10 Promising Video Game Sequels Stuck In Development Hell
8. Earthworm Jim 4
The often overlooked cult favourite Earthworm Jim had a solid dose of personality and style in the mid-nineties. Amidst a sea of knock-off 3D platforming mascots, Jim was one of the more memorable characters of the time and even bagged himself a TV series that ran from 1995 to 1996.
After several entries from the original developer Shiny Entertainment, the franchise was purchased by Interplay Entertainment. The anthropomorphic worm kept himself going, even with an underwhelming 3D entry from VIS interactive. Remakes and re-releases were able to maintain the momentum.
But when it comes to a new entry that takes things back to Jim's 2D roots, we've now been waiting more than twelve years.
An apparent remake for the PSP was planned by Interplay, but cancelled when it was 80% complete. Later in 2008, Earthworm Jim 4 was officially announced, but Interplay started to get bogged down in numerous litigation problems, including being sued by Bethesda over its rights to develop a Fallout MMO.
As for Earthworm Jim 4, Interplay claimed it was still in development in May 2011, but nothing has been heard since then. The task of bringing the worm back to prominence has now fallen to Intellivision Entertainment, who are looking to release their own version for the upcoming Intellivision Amico console in 2021.