đšī¸ Cheats and Secrets
Want to bend the rules a little? Earthworm Jim is packed with hidden cheats, secret areas, and bonus codes that can give you an edge - or just make the chaos even more fun. Here's how to unlock them.
Cheat menu
To activate the Cheat Menu in Earthworm Jim, pause the game by pressing Enter and enter the following sequence:
+K,LLK,+K,LLK
If done correctly, you'll hear Jim say "Cheater!", and the Cheat Menu will appear automatically.
The menu includes four options:
- Cheat Mode - makes Jim invincible
- Level Select - instantly jump to any stage
- Freezeability - changes how pausing works: the screen stays visible, music keeps playing, and the game pauses only while you hold the Enter button. Once enabled, the Cheat Menu cannot be reopened during the same play session
- Map View Mode - lets you freely scroll through the current level to uncover hidden paths and secrets
Perfect for exploring, experimenting, or just having fun without limits.
Secret Air Pump in "Sea Tunnels"
In the level Sea Tunnels, during the third and final ride in the underwater shuttle, there's a hidden air pump that can give you extra time. About halfway through the ride, watch the left wall - you'll see two small lights. Drive straight through the wall at that spot, and you'll enter a hidden area with an air pump.
Grabbing this gives you more oxygen, making it easier to complete the rest of the section without running out of air. It's a handy secret, especially if you're struggling to make it through in time.
Bonus Codes and Shortcuts
Looking for quick boosts, extra lives, or instant level skips? These bonus codes give you all that and more. To activate them, simply pause the game by pressing Enter and enter the code. Whether you need more firepower, a fresh continue, or just want to warp to the end, these handy inputs can make your playthrough a lot easier - or just more fun. Give them a try and see what kind of chaos you can unleash!
- 100% Health: KSpaceSpaceKLLKSpace
- Level Skip: K,K+Space,SpaceK
- 1,000 Bullets: KLLLSpaceKSpaceSpace
- Another Extra Guy: LLSpaceSpaceKKKK
- Extra Continue: K,+L,KLKLSpaceK
- Extra Life: +L,LKSpaceKKKK
- Plasma Guns: +Space,KLSpaceKLKSpace
- Warp to "What The Heck": KLSpaceK
- Warp to End Game: K+Space,K+L,SpaceSpaceLLKK
đ§ Fun Facts About Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim isn't just a clever platformer - it's packed with hidden jokes, technical achievements, and creative details that helped define it as a classic. Here are some deeper, verified facts that reveal just how unique this game really was:
đ First Game Ever to Score 100% in GamesMaster
When Earthworm Jim was released in 1994, it received high praise across the board. But in the UK, it made history - the gaming magazine GamesMaster gave the game a perfect 100% score, the first time they had ever done so. Reviewers praised its clever humor, tight controls, hand-drawn visuals, and creativity that stood out in the 16-bit era.
đ Jim Was Named "Best New Character" of 1994
Jim wasn't your typical video game hero. He was a worm in a robotic suit, flailing his head like a whip and navigating a bizarre universe. This originality didn't go unnoticed: Electronic Gaming Monthly awarded him "Best New Character" of 1994, highlighting how fresh and funny he felt compared to the many mascots of the time.
âī¸ Hidden Message for the Developers
If you enter the cheat menu code correctly on the Genesis/Mega Drive version, you'll briefly see a secret message: "Hey, Shiny Crew and D.L. only!"
This Easter egg was a direct shout-out from the developers at Shiny Entertainment to themselves - a hidden signature embedded in the game, invisible to most players unless they accessed the debug menu.
đŧ Alternate Ending on Easy Mode
If you complete the game on Easy, you don't get the standard ending. Instead, you're treated to a parody "educational film" about real earthworms - complete with dry narration about habitats, biology, and reproduction. It's a reward and a light-hearted jab at players who avoided the harder difficulties.
đē Earthworm Jim Got His Own Cartoon - Voiced by Homer Simpson
Thanks to the game's popularity, Earthworm Jim was adapted into a Saturday morning cartoon that ran from 1995 to 1996. The voice of Jim? None other than Dan Castellaneta, best known as the voice of Homer Simpson. The show kept the absurd humor of the game and introduced new characters and plots while staying true to the tone fans loved.
đ¤ Did You Notice? - Tiny Details You Might've Missed
Earthworm Jim is filled with quirky animations, background jokes, and playful surprises that reward players for paying attention. Here are some of the best hidden touches and small details that even seasoned players might have missed:
đ§ Hidden Developer Portrait (SNES version only)
In the SNES version of the game, there's a bizarre Easter egg hidden behind a specific button combination on the pause screen. If you enter Y, A, B, B, A, Y, A, B you'll briefly see a strange black-and-white image of a man's face - that's Nick Jones, one of the programmers.
The image appears for just a moment, with the message "Old cheat code". It doesn't affect the game in any way, but it's a fun little wink from the dev team - and one of the most obscure secrets in the game.
đ The Cow Joke That Takes the Whole Game to Pay Off
In the very first level, New Junk City, there's a seemingly random sight: a cow standing under a fridge attached to a launch pad. If you pull a nearby lever, the fridge drops, flinging the cow into the sky with a loud "MOO!" and the text "Cow launched!" flashes on screen.
And then... nothing. The game continues as usual. But if you finish the game, right after the final battle - that same cow crashes down from the sky, flattening the villain. It's a classic example of the game's long-running humor and perfectly timed absurdity.
đ°ī¸ The Great Earthworm Jim Race - A Real-Life Competition
In 1995, Earthworm Jim was featured in a SEGA Channel event called The Great Earthworm Jim Race. Players competed in a special time trial level built just for the promotion. If you finished the level and submitted your time code to SEGA, you could win real-world prizes like t-shirts, plush toys, or action figures.
Only the fastest 200 players received prizes - making this not just a hidden level, but one of the earliest examples of an online console gaming competition. The level is no longer officially available, but fans have preserved footage and screenshots.
đŦ Jim's Face Reacts to Your Health
If you look closely at the top-left corner of the HUD, where Jim's health is shown, you'll notice his face changes expressions dynamically:
- When health is full, Jim grins confidently
- When it's low, he looks panicked or hurt
- When hit, he winces or makes funny faces
This expressive health indicator adds personality to the UI and helps keep the tone light - even when things are going badly.
đ§Ŋ Environmental Gags and Background Weirdness
Many levels include odd background details that serve no gameplay purpose but add to the game's surreal charm. For example:
- In What The Heck?, snowmen explode for no reason
- In Level 5, you can hear an elevator version of "Night on Bald Mountain" playing
- In Snot a Problem, idle animations show Jim picking at himself or looking bored
- In Down the Tubes, you can spot fish wearing scuba masks
These little touches don't advance the game, but they give it a rich, lived-in, and delightfully absurd world.