Earthworm Jim 3D

About

Earthworm Jim 3D is a single player action adventure game with comedy and science fiction themes. It was developed by VIS Interactive and was released on November 4, 2009. It received neutral reviews from players.

Earthworm Jim 3D is a platform game, the third in the Earthworm Jim series. It is a sequel to Earthworm Jim and Earthworm Jim 2, and the first game in the series to not be developed by Shiny Entertainment, which had recently instituted a strict "no sequels" policy. Interplay Entertainment, having recently purchased the Earthworm Jim rights, handed the franchise off to VIS Interactive. The game suf…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

49%

Audience ScoreBased on 103 reviews

humor10 positive mentions

music7 negative mentions

The game features quirky humor and creative level design that can be entertaining for fans of the genre.
With the right patches, the game can run smoothly and provide a nostalgic experience for those who enjoyed the original.
The gameplay mechanics, such as the variety of weapons and abilities, can be enjoyable once players adapt to the controls.

The port is plagued with numerous technical issues, including missing music, poor controller support, and frequent crashes.
The camera system is frustrating and can make gameplay difficult, often obscuring important elements and hindering platforming.
Many players report that the game does not function properly on modern systems, leading to a disappointing experience overall.

music
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
80%
14%
The music aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users noting that the soundtrack is entirely missing from the Steam version, requiring players to download a patch to restore it. This absence leads to a lack of background music during gameplay, resulting in a disjointed experience where random tracks from the user's hard drive may play instead. Overall, the music issues significantly detract from the game's enjoyment, with many reviewers advising against purchasing it without the necessary fixes.
- “The music in this version doesn't work, but you can download a patch off the internet pretty easily.”
- “I would encourage anyone who purchases this game to take the additional steps and download the music.”
- “Good creative setting and characters, awesome music and entertaining gameplay (though the controls are tricky at times).”
- “The only drawback is the music being completely gone when you download the game on newer hardware, but that can be fixed with a mod.”
- “It's a poorly done port of the PC original; they literally forgot to put the music files in the game.”
- “In addition to the complete absence of the soundtrack, there are numerous locations in the game where the audio will cut out.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the outdated camera mechanics and controls, which can lead to frustrating experiences. While some appreciate the innovative concepts and nostalgic elements reminiscent of N64 platformers, others find the overall gameplay dull, lacking music, and featuring poorly designed boss fights. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a blend of creative potential hindered by technical shortcomings.
- “Controls and gameplay are reminiscent of Nintendo's own platform-centric franchises of the era.”
- “Good creative setting and characters, awesome music and entertaining gameplay (though the controls are tricky at times).”
- “Now, I've cheated a little with a let's play and a review on YouTube, but here's my opinion after playing a little bit of this: true, the game shares the structure of many games of the N64 era, the camera's a bit of a chore to work with, the music's not there (possibly due to copyright issues) and the story's a little... blah... but, for its time, the graphics are decent, gameplay is okay, and the layout/concept is innovative... with a little work.”
- “However, there are some gameplay mechanics that just haven’t aged well, perfect example being the atrocious camera.”
- “I hope you like boring gameplay, no music, and the worst boss fights in the history of the world because this is it.”
- “One issue is inherent with the gameplay and that issue is the camera.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The graphics of the game are generally considered decent, evoking a nostalgic N64/PS1 aesthetic that holds up well by modern HD standards. While the visuals are praised for their colorful and vibrant design, the camera mechanics are often criticized as cumbersome, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the graphics contribute positively to the game's quirky charm and humor.
- “So once you learn to work with this tricky camera, you have a nice action platformer with good controls, nice graphics, crazy humor, and large colorful levels.”
- “The aesthetic closely resembles the Earthworm Jim TV show and holds up nicely, even by today's HD standards.”
- “Pros: decent graphics for its time, inventive concept, good controls.”
- “Graphically that worked out well, but the camera that belongs to a good 3D platformer is disappointing, but not completely uncontrollable.”
- “Graphics and gameplay mechanics are an instant headache.”
- “It does not matter if the controls, audio, and visuals were butchered on this PC port, Earthworm Jim 3D is not a very good game.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky and silly nature, featuring dated pop culture references and a unique comedic style that adds charm to the gameplay. Players appreciate the game's ability to deliver hilarious moments, despite some technical issues, making it a memorable experience in the action platformer genre. Overall, the humor is considered a standout aspect that enhances the game's appeal.
- “So once you learn to work with this tricky camera, you have a nice action platformer with good controls, nice graphics, crazy humor, and large colorful levels.”
- “Judging this game simply on the merits of platformers from the N64 era reveals a competent game filled with silly humor and dated pop culture references.”
- “This game scratches the itch quite nicely with its quirky sense of humor and free-range exploration.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, audio glitches, and issues with controller input. Many players experience random freezes and are prompted to insert a CD, leading to forced closures and loss of progress. Overall, the game is plagued by numerous bugs and technical problems that significantly hinder the gameplay experience.
- “A terrible, buggy port of a middling action platformer made truly awful by an atrocious camera system.”
- “Developers: game randomly freezes and says please insert CD-ROM which requires force-close with task manager and does not save the game.”
- “Glitches galore, missing sound, music, constantly crashes, bad controls.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's story is criticized for its lack of depth, primarily revolving around themes of repressing gender dysphoria and emotional struggle, which some players find absurd and inconsequential. While the gameplay and graphics have some merit, the narrative is deemed weak and unengaging, failing to leave a significant impact on the overall experience.
- “The story is inconsequential at best.”
- “Now, I've cheated a little with a let's play and a review on YouTube, but here's my opinion after playing a little bit of this: true, the game shares the structure of many games of the N64 era, the camera's a bit of a chore to work with, the music's not there (possibly due to copyright issues) and the story's a little... blah... but, for its time, the graphics are decent, gameplay is okay, and the layout/concept is innovative... with a little work.”
- “Anyways, spoiler alert here... though, not that it matters because the game doesn't really contain a plot beyond absurdity: the entire game is about repressing your feelings of gender dysphoria and refusing to transition by battling against your inner being enough to ignore how you have always felt, and trap those emotions within your mind so you can move on in life without being who you want to be.”
- “Now, I've cheated a little with a let's play and a review on YouTube, but here's my opinion after playing a little bit of this: true, the game shares the structure of many games of the N64 era, the camera's a bit of a chore to work with, the music's not there (possibly due to copyright issues) and the story's a little... blah...”
- “Cons: piggy-back structure, camera, no music, somewhat weak story... oh, and you need to reconfigure the controls every time you get ready to play.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game is widely criticized as being excessively priced and perceived as a cash grab, primarily leveraging nostalgia rather than offering substantial value.
- “This is an overpriced cash grab, even on sale.”
- “This is nothing but a cash grab out of nostalgia.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its smooth performance and effective optimization, featuring widescreen support and controller compatibility, resulting in an enhanced gameplay experience for many users.
- “It plays infinitely better, runs smoothly (for me at least), plays in widescreen, and has controller support.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, contributing to an overall frustrating experience, further exacerbated by audio issues that detract from immersion.
- “The game's audio is close to broken; it actually started playing music from Frogger 2 during the game because it was in my disk drive. The pace is really slow and tedious.”
- “Grinding feels like an endless chore, with little reward for the time invested.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes the game feel more like a job than a fun experience.”