Earthworm Jim 2

The purpose of the game is largely the same as it was in the original Earthworm Jim ; traverse through the levels in order to save Princess What's-Her-Name from Psy-Crow. However, gameplay is much more diverse than the original. While the majority of levels are still based on run and gun and platformer elements, separate levels incorporate different gameplay mechanics as well. Some levels, like the opening level, "Anything but Tangerines", and the eighth level, "Level Ate", play mostly the same as the original Earthworm Jim , with the exception of there being a larger variety of moves at the player's disposal.

For instance, there are more types of guns to use once found in a level, like an auto-aiming gun, or the "Barn Blaster" gun which takes out every enemy visible on the screen. New power-ups include the chip butty , which increases Jim's suit power to 200%. Additionally, Jim's friend, Snott, travels with him and can be used to stick to and swing from other slimy green surfaces or as a parachute upon jumping. Other levels stray much further from this formula.

In the third level, "Villi People", the player must guide Jim, in the disguise of a blind cave salamander , through intestinal passages, while avoiding exploding sheep and hazards embedded in the floors and walls. The latter part of the level suddenly switches to a game show/trivia format, where the player has to answer nonsensical multiple choice questions that commonly have no logically correct answer. Another level, aptly titled "Inflated Head", has Jim's head inflated like a balloon, and the player must control Jim as he floats upward, avoiding sharp objects which cause him to fall back down to the start, all the while dodging Evil the Cat's attacks. Another level, "The Flyin' King", plays as an isometric shooter, which includes Jim on his "pocket rocket", where a balloon with a bomb must be directed to the end of the level, and defended from enemies, in order to defeat Major Mucus.

The last level, "See Jim Run Run Jim Run", is not a typical boss fight, but a race against Psy-Crow through an obstacle course to get to Princess What's-Her-Name. The game ends with Jim saving the Princess, but all three characters eventually turn out to be cows in disguise.