EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

[Pai Pai Master]

I've wished, I've hoped, I've dreamed, and it seems the gods of cows, crows and all things wacky have heard my prayers.

Earthworm Jim Lives! Interplay Inks Deal With Creator to Relaunch the Legend

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., April 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Interplay Entertainment Corp. (OTC Bulletin Board: IPLY) announced today that the company signed a partnership arrangement with Earthworm Jim creator Douglas TenNapel to relaunch the videogame icon.


TenNapel will serve as a creative consultant on Earthworm Jim 4, and will simultaneously develop an animated series and feature film to expand the well known brand.


TenNapel created the original Earthworm Jim character, which Interplay developed into a video game with Shiny Studios for the Sega Genesis console in 1994. The game became an immediate hit, and later spawned sequels on various computer and video game platforms, including Earthworm Jim 2, Earthworm Jim 3D, and Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy.
The iconic character became a virtual hero whose popularity took him far beyond video games into TV and toys. An animated Earthworm Jim television series, produced by TenNapel, aired for two seasons from 1995 to 1996, on The Kids WB! with Dan Castellaneta of "The Simpsons" providing the voice for the title character.


About Douglas TenNapel


Douglas TenNapel is an Eisner Award-winning artist, animator and film maker. In addition to creating Earthworm Jim, he created The Neverhood, a PC game for Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks. TenNapel also created "Catscratch" for Nickelodeon and served as a consulting producer on the ABC series "Push, Nevada." TenNapel has authored and illustrated several graphic novels. Specifically, "Monster Zoo" is in development with Sam Raimi at with Paramount Pictures, "Creature Tech" is in development at New Regency, and "Tommysaurus Rex" is at Universal with ShadyAcres producing.


About Interplay


Founded in 1983, Interplay Entertainment is a developer, publisher and licensor of video game software headquartered in Southern California. Interplay is best known for its successful titles in the Role-Playing Game (RPG) genre with hit series like "Fallout" and "Baldur's Gate." The company has produced and licensed titles for many of the most popular interactive entertainment software platforms in the action/arcade, adventure/RPG and strategy/puzzle categories. Its portfolio of well-recognized Intellectual Properties includes Battlechess, Clayfighter, Dark Alliance, Descent, Earthworm Jim, Freespace, Giants, Messiah, MDK, Run Like Hell, Sacrifice and others.



SOURCE Interplay Entertainment Corp.

I'm ecstatic; Earthworm Jim is the franchise that originally got me interested in animation and video game art as a kid, so this is like a childhood dream come true for me. How excellent it is that TenNapel will be involved in the production of EWJ4, the new animated series, and the feature film.

[Icemage]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

Er... isn't this the same Interplay that went into bankruptcy a while back and was (is?!) trying to get a Fallout MMO funded?

Wikipedia indicates they're now "mostly" debt-free, having sold the rights to Fallout to Bethesda Softworks (who are now working on Fallout 3), but I'm wondering where they'd find the funding - and the staff - to produce a new Earthworm Jim game, considering they had an internal development staff in about three years.


Icemage

[Pai Pai Master]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

Yes, they were just about to go under when they finally gave up the Fallout rights to Bethesda. I believe their current deal is that if they don't get the MMO off the ground within a certain timeframe, they lose rights to the MMO as well. Interplay's been quiet since then (I assume development on the MMO has ceased), but there have been stirrings within the industry saying they're preparing to relaunch the studio soon with revivals to their classic Earthworm Jim, MDK and Descent IPs.

TenNapel hasn't mentioned any details on the team yet beyond news of the initial deal which he hinted about on his forums a few days ago, but he seems confident that there'll be proper manpower and funding behind the project. After the blunder of Interplay and Atari's PSP remake, I doubt he'd sign a deal without assurance that there'd be full funding for the game.

[Tickmeoff]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., April 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Interplay Entertainment Corp. (OTC Bulletin Board: IPLY) announced today that the company signed a partnership arrangement with Earthworm Jim creator Douglas TenNapel to relaunch the videogame icon.

Awesome!

an animated series and feature film

Wait.. what?

[MrMageo]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

oh ya earthworm jim the series kicked mad ass was one of my favorite cartoons as a kid.

[Pai Pai Master]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

Word, the cartoon turned out great, so I'm looking forward to seeing a new animated series and especially a film.

[Tickmeoff]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

I will admit I loved the cartoon, but.. a movie? I think we all know how film adaptations of video games turn out.

[Caspian]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

My favorite part was that they left a cliffhanger ending leaving it open for a sequel.

Haven't played EW Jim in years. Interested to see how they go about it. Since 2-D has gone the way of the dodo I'm hoping they end up doing a 3rd person shooter, something along the lines of the newer Metroid games.

[Feba]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

Since 2-D has gone the way of the dodo I'm hoping they bring it back in style

Fixed.

[Pai Pai Master]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

That would be nice, but I'd settle for something Ratchet & Clank-y or Jet Force Gemini-ish. TenNapel already seems like he has no interests in going back to 2D for the game and seems pretty enthused about the redesigns he's been working on.

[Balfree]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

If it has to be 3D please let it be a good job... oh God in heaven.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

That would be nice, but I'd settle for something Ratchet & Clank-y or Jet Force Gemini-ish. TenNapel already seems like he has no interests in going back to 2D for the game and seems pretty enthused about the redesigns he's been working on.

Some franchises just don't work in 3D because 3D becomes the feature instead of what made the games good to start with. Metroid worked in 3D because the team didn't forget what Metroid was about - action and exploration. You'd think a franchise such as Castlevania - which for the last decade has taken cues from Metroid - would end up making a good 3D Vania game. They still haven't in ten years of trying and yet, each time they go make another 2D one, they do it right.

Metal Gear is a series that, like Metroid, never lost touch with what made it so good. For the last three 3D installments, the 2D elements and all the little quirks that make it MGS are still there.

If what made Earthworm Jim work in its first two installments is still there, then this gane should be great no matter whether its 2D or 3D, stull, we have EJ 3D - which admittedly did suck- to throw that into question. We've just seen so many old franchises lose what they were, its hard not to be cynical.

[DakAttack]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

He's no Duke Nukem, but he's still awesome.

[Ziero]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

Dude, a Ratchet and Clank style Earthworm Jim would be freaking badass. This is excellent news, or rather, should I say it's Groovey

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: EARTHWORM JIM 4 is a Reality!

I still don't see what's so great about Ratchet and Clank. Played the first one, played the most recent one, was too bored to even finish the demo level.