Nintendo Switch Online Adds Classic Game Earthworm Jim 2
The Nintendo Switch Online service has added three new games, with the headliner being Earthworm Jim 2. The titular Earthworm Jim is a nostalgic video game mascot from the era when every studio wanted its own equivalent to Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog, and Earthworm Jim managed to break free from the world of gaming, by receiving his own beloved cartoon series.
The Earthworm Jim video games were run and gun platformers with a twisted sense of humor. Earthworm Jim was a regular earthworm who was granted sentience when an alien super-suit fell from the sky, granting him super strength and a ray gun. The first two Earthworm Jim games were well-regarded at the time and are still remembered fondly by fans, even if they didn't leave as much of a mark on history as the Donkey Kong Country, Sonic the Hedgehog, or Super Mario Bros. games from the same era.
The last major addition to the SNES app happened in February when EarthBound was added to Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo has just added more games to the NES and SNES app without any warning. A new trailer on the official Nintendo YouTube channel has announced that Earthworm Jim 2 is now available on the SNES app and both Dig Dug 2 and Mappy-Land are available on the NES app. SP versions of Super Mario World and Super Punch-Out!! are also available, with progress saved at a late point in each game.
Dig Dug 2 is a puzzle game set on islands, where the player must use their drill to break pieces of land away, in order to deal with monsters, without falling into the water themselves. Mappy-Land is a strange platform game, where the player takes on the role of a cartoon mouse, as they collect items and avoid enemies. These games feel like filler titles, but at least a SNES classic is coming to Nintendo Switch Online.
The release of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack felt like Nintendo was pivoting away from adding NES and SNES games, especially as most of the big first-party titles were already available on the service, with EarthBound being one of the last big holdouts. The addition of Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games means that those systems will get the focus in the future, and the rumors of Game Boy titles coming to Nintendo Switch Online means that there are lots of retro games in the pipeline. The big first-party Nintendo NES and SNES might already be on Nintendo Switch Online, but there are still some amazing third-party titles waiting in the wings. Nintendo promised that the Switch will add more NES and SNES games were on the way and Earthworm Jim 2 is a great addition to the service, which means that there could be more surprises to come in the future.
Earthworm Jim 2, Dig Dug 2, and Mappy Land are available now for Nintendo Switch Online.
Source: Nintendo/YouTube