen...
You saw the script of Earthwom Jim 2.
The Princess has been kidnapped by the evil Psy-Crow. He's back !
We'll see again a lot of characters from the first Earthworm Jim.
Earthworm Jim 2 was released one year after the first game. An eagerly expected game.
The first game had a great success, both on the Super NES and on the Genesis.
A lot of people like me were waiting for this game in 1995.
Personally, I wouldn't say I have been disappointed, but... Well, let me say it. I won't keep you in suspense.
It's not a game I really like. But it has a lot of qualities.
There will be many mini-games like the one you see here on the screen.
Earthworm Jim 2 is more a medley of mini-games rather a platform game.
The first was mainly a platform game where there were some mini-games.
This second episode is the opposite : there are more mini-games than platform sequences.
And the problem is that there's a lot of mini-games and platform sequences which are boring.
In my opinion, of course. I knew a lot of players who prefered this second game.
But in my opinion, I think the first is better. I have a problem with this Earthworm Jim 2.
It's difficult to me to play to this game without being bored.
At that time, I bought it on the Super NES, and I sold it a few days after.
I finished it quickly. It's a pretty simple game.
There was something strange with me... I don't know how to explain this, but I couldn't have fun.
It's not totally different from the first.
Damn, I thought there was a card here, but no.
There should have been a card to use with the completely screwed up password system...
Maybe its position changes at random when we start a new game... I don't know.
I don't know how to explain it, but I prefer the first.
Here's a new feature of the game.
The strength of the Earthworm Jim franchise is its omnipresent humor. This is really its trademark.
Here for example, I have to carry pigs and take them to the other side.
As I'm carrying a pig, I'm more difficult to control. Let's jump over there..
Now look why did I have to take this pig... Let's put it here. If I want pass now, I'm hit by this guy.
I have to take the pig... *** ! It disappeared...
Let's back to the other side. I'll show you the new moves, because there are some new moves.
We can still fire. Damn, this weapon is totally rotten... It's useless !
A bubble gun... I don't understand.
Now, we can choose our weapon when we want. Before, when we had the best weapon of the game,
we had to use it directly. Now, by pressing the X button, we can change our weapon.
There's still the little machine gun. Here's a triple one ! There are a lot of different weapons. 5 or 6 in the game.
We have a new companion with us. Look : a kind of slime, who will accompany us all along the game.
We can use it to hang on some green sticky walls.
That means the lasso, which is still here... No, it's not a lasso : it's Jim's body.
The suit uses Jim's body to whip. It was used a lot in the first game, but it's useless now.
There's also this : Jim can swell. I think it's used to frighten enemies, but I never used it so I don't really know.
And finally : the parachute. We won't use it a lot of times. It was already present in the first game.
There wasn't really a parachute : Jim swanged his head in the air.
It looked like an helicopter, but it had the same function.
That's all for the new moves. I think I told you everything about this.
Let's put the pig at the top of the slide. Now, let's push the switch...
The pig is launched in the bottle. Now it's stuck inside, and I can pass !
There will be a lot of funny sequences like that.
The "Continue" sign here is a checkpoint. If I die, I'll start back from here.
No, I don't want to use this weapon ! This bubble gun...
Maybe it has been selected because I went in the water...
Fights are still as messy as the first episode. We don't really know when we hit the enemies.
It's not that point which made the sucess of the game. It's not the most important. We don't care about this.
Here's a new weapon. We don't really know what it is... It looks like a house, and it kills everybody on the screen.
It's great, but we won't use it a lot of times. Why are there so weapons, but not a lot of enemies ?
Another new sequence. We'll have to use this... This electric stair lift to...
*** ! Why didn't he hooked ?
Let me show you what happens when we are hit by an old lady...
No, too late.
Why didn't I hooked ? Ok, it's because I didn't release the button.
This electric stair lift sequence, with grandmothers falling from sky to dodge...
Don't look for any coherence. It's completely rambling, and that's what we like in Earthworm Jim.
Here it's a bonus stage which uses the same system with the grandmothers.
I'll try to be quick, because my objective is to show you a lot of levels.
The expression that describes the best Earthworm Jim 2 is...
This item was an extra continue.
The expression that describes the best Earthworm Jim 2 is : variety of situations.
Here, I've been electrocuted by the chair. I don't know if we can dodge it, as we fall directly on it.
