Earthworm Jim is one of those series which really defines the 16-bit era. While it was a late release on the SNES and Genesis / Mega Drive, it really pushed the boundaries of those systems and built a solid fanbase which would endure over the years, despite some rather underwhelming sequels.

Now, a quarter of a century after the character first appeared, we're getting a 'proper' Earthworm Jim 3 – and the original team is involved. That means Doug TenNapel, David Perry, Tommy Tallarico, Nick Bruty, Mike Dietz, Tom Tanaka and Joey Kuras are all on-board – the last time these guys worked together was Earthworm Jim 2, from 1995.

It's all pretty exciting, right? Well, get ready for the catch: Earthworm Jim 3 will be an exclusive release for the upcoming Intellivision Amico. Set for launch on October 10th 2020, the Amico has the potential to shake up the home console war, but there are many within the industry that remain sceptical about its chances of carving out a significant portion of the market, especially when Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are so dominant.

Original Earthworm Jim composer Tallarico is now Intellivision Entertainment CEO/President, so that bit makes sense, at least. He's clearly trying his hardest to secure some tasty exclusives for the console, and Earthworm Jim 3 – while not a AAA game by modern standards – has enough fame with veteran gamers to make the Amico a little more interesting.

Tallarico said:

We have been talking about this moment for many years, it’s a dream come true to finally get the entire team back together. We’re looking forward to sharing a small part of our reunion and initial design meeting with fans from around the world. Intellivision Amico is designed to bring friends and families together and we are excited for fans and those just being introduced to the series to get a first look as we kick-off the design of the game.

A 20-minute live interactive simulcast streaming event will take place on Saturday, May 4th at noon Pacific, and will showcase the first design meeting with the original team. The team will "engage with fans to hear their new vision firsthand" apparently, and original art will be hand-drawn by the artists and signed by the entire team before being given away to lucky viewers. In addition to that, 50 new watercolour posters by Earthworm Jim creator Doug TenNapel will be signed and numbered by the original team, and then given away during the live stream.

What do you make of this news? Are you keen to play another Earthworm Jim adventure? Will you buy a whole new console to get it? Let us know with a comment