Review: Super Mega Worm - Now That's A Big Worm
by Staff Writer
September 2, 2010
Overview
The ground is rumbling, and maybe it's a tremor, but not it's Super Mega Worm. The worm is set on destroying humanity to save Earth from destruction. We gave you a sneak peek, and now that the game has hit the App Store it's time for the full review.
Features
There are 24 levels with each one having a certain threshold of humans to kill. Your worm needs to constantly eat to survive, and there are twenty different things to eat throughout the game. As you progress the worm can earn special abilities including spit, EMP, and meteor slam.The Good
If you like carnage you'll be right at home with Super Mega Worm, it fills the screen with the blood and guts of humans, cows, and buffalo to name a few. It's great seeing the worm flowing along underground, and then coming up to eat whatever it can, and each item quite literally explodes on impact with the worm. Your worm isn't relegated to being underground as it can burst into the sky with boost, and launch into birds, helicopters and planes.
The theme of the game is great, and I couldn't help but being reminded of the movie Tremors. With each new level comes more humans to eat, and they're in more difficult places to get to. You will need to soar into the air to destroy helicopters and shoot down paratroopers.
The added abilities really come in handy especially when you’re dealing with enemies who can fire back at you with guns and bombs. You will also need to eat all you can in later levels because you take damage, and food is in short supply as there are only 40 humans in a level and you need to kill each one rather than new ones dropping in. When you make it far in the game the next time you start you will have the new abilities unlocked, and sometimes even have black view above screen until you pop out from underground only adding to the challenge.
The 8-bit retro graphics are well designed, and fit with the style of the game. The animations are great from the worm diving out and back into the dirt combined with the various explosions of blood and meat chunks from the things eaten. The soundtrack is in 8 bit style as well and is action packed which is mixed with the screams of the humans.
The Bad
The game is definitely lacking in the replay column as once you've played a couple times you've seen all there is to see. There isn't much variability in the levels from game to game which means in a particular level you will have the same things to eat, and the same enemies to deal with. The game is score based, and you’re always trying to make combos, but there are no online high scores which seem essential for a score based game.
Once you die you have to start back at the beginning of the game, but it would be a great addition to be able to continue from where you die. The controls aren't the easiest or smoothest, but they get the job done. They take quite awhile to get used to, but once you do they will feel like second nature.
The game is repetitive in its nature, but that doesn't prevent you from playing it considerably, and enjoying it each time.
