Review Worms Collection 1 (Evercade) - Low On Content, High On Enjoyment

Worms has become one of the most recognisable brands in the world of video gaming, which is no mean feat when you consider that it all started as a personal experiment by computer shop staffer Andy Davidson on his humble Casio graphing calculator.

This triple-pack of Worms titles kicks off with the one which started it all – although, in this case, you're getting the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive port and not the famous Commodore Amiga original. The visuals and audio may, therefore, be different from what you remember – and you're naturally going to miss out on the mouse interface. So, this isn't the optimal way to experience the game, but it's certainly not the worst.

Worms: Armageddon is the PlayStation version and is a real treat. Considered by many fans of the franchise to be its shining zenith, Armageddon boasts attractive visuals and loads of gameplay modes, including a single-player campaign, deathmatch against an AI-controlled opponent and – of course – local multiplayer. This is likely to be the title which takes up most of your time in this pack; the only real downside is that it has some rather lengthy load times.

While both of these games really come to life in local multiplayer, the turn-based nature of the gameplay means it's perfectly possible to "pass and play" on a single Evercade EXP, handing over the console to the next player when your turn is over. You might find, however, that it's more fun when playing on the TV via the Evercade VS, as all players will be able to watch the action unfold, even when it's not their turn.

Worms Blast is one of the many attempts by Team17 to expand the remit of the series, and mixes the artillery-focused gameplay the series is famous for with Puzzle Bobble-style gameplay. Blast was released on a wide range of formats, including the PS2 and GameCube, but the version included here is the Game Boy Advance edition. The concept is enjoyable to a degree, but it doesn't feel like a real Worms experience – and it's also worth noting that the game's two-player head-to-head mode is only playable on the Evercade VS.

With only three games, Worms Collection 1 feels a thin light on the ground, and Worms Blast is somewhat superfluous. However, if you have an Evercade VS and also own the Team17 Collection 1, then you can load it alongside the Worms Collection 1 cartridge and unlock the Amiga version of Worms: The Director's Cut, which boasts enhanced visuals when compared to the Mega Drive version and new weapons, amongst other things. If you factor in this "hidden" game, the pack becomes much more attractive (although, it has to be said, it renders the Mega Drive port redundant, so you might not consider it to be an "extra" game).

Even without that bonus, Worms and Worms Armageddon are brilliant strategy titles, and the latter is arguably worth the price of purchase alone.