Earthworm Jim has made the leap to HD, looks incredible, and has a few things he'd like to say to the Download co-op crowd. We'll also take a look at the Summer of Arcade lineup, hyping ourselves up for a great upcoming July.
Co-optimus: Hello, Mr. Earthworm. It's been a long time - I don't think I've seen you since the Super Nintendo, how have you been?
Earthworm Jim: Oh, I'm feelin' just dandy, can't say I recall that Super Nintendo time, though. It's been a nice time off since I last saw fine gamer folks, gave me time to psych myself up for the big leap to them high definition dohickies.
Co-optimus: Why doesn't anyone remember the SNES EWJ? Oh well. Moving on, how have you felt about the change in difficulty for the game, which was easily the biggest qualm most of us had when playing almost 15 years ago.
Earthworm Jim: Way to make a worm feel old. I dig it, ya know? It helps more people enjoy the goofy things I can do, and I don't really feel dumbed down or nothin' - I mean, I'm a worm. I gotta say though, it's funny to watch you old gamers try to reminisce when you were frustrated enough to break your controllers when you were lil' squirts.
Co-optimus: Erm, right. Moving on then, how has the upgrade to HD accompanied by the inclusion of co-op been to you?
Earthworm Jim: It's been lovely. No really, it's real purty. We got a full overhaul, but the nice artists kept my original charm.
He says while flicking his wormtail off of his shoulder.
Earthworm Jim: The co-op has been a nice thing to add - I mean, they didn't barge in on my original gig, they just added my brothers with arms into a great little mode for people to play. For you old folks, there's also a bunch of new missions to play. Them developers really went all-out for lil' old me.
Co-optimus: Glad to hear it. We really like the inclusion of co-op -
Earthworm Jim: The in-whatin' of co-op?
Co-optimus: The, uh, addition of co-op. Having your buddies in the game. We like our buddies as much as your buddies, a lot.
Earthworm Jim: Ah, right, yep. I like my buddies, too - but they ain't Jim. There can only be one-a me.
Co-optimus: True enough. We have one final question, then we'll let you get back to whatever it is you've been up to for the time you've been gone. Will there be a reboot of the Earthworm Jim cartoon that many of us adored, complete with potential clones of your original suit - you know, co-op style?
Earthworm Jim: Oh, I dunno. They don't tell me anything important, they just make me shoot stuff and hover by spinning my head. They say somethin' about "the kids think it's funny" and don't tell me nothin' else. I guess I'm off ta shoot some birds then - those peckers just can't take a hint.
Well then, there you have it. The classic Earthworm Jim is in HD, and he's still his good old-fashioned self. It's nice to see developers not try to fix something that isn't really broken. Well, except for the difficulty, that was just crazy silly before (but in case you're a sadist, they kept the "original" difficulty in the main menu). Join a group of up to 3 other Jim's to complete the co-op section of the game. I'm down if you are. Oh, and PSN owners will get their hands on EWJ starting the 7th of July.
New in Download/DLC:
E3 brought us a lot of goodies, and we mean - a lot. The newest announcements include the Summer of Arcade release announcements for Monday Night Combat, a third-person co-op, versus, quirky fun game. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will also be joining the ranks of the Xbox Summer of Arcade as well as PSN, complete with a third person co-op perspective on the series. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is also on the Summer of Arcade co-op list, boasting up to 6 player co-op.
Co-op simply dominates the Summer of Arcade list this year, and we cannot wait for July now.
Because I was so adamant about asking these guys about co-op at PAX 2009, and they told me "But, there can only be one Deathspank"while on the showfloor - I am happy to be the one to tell you that the one and only Ron Gilbert RPG in the vein of Diablo meets Monkey Island will feature a co-op buddy. Deathspank has been confirmed to have a partner, Sparkles. The game will grace both the Playstation Nework and Xbox Live Arcade. I simply cannot wait!
Free For You:
We had a lot of fun playing the insanely addictive Heavy Weapon on Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network. The game is a side-scrolling tank game with lasers, colorful explosions, and all kinds of other things. The trial game is free, and loads of fun. We've also got a handful of PC games that suddenly went free, including the hit Global Agenda. The full game is free to play on PC, and it's definitely worth checking out if you dig the shooter co-op scene.
This concludes our E3/Summer of Arcade edition featuring Earthworm Jim. Join us in a few weeks to actually play some of these Summer of Arcade hits, and keep an eye out for our review of Earthworm Jim's co-op mode.