Earthworm Jim makes his move from the 16-bit days to a 64-bit fully 3D adventure. He's crazier than ever, but does Earthworm Jim 3D pack the same laughs and fun of its predecessors, or has the Nintendo 64 made a monster out of this worm?

A Real Worm Burner
What's left of Earthworm Jim's mind has been invaded by his arch nemesis Psycrow, and our hero's sanity hangs in the balance. You must lead Jim's super ego through the four lobes of his brain (Memory, Happiness, Fear, and Fantasy) collecting his marbles and defeating enemies, and hopefully restoring him to his senses (or as close to that as he can be). There are between three and five missions in each lobe, where you inexplicably have to collect golden udders (actually it's explained but you have to hear it for yourself) in order to clear the level. After you have collected enough udders and marbles you become smart enough to enter Jim's different lobes.

It sounds ridiculous, but hey, it's Earthworm Jim you're dealing with here, so what else would you expect? If you are a fan of the cartoon you'll be glad to see that Fatty Roswell, Professor Monkey for a Head and Bob the Goldfish are all working with Psycrow on his diabolical mission. Also, there is a hilarious assortment of bizarre weapons and boards for you to maneuver through, as the only limits placed on this game are Jim's own twisted imagination.

Big Trouble In Little Brain
The idea sounds like a lot of fun, but in execution EJ3D loses the sharp edge of the previous Jim games. Graphically, there is always something bizarre going on, but all in all, it's a rather sparse game. Maybe the inside of a worm's brain really looks like this, but the boards seem rather cookie cutter and repetitive. Jim's 3D model looks good, and is animated very well, and his bizarre opponents keep you interested, but this isn't enough to impress you through the entire game.

Sound is typical of EWJ games. You hear Jim joke incessantly and bellow each time he's injured throughout the game (which is reason enough to take fewer hits). The theme music for each adventure is grating at best (the country music from the Memory lobe is the most annoying).

Jim loses his might when it comes to game control. The camera is awful, and even though you have control over it, it's limited to bizarre physical barriers and is a nuisance when in the heat of battle. Jim himself is very sloppy; he moves like his clumsy self, but it makes it very hard to stand on any of the small areas he needs to jump from. You'll find yourself getting angrier with the worm hero than at any of his villainous foes.

There Is No Joy In Worm-ville
Earthworm Jim's crazy antics have made it to N64, but it appears that the system wasn't ready for him. As 3D platformers go, Earthworm Jim 3D is middle of the road, which is frustrating because he's a character that's a lot of fun.