Still not satisfied with what you're getting on the Virtual Console and Xbox Live Arcade? Then maybe you should head on over to
GameTap! With more than 100 free games currently available, GameTap is one of the best places to play classic games! And every week they are adding brand new titles to the service, including old school games for the Genesis, Neo Geo, Commodore 64 and much, much more. Won't you join us as we take a look at what's going on this week over at GameTap!
Remember last week when I broke the news of a GameTap and Interplay deal? Well, it didn't take long for the first batch of Interplay titles to make it to the game service. But don't get too excited, because it's going to cost you. That's right, as of right now the three Interplay games released this week are only available via the subscription service. Here's my take on those three ...
Earthworm Jim (Genesis/Subscription) -
When I first saw Earthworm Jim I knew I was in love. There was nothing like it on the market at the time. Oh, I know, there was Contra, Midnight Resistance and a ton of other 2D action games, but none of them had the style, sense of humor and downright good looks of Earthworm Jim. Best known as David Perry's crowning jewel, Earthworm Jim is a comic book come to life. From the amazing character (an earthworm in a giant space suit) to all of the weird places you find yourself in (a garbage dump, hell, etc.), there is more style in one level of this game than an entire year's worth of Acclaim games. Best of all, Earthworm Jim is funny. Real funny. Perhaps the most impressive part of this game is seeing how well Earthworm Jim has held up. I was shocked at how modern the game feels, even though it's a 15 year old 2D action game. Give it a spin and you'll see exactly what I mean.
Earthworm Jim 2 (Genesis/Subscription) -
While not as good as the original, Earthworm Jim 2 is still one hell of a 2D action game. Fans of the original will be happy to see that just about everything they loved has been brought over to the sequel. And best of all, Earthworm Jim 2 sports a whole bunch of cool new weapons, enemies and levels. Part of the problem with this sequel is that it's so much like the original, there are very few real innovations in this game, which is disappointing given how amazing the first game was. Having said that, you can't go wrong playing through this wacky 2D action game.
Earthworm Jim 3D (Windows/Subscription) -
This is more proof that not every old school game should be turned into a new-fangled 3D experience. Earthworm Jim 3D is a dreadful experience that forgoes everything that made the two previous games so good and replaces it with terrible graphics, atrocious gameplay and a sense of humor that just can't quite find its mark. When Earthworm Jim was in 2D it was full of character, from the heavily detailed backgrounds to the stunning character animations, but this 3D game has poorly textured polygons, repetitive enemies and disappointing level designs. This is not only one of the worst games of all time, but one of the most unnecessary titles ever created. With Earthworm Jim 1 and 2 on the service there's absolutely no reason to play Earthworm Jim 3D.
Don't have a GameTap subscription? Don't worry, because this week we also get one genuine classic - Burger Time. Okay, so it's not exactly as cool as Earthworm Jim 1 and 2 ... but it's infinitely better than Earthworm Jim 3D. On top of the free Burger Time, GameTap is also offering Pop-ATronic and Flip Words 2 (both Windows games). Here are my thoughts on Burger Time ...
Burger Time (Arcade/Free) -
I don't care how old or young you are, at some point in your life you have experienced the fun that is Burger Time. This is the game where you run up and down a bunch of layers assembling gigantic Rosanne Barr-sized hamburger. While the game is still a lot of fun today, it's hard to get over the repetitive nature of this game. This is the kind of thing you may want to play for a few minutes, but you're probably not going to spend a half hour playing Burger Time. It's still a fun game, but it hasn't held up as well as other classic games reviewed this week.
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