Have you ever heard of a game called James Pond? If not, then count yourself lucky, but this was actually a decent game series in the 90s. It’s a fish that is a spoof of James Bond. It actually spawned numerous sequels and a spin-off. It’s a platforming game with elements of being a side-scroller. That being said, they are releasing another installment almost 30 years later, and it is called James Pond: The Pond is Not Enough. This announcement has been mired with some controversy.
What happened?
Take a look at the trailer above and think about what you just saw. That’s right, the developers of the game have been accused of using AI. The trailer might get removed, but everything in it screams AI-generated. Forget about how lackluster the trailer is; the accusations of using AI to upscale the old games are pretty much evident. The devs have outright denied it, but it’s not looking good for this game. To be fair, nobody is demanding a James Pond remake of its older games. Will this play out well? We’ll just have to wait and see.
A look at the James Pond series
Let’s take a brief look at this series; if the AI wasn’t an issue, there might be a chance. We’ll just take a look at the three main games which are a part of this Legacy remake.
James Pond: Underwater Agent
The first game, James Pond: Underwater Agent, was released in 1990. Unlike later entries, it focused heavily on underwater gameplay. James Pond explored different areas while fighting enemies and completing missions connected to the villain Doctor Maybe, another obvious reference to the James Bond franchise.
The game mixed shooting, exploration, and platforming. Its unusual underwater setting helped distinguish it from other action games of the period, although its controls and slower pace were quite different from the more famous sequels.
James Pond 2: Codename RoboCod
The best-known game in the series is James Pond 2: Codename RoboCod, released in 1991. In this adventure, James Pond wears a robotic suit that allows him to stretch vertically to incredible lengths. This ability became the game’s most memorable feature and allowed for unusual level design.
The story involves Doctor Maybe taking over Santa’s workshop. James Pond must travel through a series of colorful, toy-filled levels and rescue Santa’s helpers. The game is especially remembered for its Christmas theme, enormous stages, and creative environments.
RoboCod became the most successful and widely recognized James Pond game. Different versions were released for numerous platforms, and it is often considered a classic of the Amiga and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive eras.
James Pond 3: Operation Starfish
The third major game, James Pond 3: Operation Starfish, continued the series with another bizarre mission. James Pond once again faced Doctor Maybe, this time in an adventure involving a giant space station and a collection of strange themed levels.
Like RoboCod, the game emphasized platforming and exploration. However, it introduced different gameplay mechanics and a new visual style. Although it was generally less famous than James Pond 2, it remained part of the series’ distinctive combination of spy parody and colorful cartoon action.