Crash Bandicoot's back in action courtesy of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, a PS4-exclusive ( for now ) collection featuring remastered versions of the mutant marsupial's first three games. All date back to the original PlayStation era, with the third game, Warped, coming out in 1998. So while N. Sane might appear all shiny and new, what's under the hood, all of that spinning through crates and leaping over chasms, is gameplay two decades (and change) old.

Crash isn't the only old-timer making a comeback in 2017—days ahead of E3, Accolade announced its return to publishing with news of another Bubsy game, resurrecting the anthropomorphic bobcat for a fifth title 21 years after his last, 1996's wretched Bubsy 3D. The Woolies Strike Back is due out in late 2017.

Seeing these cartoony characters, these cutesy but kind of crooked platforming avatars, from 1990s gaming returning to the contemporary fold can't fail to have a man in his later-30s thinking back to all their peers who aren't looking ahead to new releases. Sonic and Mario are evergreens, of course, here for keeps. But beside those mascot-level characters, the 16- and 32-bit eras produced all manner of colorful heroes, the majority of which are now barely footnotes in gaming history.

Croc and Aero, Ristar and Superfrog, Zool and Mr Nutz—many came, a few really tried, most disappeared. Rayman is hanging in there, courtesy of a couple of inspired 2D romps, and now Crash's back, albeit not in a new game, yet. But is anyone clamoring for Gex: Return of the Gecko? Exactly.

But Earthworm Jim? Now. There's an idea.

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Watch Waypoint's Guide to Games episode on another hugely individual, equally classic platformer, Psychonauts.

Let me tell you about Earthworm Jim. Firstly, obviously, he's a worm. Not that worms didn't find their place in gaming in the 1990s, thanks to Team 17's point-and-click tactical series, but a worm as an action hero? As a Sonic and Mario-challenging almost-mascot-level character to later splash across t-shirts, stationary sets and lunchboxes? As a video game someone turned gets-his-own-cartoon-series something else entirely? Rather less obvious. I mean, it's hardly the most instantly sign-on-the-line-right-now of elevator pitches.