Listen to the music of this level, which is great :
Obviously, I stop talking when the music becomes bad... I'll let you listen to it later.
Here, it's back at the beginning, it's not the best part.
Anyway, the OST of this Earthworm Jim 2 is really great. You will see.
There's a lot of classical music. It alternates between techno music and classical music : Beethoven...
I'll let you listen later, because there are some melodies which really deserve to be heard.
In my opinion, it's the strong point of Earthworm Jim 2.
As you could see, I had to put two pigs on the platform to open the door and continue to advance.
Listen to the music :
Thi music is totally great. And here comes the first boss, which is totally phoney.
But it's a huge reference to the first Earthworm Jim. We had to play it to understand this.
I think its name is Bob the Killer Goldfish. It's a reference to the third level... If I'm not mistaken.
In the first Earthworm Jim, it's the level where we are in the bubble glass. I showed it in the review of the game.
And at the end of this level, there's a boss : Bob the Goldfish. Or maybe it's Bill or Billy...
They wanted to do a little reference, and they put it again. It's not really a boss, of course...
***, this level is really boring. That's what I didn't like in Eartworm Jim 2 : most of the levels are boring.
There are 9 levels, and for 4 or 5 levels... You play them once, but you never want to do them again.
This level is too long. What do we have to do ? We don't know.
We know what we have to do, but we don't know why, or what is this place. It looks like dirt or sand.
Look : here, I'm stuck. I can't go here, and neither there. We'll have to use our weapon.
In this level, we'll only have one weapon. This weapon shoots bolts in all the directions.
It's used to vaporize the dirt - or the sand - there is at the top,
and to rematerialize... Damn, does this word exist ? Remarte.. Remertar...
I don't think it exists. To rematerialize... Let's say it's corect.
Well, it's used to move the sand to the bottom. I don't really understand how does it work.
And that's what we'll have to do until the end. You may say it's nice, and it's well-made.
The problem is that the level is really long. We'll have to do that for 10 minutes !
It's really boring. Sometimes we'll met enemies, like these larvas or ants.
But it's boring. I think it's a really boring level.
At that time, on the Super NES, I played it once, but I didn't want to do it again after !.
It's the main problem of this second Earthworm Jim.
I'm always saying "the second Earthworm Jim"... Stop ! Why can't I say "this game" ?
One of the problem of this game is that it lacks of fun. We should have a lot of fun... It's Earthworm Jim !
Look, I can use the slime here. My green sticky companion.
And like this, we can go up.
Honestly, do you think it's an interesting level ? Once you've done it once, you'll never want to do it again.
It's really a main problem. This level is boring, but it's not the only one !
I think we won't even finish it... It would take 5 more minutes !
And by the way, the boss of this level is really annoying. It looks like a larva, we are hit all along the fight...
It's really boring. And we have a timer ! I have 45 seconds left to finish the level !
But if I collect these watches, my remaining time increases. Now I have 85 seconds left.
It's a pain in the *** ! Don't you think ?
It's the only thing we do. We use our gun to shoot dirt and to make it fall...
It's funny once, but that's all. Don't you think it's boring, honestly ?
I have reservations about this game, because I'm one of the few who complains about it.
This game had great marks at that time. They said it was a great hit.
As good, or even superior to the first Earthworm Jim. I can tell you the marks, I have the magazines with me.
Er, I don't remember by heart, so I would have to look for them inside... Let's forget this.
It received between 92 per cent and 96 per cent in all the magazines ! Excellent marks !
It really deserves these marks, because there are some levels which are great.
I'll show you an isometric 3D level where we have to push a balloon... But it's a boring stage again !
We do it once and we never want to do it again !
I didn't really understand the success of Earthworm Jim 2. I wouldn't say it's a bad game,
but I'll say that Shiny missed the boat. I don't know... There could have made something better.
It's not a *** game, it's a good game, but in my opinion, there's something wrong with it.
There is no fun at all. Once I finished the game, I didn't want to play it again.
And as the game is pretty short, with only 8 levels... We can finish the game straight in 2 hours.
There's a problem somewhere.
Let's stop here. I don't know if you found it interesting, but I think it's boring.
Let's change the level with a cheat code I've found on the Internet.
I'll select a good level. The one I was talking about. Which one is it... ?
Wait...
It's not the Flyin' King...
No, that's it : it's the Flyin' King.
Wait... I don't remember.
Yes, that's it : the Flyin' King.
