Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition - The classic gets even better!

XPN Network
Aug 2
4 min read

Updated: Aug 5

Worms Armageddon burst onto the scene in early 1999, emerging as a standalone follow-up to Worms 2 that soon eclipsed its predecessor. Developed by Team17, this title took the series’ signature turn-based artillery chaos and polished every facet—from the timing of each shot to the jiggle of a worm’s hopping animation. It landed on PC first, then hopped across PlayStation, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, and even Game Boy Colour, cementing its reputation as a go-anywhere party phenomenon that you could sit and play for hours on a couch with friends and family!

Decades after its debut, Worms Armageddon still feels vibrant and new. Its blend of clever physics, hilarious weapon rosters, and endless personalization created a template that countless successors have tried to replicate. But few have matched the perfect storm of accessibility and strategic depth that made Armageddon a timeless classic and one that continues to draw both long-time veterans and curious newcomers into its worm-infested trenches. Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition launched on 26 September 2024 across Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series XS, marking the 25th anniversary of Team17’s beloved artillery classic. Developed in collaboration with Digital Eclipse, this release modernizes the 1999 original with optimized controller support, a fully redesigned user interface, enhanced HD display options, and cross-generation online multiplayer for up to six players

At its core, Worms Armageddon turns open-ended battlegrounds into playgrounds of explosive mayhem. Every match starts on a fully destructible landscape; mountains crumble under bazooka fire, water roars into valleys and drags careless worms to a soggy end. Weaponry ranges from the classic bazooka and cluster bombs to the joyously absurd Holy Hand Grenade, while tools like the Ninja Rope and parachute let you climb cliffs or drift to safety. There are more than 50 weapons in total to play around with! The unpredictability of terrain shifts and wind gusts ensures that even veteran commanders can’t rely on the same strategy twice.

Beyond the frantic free-for-alls, Armageddon offers a trove of single-player challenges. Its 40+ campaign missions scatter across objectives as varied as timed worm rescues, precision target strikes, and treasure hunts amid collapsing islands. These bite-sized scenarios not only sharpen your tactical instincts but also showcase the game’s penchant for whimsical level design, complete with hidden crates and devilish traps waiting to spring on the unwary.

Customization stands at the heart of the experience, empowering players to sculpt every detail of their wormy armies. You can name your squad, record custom catchphrases, and paint each member in signature colours.

Digital Eclipse approaches each retro reissue as a work of cultural preservation, treating classic games with the same reverence afforded to restored films or remastered albums. Their guiding philosophy is to honour the original creators’ intent while enriching the experience with archival materials that illuminate development histories. Every release features museum-quality extras—interactive timelines, concept-art galleries, developer interviews, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes—that invite players to explore not just how a game plays, but how it came to be. By embedding these documentary elements directly alongside the emulated titles, Digital Eclipse transforms a simple nostalgia trip into a deep dive into gaming heritage.

So on top of the core Worms Armageddon game, lets take a look at what is included in this release:

Developer Retrospective: An interactive documentary showcasing concept art, early builds, and interviews that trace Worms’ evolution.
Handheld Emulation: Built-in Game Boy Colour port with display filters and rewind support, offering portable mayhem on any screen.
Online Play & Rewards: Full matchmaking infrastructure, leader boards, and achievements on all platforms (no crossplay yet unfortunately).
Backworms Update: A free post-launch update adds three full console ports, letting you switch between modern remaster and classic retro builds:
- Worms (Super NES)
- Worms (Genesis/Mega Drive)
- Worms World Party (Game Boy Advance)

Pros

Maintains the classic turn-based artillery gameplay that fans love
Fully destructible environments reward creative strategy
High-resolution sprites and remastered audio enhance clarity without losing charm
Developer retrospective, behind-the-scenes content, and bonus titles add significant value
Built-in Game Boy Colour emulation with rewind support for nostalgic portability
Extensive customization options for teams, maps, and game rules

Cons

No cross-platform multiplayer, limiting who you can play with online
Advanced utility tools (jetpacks, teleporters) still have a steep learning curve
Solo campaign features noticeable difficulty spikes
Menu layout and navigation feel slightly dated compared to modern UIs
Lacks entirely new gameplay modes beyond the Anniversary extras

Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition masterfully bridges past and present, delivering the same riotous artillery action that defined the series while polishing every pixel and sound cue for modern audiences. It’s a celebration of creativity, where every bazooka shot, jetpack leap, and explosive sheep carry the weight of decades of mayhem. The extensive customization, from team voices to bespoke maps, invites you to stamp your personality onto every battlefield, ensuring that each match feels uniquely yours. Even the most seasoned veterans will find delight in rediscovering the physics-driven chaos that made the original a cult classic, now wrapped in crisp visuals and thoughtfully integrated bonus documentary and games.

Ultimately, the Anniversary Edition proves that great design stands the test of time: it doesn’t chase trends or overcomplicate its formula, choosing instead to refine and honour what made Worms Armageddon irresistible in the first place. Whether you’re huddled around a couch for local co-op carnage or matching wits online (within your platform’s walls), this release ensures endless laughter, tense strategic showdowns, and those unforgettable “did that really just happen?” moments. For newcomers, it’s the perfect introduction to turn-based warfare at its most anarchic; for long-time fans, it’s a loving restoration and expansion of a cherished classic. Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition is another triumphant retro release from Digital Eclipse and I cannot wait to see what they tackle next!

XPN Rating: 5 out of 5 (PLATINUM)