He's back!
Hitting later this year.
Party like it's 1994: Gameloft has announced a new Earthworm Jim game for mobiles and all three console's downloadable stores.
We're not sure if it's an all-new adventure, as the wording of the press release seems to imply a remake of the first title. Let's hope for a new one, as the Genesis/Mega Drive original is already available on Virtual Console (and soon possibly on Xbox 360).
Xbox Live Arcade will have first dibs, with WiiWare and PlayStation Network getting the game a month later. Fans will be able to get their oligochaeta on in Q4 of this year. The full press release is available for your reading pleasure below. Excited?
NEW YORK, August 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gameloft, a leading developer and publisher of downloadable video games, today announced a multi-year licensing agreement with Interplay to develop, distribute and publish Earthworm Jim, a popular run and gun platform video game featuring an earthworm who dresses up in a Super Suit to fight evil. The game will make its way to mobile, WiiWare(TM), PlayStation Network, with an exclusive one month run on Xbox Live(R) Arcade.
"We are delighted to partner with Interplay to bring Earthworm Jim to multiple downloadable platforms," said Gonzague de Vallois, senior vice president, Gameloft. "The game, with its humorous and edgy style, is a great fit for today's gamer who craves a fully immersive experience that is fun and easily accessible. We look forward to delivering a fantastic game."
"Earthworm Jim resonates with millions of people worldwide and we are excited to have one of the best developers in the industry create this game for a new audience," said Herve Caen, CEO, Interplay. "Gameloft's creativity coupled with its innate knack for innovative games, makes us 100% confident that the result will be nothing short of stellar."
Initially released in 1994, Earthworm Jim's games garnered such a cult following that the character's popularity took him far beyond video games into an animated TV series, Toys and Comic books. Earthworm Jim centers around an ordinary earthworm who engages in normal worm activities- eating dirt, crawling and fleeing from hungry birds- that is until he comes across a high tech indestructible space suit. Jim takes refuge in the space suit while fleeing from hungry birds. The suit's powerful atomic particles cause him to grow and obtain newfound powers.
The game will be available in the last quarter of 2009. For the latest information on the game, follow Gameloft on our Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/Gameloft
1. Odnetnin
17 Aug 2009, 19:14 BST
Good luck, Gameloft. Just don't screw it up like a certain other WiiWare game of yours that's tearing up the charts...
2. Bass X0
17 Aug 2009, 19:17 BST
GUH-ROOVY!
3. Panda
17 Aug 2009, 19:17 BST
Can't really say it's a screw-up if it's tearing up the charts though, right?
4. Vendetta
17 Aug 2009, 19:19 BST
If they do it right, I just might actually play Earthworm Jim for the first time. And this was not an attempt at a stealth first... I really have never played Earthworm Jim.
5. KnucklesSonic8
17 Aug 2009, 19:20 BST
Sounds good. I'm sure it'll be a remake.
6. Odnetnin
17 Aug 2009, 19:21 BST
@Panda There are many aspects of a game than be screwed up, and the game can still sell well. Coincidentally, It Which Will Not Be Named's biggest shortcomings are its innacurate representations of the two subjects of its title.
7. LoopyLuigi
17 Aug 2009, 19:26 BST
ugh, Gameloft!?! oh man let's hope they don't FUBAR one of my fave retro titles. but if they do it right, this will be so GROOVY!
8. Panda
17 Aug 2009, 19:28 BST
@Odnetnin: I know what you mean; just because something sells well doesn't imply quality by any means. However, publishers ultimately go after the public dollar, critics be damned. If Gameloft is selling their Wares (and enough to stay profitable), I can't really call those games screw-ups.
9. Odnetnin
17 Aug 2009, 19:34 BST
...From Gameloft's perspective.
10. Mama Luigi
17 Aug 2009, 19:40 BST
This must be why Earthworm Jim 2 isn't on VC yet.
11. Panda
17 Aug 2009, 19:41 BST
@Odnetnin: Well, yeah.
12. derk711
17 Aug 2009, 19:42 BST
i have to change my pants.... because i pooped in them.... with joy... lots of joy.
13. Hyper Luigi
17 Aug 2009, 19:47 BST
HECK YES!! Earthworm Jim is back!!
14. Viral
17 Aug 2009, 19:48 BST
GROOVY!
15. LEGEND MARIOID
17 Aug 2009, 19:49 BST
Good news. I'm up for this if it works out
16. GabeGreens
17 Aug 2009, 19:56 BST
I never played EWJ, so Ill follow the crowd.
GUH-ROOVAY!!!
17. redflicky
17 Aug 2009, 20:00 BST
Still no Earthworm Jim 2? :/
18. Ricardo91
17 Aug 2009, 20:06 BST
Huzzah for another franchise rebirth! Which reminds me, I still need to play the original...
19. odd69
17 Aug 2009, 20:08 BST
I'm not sure about you guys, but this is great news for me.Earthworm Jim?Wiiware? Hell yes.
20. JayArr
17 Aug 2009, 20:11 BST
How often do you get to use the word "squiggling"? This is good news. Maybe they will make that goldfish boss an actual challenge this time around.
21. XD375
17 Aug 2009, 20:22 BST
Never was a fan of Earthworm Jim, but knowing Gameloft is involved makes me feel sorry for the fans.
22. Terranigma
17 Aug 2009, 20:23 BST
I know a lot of people like Earthworm Jim (Never got into it myself) so this is definitely good news. I think maybe I'll try my first hand at the series with this game.
23. Egg miester
17 Aug 2009, 20:24 BST
to bad gameloft games have been far from good or even ok
but i want to have faith in them for earthworm jim
24. Wolf
17 Aug 2009, 20:25 BST
A download must!
