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Earthworm Jim is becoming quite a celebrity having appeared in games too numerous to list here, and even his own TV show - it was pretty much inevitable that the loveable invertebrate with the robotic suit would end up on the Game Boy Color. Enter Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 The Galaxy!

Just in case you've never played any of the games and you've also managed to miss the hilarious TV series, it'd probably be wise to give you a little background on our hero. He inhabits a colourful world of talking dogs that turn into werewolves (so... weredogs, then), an evil scientist who has a monkey growing out of his head and all sorts of other equally bizarre individuals, and he spends a lot of his time when he's not saving the universe having large, docile cows drop on him from a great height - usually at least once an episode.

One of Jim's worst enemies is his arch-nemesis and alter-ego Evil Jim. Like Jim in every way except that he's pure evil through and through (hence the name for all those of you out there that get stuck on the first five questions in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?) and thanks to him the world, nay the safety of the very galaxy itself, is in danger and there's only one... er, 'person', who can save it. No prizes for guessing who that is! (Would you like to phone a friend?)

It seems that old 'Evil' has managed to get his hands on a dastardly machine created by the aforementioned 'evil scientist with monkey growing out of his head' - Professor Monkey-For-A-Head (who presumably didn't have parents with much imagination for names). This invention, the Inter-Dimensional-Transporter-Of-Doom could disrupt the very fabric of reality and then where would we be? So it's up to a talking worm in an oversized poer suit to sort things and save the day.

What this essentially means to your average Game Boy Color owner is that you get to help Jim battle through twelve (count 'em, twelve!) huge, sprawling themed levels, each packed with all sorts of nasties bent on stopping you setting the world to rights and a whole bunch of visual gags that are more often than not hazardous to health. Like the fire hydrant that spurts fire for instance!

Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 The Galaxy is an amusing, colourful platformer with a good sense of humour and a nice variety of levels. It's not exactly the kind of game that begs you to come back and keep playing but then it's not something that you'll be bored with within ten minutes either.

Give it a look today... just watch out for those falling cows!

What is the point? Am I completely missing the fun factor here, or is Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 The Galaxy just a rehash of old ideas, old graphics and old sound effects?

This is the kind of game that the Game Boy Color has by the thousand, so what do the software company do when they've got a sequel on their hands? Produce another bleedin' platform game, that's what!

I'm sorry if you're a fan of this kind of thing. I certainly used to be, but when the Game Boy's software collection is almost entirely made up of these games, you do start to tire of them!

Graphics 80%
Bright, colourful and cartoony.

Sound 60%
Bouncy little tune.

Playability 80%
Controls respond very well.

Lastability 60%
Levels get samey over time.

Overall 80%
A fun and humorous platformer.