The setup is nothing new but the real reason to play EE is the animation. Animation is unlike anything else available on the Genesis. The graphics are good. The enemies are big enough to see but never seem to slow down the action much. And the anime touches are all right, too.
EE is on the higher side of mid-range when it comes to challenge.
Levels are free form, meaning they can be approached in a variety of ways. Some of this is owed to the way Earnest can climb walls and use his whip to swing to other areas. Then there are the spinning launchers that fling Earnest round and round then fire him great distances. Most of the challenge comes from avoiding traps like spiked walls and collapsing bridges. The various enemies and end bosses are cool to look at but ridiculously easy to beat.