Earthworm Jim for PSP was looking good: it had sharp graphics, and awesome 2D gameplay potential. Unfortunately, it appears that the game is canned ... for now. We contacted Alissa Bell from Atari, who commented: "I believe EWJ is off the roster. May be revisited in the future, but the title is, as I hear it, on hold." Hopefully, this isn't the end of Earthworm Jim on PSP.

Atari's upcoming support for PSP includes Dungeons & Dragons Tactics and HOT PIXEL. However, it doesn't appear that PSP fans can expect too much more in the upcoming future. Talking about their E3 plans, Alissa told us that "I don't believe Atari will be focusing on PSP titles at E3."

Fans of book to movie to game adaptations, are you going to wet your pants when you hear this news! Sega has let everyone know that they are releasing a game based on The Golden Compass film adaptation. The game is being developed by Shiny Entertainment (who are also working on the Earthworm Jim PSP title) and will feature the likenesses of the film's cast. You'll play as Lyra and her animal friends Pan and lorek Byrnison. The gameplay consists of using special items and sneakiness when playing Lyra and more head-on physical attacks with lorek. The game will span 13 environments based on areas from the movie as well as some areas that aren't featured in the film.

I really have no idea what to expect of this title, but I used to love Shiny's games back in the day, so I can only hope this and Earthworm Jim are good fun. We'll find out for sure when The Golden Compass game is released this fall.

[Via Gamespot ]

Dave Perry, the respected creator of games like Earthworm Jim, recently went on record to SPOnG about what he'd like in a potential PSP redesign. He starts by describing the system as "a great little machine, but the price is a major barrier. The American public like $149 to $99 for handhelds." Lowering the price would be substantial in getting more PSPs out there. Mr. Perry has a lot of ideas, some great, and some not-so-much:

• He proclaims Sony should "make the PSP with a clamshell design, to protect that lovely screen, and they should have made the screen at least DVD resolution." A screen that's 480p would certainly be far pricier to manufacture than Sony's current screen, no?
• "I would also kill off the UMD disc, remove it entirely and shrink the device size." But that would get rid of compatibility with old PSP games. Maybe for PSP2?
• Mr. Perry gets a boner for digital distribution, and for good reason: "Embracing digital distribution... would bring movies and games back to the PSP in a sensible way. Then I can buy movies or games for less (ZERO cost of goods), keeping the library safely stored on my PC, picking the ones I want to watch next, and all I have to do is sync. If they wanted to be forward thinking, they could offer modern features like game demos, trial music from new artists, item sales, vast customization of items, characters and in-game objects from databases too vast to store on the PSP." As seen by the popularity of downloadable demos, it's clear that PSP owners want to download games to boot from Memory Stick. The eventual popularity of PSone game downloads may lead Sony to start thinking about offering full PSP titles digitally, saving gamers from UMD costs, and UMD loading times.
• Homebrew can actually help Sony, according to Mr. Perry: "Did user-created content hurt YouTube? Why not open the PSP? Welcome indie games, welcome development, get the users promoting the device... I bet Sony tries to tell you it doesn't matter. Well, if you type "Sony PSP hack" into Google, there are now 8.6 MILLION pages dedicated to the subject."

I completely agree that Sony should be supporting homebrew developers on the platform. In fact, embracing the development community might've prevented the popularity of illegal emulators and ISO programs. Sony could've kept a watchful eye, instead of dividing the community between those that actually play new games, and those that pirate games. One of the greatest attributes of the PSP is that it can connect to a PC, and you can move files between them both. Digital distribution of more demos and games will be key for all PSP owners, and I hope Sony gets working on it.

[Via kikizo]

The Atari love continues today, as impressions and videos from their "Atari Spotlight" slowly trickle in. Another PSP game featured at the event was Earthworm Jim. While the screenshots we've seen so far have looked really good so far, seeing the game in motion has elevated its desirability to an even greater level. Like Ultimate Ghouls 'n Goblins on the PSP and New Super Mario Bros. on the DS, 3D graphics have been really changing the look and feel of 2D games... for the good. Our pal Jim looks to animate quick brilliantly. The platforming looks absolutely spectacular, with Jim have access to a plethora of moves, including a super-charged jump aided by his suit. While the combat and hit detection appear to be lacking right now, this very early demonstration of Earthworm Jim shows a lot of promise.

Download - Gamespot's Video
Read - Gamespot's Hands-On
Read - AMN's Hands-On

My my, it's been a long long time since we last saw Earthworm Jim. I was still a kid when the Earthworm Jim craze had reached its peak: some excellent games on the Genesis/SNES, a freaky cartoon on the WB, and some pretty weird action figures. The series' unique gross-out humor seems poised for a big comeback, as the PSP is getting an impressively beautiful continuation. IGN grabbed some screens from a recent Atari event and had some pretty positive impressions:

The spacesuit-wearing worm has indeed return. More importantly, he's returned in proper form. The game plays very much like its 2D predecessors... What makes it special, though, lies strictly with how developer Shiny Entertainment mixes those elements to form something altogether groovy and unique.

You'll be sure to see more of this game on the Fanboy, as it still has a long time left in development.