Earthworm Jim (PSP)

Earthworm Jim, also called Earthworm Jim PSP, was a planned entry in the Earthworm Jim series of video games, intended for release on the PlayStation Portable. Initially thought to be a remake of the original Earthworm Jim, it was later revealed that it would contain mostly original content. The game was reported to reunite some of the developers who had worked on the acclaimed Earthworm Jim and Earthworm Jim 2 but been absent during production of the more poorly received Earthworm Jim 3D and Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy. Although said to be 80% complete in August 2006 and slated for an early 2007 release date, the game was ultimately cancelled in mid-2007.

Development

Rumors of an Earthworm Jim game started in 2006.^[2] It was originally believed to be a remake of the original Earthworm Jim due to footage of Jim in a level very reminiscent of the "New Junk City" level from the first game.^[2] The game was formally announced at E3 2006 by Atari, who had obtained the rights to the franchise.^[3] However, the game was reported to still to be made by members of the original two titles, Earthworm Jim and Earthworm Jim 2, including Shiny Entertainment founder Dave Perry, Doug TenNapel, Nick Bruty, and Tommy Tallarico.^[4] The developers later announced that the game would be mostly new content, with elements of the earlier games included.^[2] Past character to return in the game included Princess What's Her Name^[5] and Peter Puppy.^[5]

By August 2006, the game was reportedly at 80% complete, and many video game journalists had hands-on playable builds of the game, such as GameSpot,^[6] GamesRadar,^[7] and IGN.^[1] It was scheduled for an early 2007 release.^[6]

Gameplay

The game was to retain the gameplay of the original two titles, playing as a 2D sidescrolling platformer with elements of a run and gun, but now with 3D computer graphics.^[8] It would be two-dimensional gameplay with three-dimensional graphics, much in the vein of Sonic Rivals or Klonoa: Door to Phantomile.^[5][9] Similar to the original two games, the gameplay consisted of maneuvering Jim through levels through running and jumping, and defeating enemies with a machine gun, and by using his head as a whip.^[10]

Many new features were planned as well. One was the ability to collect different parts for Jim's powersuit, such as new gloves, boots, and armor.^[10] Some parts were used to make specific aspects of levels easier, such as the speed boost from the boot upgrade that made traversing a conveyor belt section of a level easier.^[1] A two-player, competitive mode was to be included as well.^[3] The player also possessed the option to, at any point in the game, make Jim start dancing.^[6] For instance, the player can make Jim "do the worm", and make him crouch and fit into smaller spaces.^[10]

The game was reported to have eight separate levels,^[1] although only two, "New Junk City", and the level referred to as "The Birds and the Bees".^[1][6] were specifically detailed. "New Junk City" was to be a remake of the level of the same name from the original Earthworm Jim, where as "The Birds and the Bees" was a completely new level to be about Jim being trapped in a literal war between birds and bees.^[6] Gamespot described the level as "Jim is caught in the middle of a war between the birds and the bees and will have to progress through an increasingly complex level that's design is inspired by the old mousetrap board games. In other words, something Jim does that affects something in one part of a level will fan out and be felt by the complex machinery somewhere else in the level."^[6]

Cancellation

Atari had quietly put the game "on hold" by June 2007, with Atari representative Alissa Bell stating "I believe EWJ is off the roster. May be revisited in the future, but the title is, as I hear it, on hold".^[11] No subsequent announcements regarding the game has led to the general belief that it has since been cancelled.^[2][12]GameZone reported that it basically came down to financial troubles, as they stated:

"Earthworm Jim was originally published by Interplay, the often money-troubled company that sold off the entire Fallout franchise to Bethesda Softworks to help combat their debt problems. Back in 2006 though, before the sale of the entire Fallout intellectual property, it was reported that they needed $75 million to complete their Fallout MMO project and just by chance, this Earthworm Jim project was set to start around the same time frame. So as luck would have it, Interplay was in dire need of money and had no way of paying off owed royalties from years past to Shiny Entertainment that included the television show, toys and much more that sent the worm into the stratosphere of superstardom."^[13]

Additionally, it was suggested that the "80%" figure, and the involvement of the original creators, may have been exaggerated as well.^[13][14] Interplay was silent about the franchise until 2008, when an Earthworm Jim 4 was announced,^[15] but series creator Doug TenNapel later denied its existence in 2010, and no other information was ever announced.^[16]

References