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Sega classic Earthworm Jim wriggles onto iPhones

Fifteen years later, everbody's favorite face-making, whip-smacking, mutated earthworm is back. This run-and-gun platformer is definitely a challenge, though.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
He's back! And he's still a worm (but in a good way). Earthworm Jim for iPhone recaptures the original's fun, funny gameplay.

Everything old is new again. Earthworm Jim, a run-and-gun platform game that debuted on the Sega Genesis in 1994, just hit the App Store.

Earthworm Jim, brought to you by Gameloft (do these guys ever stop working?), offers the same terrific tongue-in-cheek sci-fi action as its predecessor.

As the titular mutated character, you'll run, swing, blast, and bungee-jump your way through 16 levels as you attempt to rescue Princess What's-Her-Name from the evil Psy-Crow and Queen Slug-for-a-Butt. (I didn't say it was a particularly sophisticated game.)

The onscreen d-pad control makes movement a little challenging until you get the hang of it, and it can be frustrating to miss a jump because you accidentally grazed the wrong part of the controller.

Even so, the graphics, sound effects, and gameplay are all here, making Earthworm Jim ($4.99) a worthwhile buy for nostalgia buffs and fans of platform games.

Other PC/console classics that have made their way to the iPhone:

What legendary games are you hoping to see remade for the iPhone? Me, I'm waiting on The Neverhood, a 1996 Claymation game.