Earthworm Jim 3D

46%
Game Brain Score Based on 85 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Earthworm Jim 3D Game Cover
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"Earthworm Jim 3D" is a 3D action-adventure game where players guide the hero, Earthworm Jim, through the surreal environments of his own mind. Experience games-within-games, large levels, and a variety of enemies while exploring at your own pace. Discover Jim's fears, happiness, memories, and fantasies as you uncover the dark force within his psyche and save the day.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Nintendo 64
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

46%
Audience ScoreBased on 85 reviews
humor8 positive mentions
music5 negative mentions
  • The gameplay mechanics, including fluid controls and a variety of actions, provide a satisfying experience despite some jankiness.
  • The level design encourages exploration and collecting items, which can be rewarding for players.
  • The game retains the quirky humor and charm of the Earthworm Jim franchise, making it enjoyable for fans.
  • The port is plagued with technical issues, including missing music, frequent crashes, and poor controller support.
  • The camera controls are frustrating and can hinder gameplay, making platforming difficult.
  • Many players find the boss battles unfair and the overall gameplay lacks the charm and polish of the original titles.
  • music44 mentions

    The music aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users noting that the Steam version lacks any soundtrack entirely, likely due to missing files or copyright issues. Players have reported that the absence of music significantly detracts from the experience, although some have found workarounds by downloading mods to restore the original soundtrack. Overall, the music situation is seen as a major flaw in this port, requiring additional effort from players to fix.

    • “I would encourage anyone who purchases this game to take the additional steps and download the music.”
    • “The steam version is missing all music files, so be sure to look the fix for this up before you start playing.”
    • “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.”
    • “The Steam version is missing all music files, so be sure to look the fix for this up before you start playing.”
  • gameplay16 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the unfair boss battles, janky mechanics, and particularly the problematic camera angles that detract from the experience. While some appreciate the nostalgic feel reminiscent of N64 platformers and find the concept innovative, others describe the overall gameplay as boring and frustrating, lacking engaging music and smooth controls. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a blend of creative potential hindered by technical flaws.

    • “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.”
    • “Sure, the boss battles are unfair and some of the gameplay mechanics are a little janky.”
    • “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.”
  • graphics9 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as decent, with a nostalgic N64/PS1 aesthetic that holds up reasonably well by modern HD standards. While some reviewers appreciate the visual style reminiscent of the Earthworm Jim TV show, others criticize the overall execution, noting issues with the camera and a lack of polish in the PC port. Overall, the graphics are seen as a mixed bag, with some charm but also significant flaws.

    • “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.”
    • “For its time, the graphics are decent, gameplay is okay, and the layout/concept is innovative.”
    • “Graphics and gameplay mechanics are an instant headache.”
    • “The graphics, combat, and sound are decent, but that's it.”
    • “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.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The stability of the game is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, audio glitches, and issues with controller input. Many players experience random freezes requiring a force-close, and the game often prompts for a CD insert, disrupting gameplay. Overall, the game is described as buggy and unreliable, significantly detracting from the experience.

    • “Not a very good game; it always asks you to insert the disc and then freezes.”
    • “Developers: the game randomly freezes and says please insert CD-ROM, which requires a force-close with Task Manager and does not save the game.”
    • “Glitches galore, missing sound, music, constantly crashes, and bad controls.”
  • humor8 mentions

    The game is widely praised for its quirky and silly humor, featuring dated pop culture references that add to its charm. Players appreciate the unique comedic style, often described as "signature ewj humor," which injects a sense of weirdness into the platforming genre. Despite some technical issues, the humor remains a standout aspect, contributing to the game's iconic status.

    • “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.”
    • “Hilarious fun with Earthworm Jim!”
  • story5 mentions

    The game's story is criticized for being largely inconsequential and centered around themes of repressing gender dysphoria, lacking a substantial plot. While it attempts to reflect deeper emotional struggles, many players find it absurd and unengaging, overshadowed by gameplay and technical issues. Overall, the narrative is seen as a weak point in an otherwise innovative concept.

    • “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 trapping 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.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Overall, users report that the game is well-optimized, running smoothly with support for widescreen and controllers, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

    • “It plays infinitely better, runs smoothly (for me at least), plays in widescreen, and has controller support.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    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.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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