Earthworm Jim: Special Edition (MCD, 1995)
Graphics-8.5 Sound-7.5/8.5 Control-7.5 Challenge-8.5/7.5
Level Design-7.5/8 Frustration-9/8 Fun-7.5 Originality-7
Overall Score-7/7.5*
*MCD version
Good variety (For Pete's Sake escort segment, bathysphere segment, bungee jump segment, out of suit segments, rail/into the screen chase mini-game)
Hover jumping and swinging on hooks
Some alternate paths through levels
Some innovate gameplay (stealth element to the new MCD level called Big Bruty, basic physics puzzle on the pulley in level 1)
Humorous (silly, slapstick, absurd)
Various hidden items
Some mini-bosses
Compared to MD: One extra level (also has an additional "outside of the suit" segment), Smoother scrolling, More sound effects, Password save in CD version, Added homing missile weapon, Different endings depending on chosen difficulty level (easy-hard), Skippable tube race segment, New title cards for each level showing the boss you're going to face
Compared to SNES: Higher horizontal resolution (makes it easier to react to danger), Faster animation leads to more intuitive control, Two extra levels, Less slowdown and more sprites on screen
Item magnet on health items dropped by enemies (released a couple of months after Sonic 3)
+/-
Mid-level checkpoints
About 9-10 seconds of loading between levels
Auto-grab ledges and climb up when jumping near them (might've been better if you had to push towards them)
-
Some control issues (slow knockback, somewhat sloppy hit detection - somewhat unforgiving near platform edges, somewhat loose scrolling (see Aladdin) - more so when moving to the right)
Some very tedious levels (For Pete’s Sake, Down the Tubes), Kind drawn out last phase of the final boss
The chase mini-game gets a bit repetitive
Could’ve had better backgrounds at times
Sometimes hard to tell what you can stand on
Can’t shoot while moving
No password save on MD or SNES
Some trial & error (last couple of levels and psycrow chases, tube race if you don't skip it - one of the oxygen deposits is hidden)
Notes:
-Original version was released in 1994
Level Design-7.5/8 Frustration-9/8 Fun-7.5 Originality-7
Overall Score-7/7.5*
*MCD version
Good variety (For Pete's Sake escort segment, bathysphere segment, bungee jump segment, out of suit segments, rail/into the screen chase mini-game)
Hover jumping and swinging on hooks
Some alternate paths through levels
Some innovate gameplay (stealth element to the new MCD level called Big Bruty, basic physics puzzle on the pulley in level 1)
Humorous (silly, slapstick, absurd)
Various hidden items
Some mini-bosses
Compared to MD: One extra level (also has an additional "outside of the suit" segment), Smoother scrolling, More sound effects, Password save in CD version, Added homing missile weapon, Different endings depending on chosen difficulty level (easy-hard), Skippable tube race segment, New title cards for each level showing the boss you're going to face
Compared to SNES: Higher horizontal resolution (makes it easier to react to danger), Faster animation leads to more intuitive control, Two extra levels, Less slowdown and more sprites on screen
Item magnet on health items dropped by enemies (released a couple of months after Sonic 3)
+/-
Mid-level checkpoints
About 9-10 seconds of loading between levels
Auto-grab ledges and climb up when jumping near them (might've been better if you had to push towards them)
-
Some control issues (slow knockback, somewhat sloppy hit detection - somewhat unforgiving near platform edges, somewhat loose scrolling (see Aladdin) - more so when moving to the right)
Some very tedious levels (For Pete’s Sake, Down the Tubes), Kind drawn out last phase of the final boss
The chase mini-game gets a bit repetitive
Could’ve had better backgrounds at times
Sometimes hard to tell what you can stand on
Can’t shoot while moving
No password save on MD or SNES
Some trial & error (last couple of levels and psycrow chases, tube race if you don't skip it - one of the oxygen deposits is hidden)
Notes:
-Original version was released in 1994