Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth (NES) Playthrough
4Playthrough of Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth, Asmik's 1991 action-adventure game for the NES.
Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth for the NES is a hybrid action game developed by Cyclone System and published by Asmik in 1991. It blends several gameplay styles, including side-scrolling action, first-person shooting, and vehicular combat, all woven together through a sci-fi narrative set deep beneath the Earth’s surface. Players control Moby, the female commander of an advanced tunneling machine called the VZR, as she leads a crew to investigate mysterious seismic activity and ultimately uncover a secret world hidden below the planet.
The game opens with a first-person tunnel navigation sequence, where players must pilot the VZR through twisting underground corridors, shooting at enemy creatures and avoiding hazards. These segments are fast-paced and require quick reflexes, setting the tone for a game that constantly shifts between gameplay modes. As the story unfolds, players transition into side-scrolling on-foot segments where Moby explores ancient underground environments, fights hostile creatures with a laser gun, and occasionally encounters dialogue or branching story paths.
One of the defining features of Wurm is its frequent transitions between different gameplay styles. Alongside the first-person and side-scrolling modes, there are also overhead vehicular shooting stages and boss battles that mix in elements of strategy and memorization. These shifts keep the gameplay varied but also contribute to a somewhat fragmented experience. The controls can feel stiff in certain modes, especially during the side-scrolling parts, and the challenge level is fairly high due to limited health and cryptic objectives.
Narratively, Wurm leans heavily into science fiction themes, featuring alien civilizations, subterranean mysteries, and philosophical reflections on war and coexistence. The storyline is delivered through cutscenes and dialogue sequences, which were unusual in length and complexity for an NES title. Despite its technical limitations, the game attempts to tell a grand, cinematic story with a strong female lead, which was rare for its time.
Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth stands out as a unique and ambitious NES title that dared to combine multiple genres into a single narrative-driven experience. While not widely known or commercially successful, it holds cult status among retro game enthusiasts for its creativity, distinctive tone, and experimental design.