25. tatemon555
17 Aug 2009, 20:29 BST
Hey, Gameloft has made a load of crappy games, but if this is as good quality as Hero of Sparta on the iPhone, me want now.
26. Panda
17 Aug 2009, 20:36 BST
@tatemon555: I think I'm the only one that thought HoS was a PoS. The controls were terrible, can't stand touchscreen analog.
27. deadly.by.design
17 Aug 2009, 20:46 BST
Gotta be better than EQJ 3D, right?
28. Omega
17 Aug 2009, 20:50 BST
I played Earthworm Jim 1 and 2 on the PC under MS-DOS. If Gameloft just remakes the first game with almost no changes then I'm not really interested. They need to come up with something new, otherwise I prefer to play again the PC, Genesis or SNES version.
29. DaDun
17 Aug 2009, 20:52 BST
wow, third person shooter with multiplayer would be the way to go, kinda like the n64 one, but the computer one was good too, i love all his games
30. SilentJ
17 Aug 2009, 20:52 BST
Awesome news!!!!
31. -TR
17 Aug 2009, 20:53 BST
Voiced remake, please.
32. b_willers
17 Aug 2009, 21:10 BST
Me like this news very much
33. Supermarioman
17 Aug 2009, 21:13 BST
Wahoo! Jim is back and....... bloody hell its from Gameloft, well don't screw it up and I'll be happy!
34. RadioShadow
17 Aug 2009, 21:18 BST
YAY! This will be the... Gameloft? F***! They better make this good!
35. Bulbasaurus Rex
17 Aug 2009, 21:29 BST
Actually, Gameloft has a pretty good WiiWare track record. Only Midnight Bowling and Game-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named have scored lower than a 6. I personally really like TV Show King.
I'm looking forward to some more EWJ action.
36. Shadx
17 Aug 2009, 21:39 BST
There's no reason for it to be a remake. So far, digital remakes have all just been graphical updates and minor extras. The graphics on the original are already high quality.
37. KoKoO_Psy
17 Aug 2009, 21:48 BST
By the great worm spirit, please make this Groovy!~
I loved the TV series as a kid (And still love it), and having just been played and beaten the first game, this supertanker is my cup of tea.
38. y2josh
17 Aug 2009, 21:52 BST
Refer to the graphics of Turtles in Time: Reshelled. I bet the graphics will be the same.
39. Aquateen510
17 Aug 2009, 21:55 BST
It better be good and it's good that EW Jim is back.
40. motang
17 Aug 2009, 22:06 BST
Freaking sweet, I can't wait.
41. Grim_Heaper94
17 Aug 2009, 22:45 BST
If done right, this could be the GROOVIEST game ever.
42. jpfan1989
17 Aug 2009, 23:27 BST
OH YEAH!
43. RadioShadow
18 Aug 2009, 00:38 BST
@Bulbasaurus Rex : They made Sexy Poker know. That shows the quality they aim for.
But maybe Interplay will prevent them from making it crap.
44. Aenaida
18 Aug 2009, 02:35 BST
I just hope Interplay has some hand in creating the game.
45. NikeXTC
18 Aug 2009, 02:35 BST
That's a pretty interesting challenge for Gameloft! Let's hope they'll make a good game out of Eathworm Jim brand!
46. Crazed
18 Aug 2009, 03:18 BST
I'm really excited. Although I've never played any Earthworm Jim before, I've only heard of good things about it, so I'm excited.
47. Astro218
18 Aug 2009, 06:46 BST
Hmm, Gameloft?
Hmm...
48. Fuzzy
18 Aug 2009, 07:31 BST
Sounds interesting, but would like it if they just released EWJ2.
49. ICEknight
18 Aug 2009, 08:23 BST
2D graphics or bust.
50. JimLad
18 Aug 2009, 09:27 BST
They'll have to get serious if they want to live up to EWJ2, that game was of extremely high quality for a 2D platformer.
Variety was the key, each level had different gameplay and a completely different setting: Lorenzen's Soil, The Villi People, The Flyin' King, Udderly Abducted, Level Ate, and of course Puppy Love.
God that game was good.
51. City Of Delusion
18 Aug 2009, 14:43 BST
Looks like it's a remake, since Earthworm Jim has disappeared off the poll for the next Genesis game to appear on the Live Arcade
52. the shpydar
18 Aug 2009, 18:26 BST
Oy, a lotta unfounded Gameloft hate. Oh no, they made a weak $5 title that people are enjoying for a larf or two. They must be horrible! Forget the fact the majority of their other titles are well-recieved...
53. Tony
19 Aug 2009, 14:30 BST
I'm looking foward to this game, but I hope some screenshots and videos arrive soon. I have been meaning to download Earthworm Jim for the Genesis but everytime I think about it another must have game comes out. So it's still on my wishlist.
54. Ren
19 Aug 2009, 20:33 BST
The hate is NOT unfounded. Gameloft has a long history of poorly designed, distasteful, half assed games. I have tried a few of them and everyone has been bad and embarrasingly distasteful with the horrible "clubbing/ dating game" theme. The Jim games were good, so I hope they can redeem themselves a little by doing it justice and keep the style of the originals fully intact.
55. Justin26
20 Aug 2009, 03:54 BST
Wow! I didn't notice that Earthworm Jim is coming to WiiWare! Cool! I hope it's coming soon!
56. buffalobob
20 Aug 2009, 06:23 BST
It seems to be a remake
http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/698438/New-Earthworm-Jim-A-Remake-Of-The-Original.html
I pass.
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