Earthworm Jim is a run and gun platform video game featuring an earthworm named Jim in a robotic suit who battles evil. Created byDoug TenNapel and designed by David Perry, the game was developed by Shiny Entertainment and Playmates Interactive Entertainment. It was released for the Sega Genesis in 1994, and subsequently ported to a number of other video game consoles
The game plays as a 2D sidescrolling platformer with elements of a run and gun game as well. The player controls Jim and must maneuver him through the level while avoiding obstacles and enemies. The player can use Jim's gun as a method of shooting enemies, or his head as a whip for whipping enemies. The whip move also allows the player to grab hold of, and swing from, certain hooks in the game. Some levels have additional requirements beyond merely getting to the end of the level.
Special edition
A "Special Edition" of the game was released for the Sega Genesis add-on, the Sega CD, and Windows 95. It was based off the Genesis version, contained all of its levels, plus some extended section to the levels and a single completely new level, titled "Big Bruty", a new remixed CD audio soundtrack, as well as around 1,000 more frames of in-game animation.These versions were also the only ones to contain alternate endings when winning on the "Easy" or "Hard" difficulties, in which a narrator rambles on about many (false) facts about worms or congratulates the player in a similar absurd manner respectively.
Another special edition of the game was released exclusively through the Sega Channel, a subscription game service for the Sega Genesis, for a contest dubbed The Great Earthworm Jim Race. This version included a secret room which, when reached by the first 200 players, would display a password and a toll-free telephone number. Those that called the number were awarded special prizes.