Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy

Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy is a platform game made in two-dimensional graphics ^{[3] [4]} . According to the plot, Evil Jim stole the interdimensional teleport , which was created by Professor Monkey-head, in order to capture the galaxy. The main character of the game, the worm Jim, is going to prevent the cunning plans of his evil double and save the galaxy ^[1] .

The gameplay resembles the previous parts of the series, but here the emphasis is on the search for objects and the study of levels ^[4] . The player controls the worm Jim, armed with one of four types of weapons, with which you can destroy enemies. The stock of weapons is limited, but it can be replenished by collecting at levels. If Jim touches an enemy or a dangerous object, he will lose health points . If they are completely exhausted, then the player loses his life and begins the level anew. Initially, the player is given two lives, and if they are lost, the game ends. At the levels, you can pick up additional lives in the form of Jim's head, and you can replenish health points by collecting molecules ^[4] . At levels, you can interact with other objects (trash bins, toilets, and so on) that allow you to go through various sections. You can also find Jim's friend, Snott, who allows the worm to jump higher and ride on it. You can find a rocket on which you can fly for some time, as well as shoot from it ^[4] .

To pass each level, except for battles with bosses, you need to collect a certain amount of coins, which can be found both in hard-to-reach places and obtained as a result of the destruction of enemies ^[3] . There are 12 main levels in the game, for access to which you need to pass the introductory level “City” at the beginning of the game. Every third main level is a battle with the boss , which are used as villains from previous games and the animated series about the Jim worm, such as the gold killer Bob, the cat Zlovred, the Queen Sluggish and Evil Jim ^[3] . After completing each level, the player is shown a password that can be used in the new game to skip already completed levels. The game is compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color , however, the additional “Happiness” level, which opens after completing the rest, is available only if the game is running on Game Boy Color ^[3] .

David A. Palmer IMS Productions was responsible for the development of Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy , and the publisher was Crave Entertainment , an agreement to release the game with Interplay Entertainment , which at that time already owned the rights to the Earthworm Jim series. The announcement of Menace 2 the Galaxy took place on August 25, 1999 ^[1] . The game is a spin-off of the franchise, and, like the other part of the series, also released in 1999 - Earthworm Jim 3D - is based on the animated series about the Jim worm , and not the first two games: for example, the main goal is to collect objects, as in Earthworm Jim 3D , and the main villain was chosen Evil Jim - a character who until then appeared only in the animated series ^[3] . The developers promised in the new platformer a large number of different levels, weapons, the traditional for the series of humor, as well as compatibility with Game Boy Color and Game Boy ; representatives of Crave Entertainment, in addition, said that Menace 2 the Galaxy will “look brilliant” on Game Boy Color, and, in comparison with the version for Game Boy, not only have a graphic palette of 56 colors, but also contain an exclusive level ^{[1 ]} .

According to preliminary data, Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy was supposed to be released in September 1999 ^[1] , but in the end the release took place on November 10, 1999 ^[2] .

Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy received mixed reviews from critics. On the MobyGames website, the game has an average rating of 58 points out of 100 possible ^{[2] [5]} . Journalists were disappointed with the boring gameplay with collecting items, but praised the graphics and various levels ^{[3] [4] [5]} .

Kreig Harris ( IGN ) rated 6 out of 10, criticizing the tedious collection of items, which is “very frustrating,” and complained that “there isn’t enough“ intelligence ”and what made Earthworm Jim one of the best and funniest action games on 16-bit systems ”, but attributed replayability and nice graphics to the merits ^[3] . Nintendo Power magazine observer expressed a similar opinion and gave the game 6.3 points out of 10 ^[6] . AllGame website critic Brett Alan Weiss rated Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy as two and a half out of five stars, also criticizing the tedious collection of items and saying that he was upset by Jim’s lack of attack when he used himself as a whip. However, Weiss noted that the backgrounds and levels look great, and the quality of the music and sound effects are good for Game Boy Color. The reviewer concluded that the game was "sometimes interesting when it came time to move to a new level or fight the main enemy, but more often it was very tiring" ^[4] . A representative of the French magazine Player One reacted extremely negatively to the platformer because of the boring coin collection, setting it at 29% ^[8] .

However, some critics rated Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy positively. Browser of the French site Pockett Videogames gave the game four stars out of five, praising the graphics, music and fun arcade gameplay ^[5] . The reviewer of the German site Mega Fun agreed with this opinion, putting 7.9 out of 10. He said that the platformer was a good success, and “thanks to the complex, diverse levels and numerous weapons, the game really brings pleasure” ^[5] .

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