I don't remember... Maybe it's the salamander ?
What's the cheat code ? A B X Left Right Left A B.
What ? There was no sound ? Let's try again.
A B X Left Right Left A B. There it is. We'll be teleported.
I think it's the famous isometric 3D level.
Yes, that's it. With this music... This level is really beautiful. Isometric 3D was rare at that time.
We control Jim, on his rocket. We already had the rocket in the first Earthworm Jim, in bonus stages.
We can only shoot. We have a machine gun and we can shoot.
What we have to do is... *** ! He's so annoying ! This level is boring...
We have to push this balloon. Maybe you can't see it, but there's a bomb under the balloon. Dynamite.
And at the other side of the level, there's Major Mucus. He's back too !
But the only way to kill him is to push this balloon...
Damn, it's so boring... It's sooooo boring ! It's horrible !
We have to push the balloon to the end of the level, and when we'll reach the other side...
I think I won't finish it, because it's really boring. So : we'll blow the balloon up to kill Major Mucus.
Major Mucus was a kind of green glue....
Crap, I have a thumb ache now... Is it because of this game ? No. I know why I have a thumb ache...
It's because I played too much Street Fighter IV ! The PS3 pad is ***. But you don't give a damn, do you ?
What I was telling... I don't remember.
Look at this icon here : it's the password system of the game, which is totally ***.
There's a password system... But how does it work ?
In every level, there are 3 or 4 cards like the one you just saw.
Crap ! It can't be... I have to start again.
The password system is ***, because we'll have to get all the cards of the level - 3 or 4 -.
And when we'll have them all... We won't get a password, but when we'll die,
we can choose to begin in a level where we got all the cards.
But when we'll turn off the console...
It can't be ! Now I have to come back ! It's a pain in the ***...
You do it one time, and after it's over.
Let's get out of here, because it's *** me off. Let's select another level.
Yes, this level is great. Up Down X A B Y Left Right.
It failed, of course. Up Down X A B Y Left Right...
Why did I fail ? Up Down X A B Y Left Right...
Great, it doesn't work. Up Down X A B Y Left Right... There !
This level is great.
Even all the bad things I told about this game, it's still a good game. It's only my personal opinion.
This level is great. It reminds me the level with the bubble, the glass bubble, in Earthworm Jim 1.
Here, we are filled with helium. We can only use two buttons.
One where he blows to stay at the same altitude, or to go down if we press it twice.
And another button to... Quick, or the other guy will hit me with his blowgun !
The other button blows up the balloon. And like this, we have to go as high as...
Damn, I've been hit. We have to be careful of Evil the Cat, who is back to try to stop us.
He'll try to pierce our head. Hit again... Let me concentrate.
Let's take the checkpoint here. Now I blow up... Quick, quick ! Okay, that's good.
Let's talk again about the music. In my opinion, it's the strong point of the game. You'll see at the end...
*** ! *** ! No ! I think he only attacked once, but he shot twice...
Damn, I missed the platform...
Let's try to concentrate. Yeah... Try to concentrate...
Now !
So, the music : sometimes it's techno, and sometimes it's classical music.
I'll show you a special level at the end of this video, because there's the Moonlight Sonata...
Quick, quick ! Go up ! So, there's the Moonlight Sonata...
It's a card for the password, which is useless.
The Moonlight Sonata, by Beethoven.
For those who don't know what it is, but who played a lot of games, we can hear it in the first Resident Evil.
It's the melody played by Jill or Chris on a piano. No, I think it's...
Oh, great, I'm dead. We still have our life bar in the top left-hand corner.
I must have taken too many hits in my head, and I'm dead.
Never mind : there's a checkpoint just here.
Why doesn't he want to take it ? Will you blow up ?
I don't understand... Why doesn't he want to use it ?
Normally, this machine is used to fill our head with air. But here, it doesn't works.
What, it works now ? I don't know what happened. A bug ?
I haven't played this game enough to give you all the explanations.
Damn, careful about these bulbs ! My life is at 55 per cent. We are healed by these atoms. There are also big atoms.
Blow your air now !
I'll show you the level with the Moonlight Sonata at the end of the video. You'll see : the music is great.
I think I'm near the end of the level. I'll show you a last level and then I'll stop.
I won't show you all levels. It's not my objective.
But all levels are really varied. It's the strong point of the game : the diversity of the levels.
We have to pay attention to Evil the Cat, who is now using another technique.
