Earthworm Jim 3

Earthworm Jim 3
Publisher	Ka Sheng
Developer	Hummer Team
Cart ID(s)	NT-876
Console	Famicom
Date	1997
Engine	Donkey Kong Country 4 Engine
Sound engine	Hummer Sound Engine

Earthworm Jim 3 (蚯蚓吉姆3) is an unlicensed port of the Sega Mega Drive version of Earthworm Jim published by Ka Sheng in early 1997, made for the Famicom by Hummer Team.

Overview

File:EWJ3Gameplay.png

Earthworm Jim 3's gameplay.

This game is a port of the first Earthworm Jim game, and includes three different levels split into two parts each. Each half of each level has a boss to it. The different parts themselves are mostly distinguished by color palette differences. The levels are based off New Junk City, What the Heck?, and For Pete's Sake. Jim can attack with the whip and gun, and the weapon you use can be changed by hitting the Select button. However, the player is forced to use the whip when jumping and the the gun when hanging from something. Andy Asteroids were removed from this version. The ending credits the programming to Ming June, the music to Alex Yeu and the graphics to Y.Y.C., the latter of whom is credited in Donkey Kong Country 4 by Hummer Team. Alex Yeu was also credited for doing the music in Mortal Kombat 3.

The backgrounds are sparse when compared to the original game due to system limitations, making the levels seem more generic as a result. There is much less animation than the original as well, and the graphics seem to be squashed, except for the items and font. The music is taken from the original game and used in the appropriate levels, although it sounds much different in this version. However, the ending uses the theme from New Junk City. The top part of the screen jitters in For Pete's Sake for unknown reasons and the final boss' (who was originally the Level 5 boss) graphics are glitched. These could be emulation issues but these may appear due to sprite limitations as well.

Credits

• Programmer: Ming JUNE
• Composer: Alex YEU
• Graphics: Y.Y.C

Trivia

File:EWJ3TaiwanShinShin.png

Easter egg in Earthworm Jim 3, containing Taiwan Shin-Shin's and Ka Sheng's logo.

• On the title screen, pressing Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Left, Right will trigger a screen containing the Taiwan Shin-Shin logo and the Ka Sheng logo. A reset is required to exit this screen.
• An unused music track based off the Psy-Crow theme appears in the game's NSF file, as well as several themes from Super Mario World and earlier (or possibly later) versions of themes from Donkey Kong Country 4. However, because the boss theme desyncs in the Earthworm Jim 3 NSF and not Donkey Kong Country 4's, these are likely early versions of the songs.
• The background for New Junk City was reused in an ABAB Soft game called War, which appears on the Super New Year Cart 15-in-1.
• A music track from this game was reused in another ABAB Soft game, Dragon Running, which was originally designed for a dance mat Famiclone but has appeared on other systems.

Gallery

NT-876.

NT-855 - either Hummer or Ex-Sachen port.

20150613 110911-1.jpg

Reprint from the 2010's.