I’m trying to imagine just how wonderful the world would be if worms decided to savagely slay each other with a ludicrous assortment of weapons. Despite the fact that these worms are mimicking (and taunting) human warfare, it becomes an unavoidably hysterical affair, which is only heightened by their high-pitched imitations of various languages.

Now, there are several video games within the Worms series, of which I’ve only played two: this version that I’m reviewing, Worms (2007); an XBLA title, and Worms Armageddon, which I enjoyed on the Dreamcast way back when, among other consoles. There are a few generations of the Worms games, as well as a shift from 2D to 3D. While I haven’t played any of the 3D games, I can say that from what I’ve seen, I’ve been put off. Worms is a simple natured game, and trying to fancy-it-up with 3D graphics actually takes away from it. Although it’s close to a decade younger, the newer Worms largely follows the styling of Armageddon, so much so that it seems identical to what I remember of the older title. The only problem I have is that I wanted Armageddon. Instead, I was given a port that was lacking much of the content I enjoyed in that title. Where’s my ming vase, my super sheep, or my holy hand grenade?

I just don’t see why I would want play a more bare-bones version of Armageddon. It’s still nice that it’s been ported and I can experience those good times that I once had with my brothers in our basement or my buddies in a dorm room, even if it is to a lesser extent. However, playing through this Worms has me going through situations saying “this would be a hell of a lot cooler if I had a super banana bomb.” I have half a mind to send an email to those British pricks at Team17 and tell them to get their asses on making some DLC to give me the rest of the items I’m waiting on.

In the mean time, I’m going to continue playing Worms, even though it supports the same ridiculous AI I remember from Armageddon. It turns out, in fact, that worms have the ability to calculate extreme mathematical equations in the span of a few seconds so that their rocket will perfectly arch its way into my seemingly impossibly small crevice. Yes, worms have managed to crack the deepest knowledge of quantum physics and perform the most absurd feats. Despite this, these little pukes manage to slip up somewhere, whether it’s teleporting directly on top of a mine, or blowing up half their team. It’s actually fun watching them either screw you over to the max, or screwing themselves.

The real fun to be had is with your dearest friends, though. Watching your friend maneuver around the map with a ninja rope and then drop a stick of dynamite on your head and blow you into the water is always entertaining — just as much as doing it to someone yourself. I implore you to download Worms for your 360, despite its obvious flaws and lacking content. You’ll still have more fun with it than a large portion of the big name games you already own.