Now he goes up and down. If he touches us, he'll pierce the balloon and we'll fall.
Damn, that's so hard. Now... No, not now. Let's wait fot the good moment.
Maybe now ? No too late.
Now ! No, I don't think it will pass... Oh, I've been lucky !
*** ! No !!! There was another just above !
Let's stop here. I fell all the way down.
There's another level I want to show you : the bonus stage.
Down Right A B X Left Right A... Missed.
Down Right A B X Left Right A... Good.
This levels replace the bonus levels of the first game, the races with the rocket and Psy-Crow.
Those who played the game know what I'm talking about. But Psy-Crow is here again !
This is a sequence we'll see 3 or 4 time in the game. It's divided into some rounds. You'll understand.
On the left, you can see Psy-Crow... Oh, great : I already missed two puppies !
We have to catch all the puppies. It must be Peter's puppies.
He's also a character from the first Earthworm Jim. Do you remember ?
I didn't show you him... *** ! I missed him.
He was in the first episode. We had to whip him to make him jump over holes.
Ooch, it's going to be hard... We had to whip him, or he would have transformed into a of monster.
It will be hard, it will be hard... Oh *** ! I missed the bomb.
Let me explain what I have to do. In the top right-hand corner, I have 1 puppy left.
***... Too late. I failed. At the end of this phase, Peter will be transformed into a monster.
He will eat me, and I'll loose 20 or 30 per cent of my life. Yes, 30 per cent.
And now it starts back from from the beginning : I have to catch them all.
And I also have to make this bomb rebound. Look what happens :
When he gets a bomb, he take it and launches it at Psy-Crow. And that's good, one round over.
It's nice 5 minutes, but when you have a lot of phases like this, going on during 4 or 5 rounds...
At the end it's annoying. Damn, I'm so bad...
Let me try to concentrate a little more. Maybe I should have practised it before.
At the end, it's really boring. It's okay for 2 minutes, but then... It goes on again and again.
I can still miss 2 puppies before Peter transforms into a bulldog.
You've understood now. Let's stop here.
We can turn with Jim, and he can dash like this if we are too far from a puppy.
Now it's over. I propably die, as I only have 20 percent of my life left.
We have some continues. Maybe 2 or 3.
We can choose level of dificulty. Here I'm in "Normal". There are 3 levels of difficulty.
It's great, there's a lot of creativity. But to me, there is not enough fun.
And this is the paradox of Earthworm Jim 2. This game should be fun, but I'm bored with it.
Eaten again. Damn...
It's my opinion, but I have trouble to play this game. It's not a game I like.
I loved the first one. But it was completely new! We never saw that before !
In the second, there's no more originality, even if there's a lot of new sequences and ideas.
But I don't know, something's wrong. I don't know what.
The stages are not really interesting. We do them once, and after it's over.
Now, let's go in the last level I want to show you. It must be this one.
A B X Left Right Left A B. Good !
Here, I'm using cheat codes, of course.
What, is it the good level ? Not at all !
I don't understand.
Wait, it had to be this.
I don't understand. Why did I come back to the isometric 3D level ?
Let's do the code again... A B X A B X Left Right.
Didn't I already did that before ?
I don't understand anything.
That's it ! The Moonlight Sonata.
In my opinion, it's one of the best works of Beethoven. It's beautiful. So beautiful.
What can I tell you ? I think I told you all.
In my opinion, Shiny Entertainement missed the boat, they failed their game.
Of course it's a good game, a really good game. Both on the Genesis and on the Super NES.
And for once, the game looks better on the Genesis than on the Super NES !
On the Genesis, the settings, especially the one of the first level, are really beautiful.
On the Super NES, there's an ugly waterfall. Whereas on the Megadrive, there's a beautiful sunset.
It's strange when you know the technical limits of the Genesis concerning the colors.
For the 32-bit versions, the only thing which changed - I don't remember if I told it or not - are the settings.
Otherwise it's the same thing. There were only the settings that changed.
Let's stop here. Listen to this beautiful melody. And see you later.
I don't know what we are controlling. It looks like a salamander.
It's a very oneiric level, it's very strange.
This creature - it's Jim, of course - looks totally lost.
We don't really know what it is : a flying thing, a little larva. But it's cute. No, not cute... I don't know.
But this level is really great. Something strong happens.
It's a very special level. An unique experience.
And with this music... I let you appreciate the music.