▁Jim ▁ 2 , ▁its ▁original ▁developer , ▁Sh iny ▁Entertainment ▁was ▁bought ▁by ▁Inter play ▁Entertainment , ▁and ▁then ▁put ▁onto ▁other ▁projects . ▁Because ▁Sh iny ▁had ▁recently ▁introduced ▁a ▁strict ▁" no ▁sequ els " ▁policy , ▁the ▁franch ise ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁V IS ▁Entertainment . ▁It ▁was ▁decided ▁that , ▁much ▁like ▁many ▁platform ▁game ▁series ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁such ▁as ▁Super ▁Mario ▁or ▁Son ic ▁the ▁H edge h og , ▁that ▁game play ▁would ▁transition ▁from ▁ 2 D ▁to ▁ 3 D . ▁Development ▁started ▁shortly ▁after ▁Earth w orm ▁Jim ▁ 2 ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁The ▁game ▁had ▁a ▁drawn - out ▁development ▁cycle , ▁so ▁much ▁so ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁at ▁times ▁believed ▁it ▁would ▁become ▁v apor ware . ▁The ▁game ▁was ▁initially ▁being ▁developed ▁for ▁the ▁Play Station , ▁but ▁this ▁version ▁was ▁scra pped ▁early ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁the ▁N intendo ▁ 6 4 ▁platform . ▁ ▁Problem s ▁arose ▁from ▁the ▁extended ▁development ▁cycle . ▁Much ▁content ▁from ▁pre views ▁and ▁prom ot ional ▁material ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁game ; ▁most ▁not ably ▁that ▁the ▁game ' s ▁final ▁pack aging ▁showed ▁Ev il ▁the ▁Cat ▁as ▁the ▁b oss ▁of ▁the ▁" F ear " ▁level , ▁whereas ▁Professor ▁Mon key - For - A - Head ▁was ▁actually ▁the ▁b oss ▁of ▁the ▁level . ▁Many ▁locations ▁displayed ▁in ▁early ▁versions ▁of ▁the