Earthworm Jim 2

Earthworm Jim 2 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 1995 action-platform sequel developed by Shiny Entertainment and published by Virgin. It returns to the deliberately bizarre universe of the first Earthworm Jim: an ordinary worm has become the operator of an oversized super suit, while Princess What's-Her-Name is again threatened by Psy-Crow. Built as a follow-up rather than a restart, the SNES game keeps Jim's cartoon action and absurd humour but makes each stage a different kind of challenge.

Most of Earthworm Jim 2 SNES is a side-scrolling run-and-gun platformer. Jim runs, jumps, fires his blaster and uses his own worm body as a whip to reach across gaps, strike enemies or interact with the scenery. The player crosses hazardous routes filled with enemies, moving platforms and traps while trying to preserve Jim's suit power. Weapons found in the levels extend his standard firepower, including specialised shots with unusual effects, and the SNES version lets players cycle through the weapons they have collected. A Chip Butty power-up can raise the suit-power limit, giving a temporary cushion against the game's hazards.

The sequel also gives Jim a useful companion in Snott, the green alien creature carried in his pack. Snott can fasten onto suitable surfaces so Jim can swing across spaces that an ordinary jump cannot clear; when released in the air, he can serve as a short-lived parachute. That ability changes how certain platforming sections are approached, while the familiar mix of shooting, jumping and whip attacks remains the foundation. Checkpoints and the password system support progress through the adventure, but timing and recognising each level's particular rules are central to getting farther.

Rather than repeating one format from beginning to end, Earthworm Jim 2 moves through a string of comic scenarios. The opening action is followed by levels that put Jim into an insect-like disguise, turn him into a floating inflated head, or frame the action around other surreal hazards. One section presents an isometric flying sequence on Jim's pocket rocket, where protecting and steering a bomb-carrying balloon matters as much as attacking opponents. Another swaps the usual action for an intentionally nonsensical quiz-show sequence. These detours make the game a platformer with varied stage gimmicks, not simply a collection of similar combat courses.

Its enemy cast and set pieces continue the series' cartoon logic. Psy-Crow remains Jim's rival in the race to reach the Princess, while figures such as Evil the Cat and Major Mucus appear amid environments designed around visual gags as well as obstacles. The final confrontation is structured as a race through an obstacle course rather than a conventional stand-still boss battle, fitting the game's preference for changing the rules. The rescue story is therefore a loose thread connecting a chain of exaggerated worlds, strange opponents and unexpected play styles.

Earthworm Jim 2 arrived for SNES and Sega Genesis during the original series' 1990s run. The two 16-bit editions are closely related, though the Super NES release has its own background artwork and weapon-switching feature. Later versions for computers and other consoles did not all contain the same presentation or level selection, so Earthworm Jim 2 SNES is specifically the 16-bit Super Nintendo take on Shiny Entertainment's sequel. For players exploring the original Earthworm Jim games, it stands as the immediate continuation of Jim's first adventure and a showcase for the franchise's combination of animated-style action and offbeat level design.