James Pond 3: Operation Starfish (SNES)

Developer:

Vectordean & Millennium Interactive

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Release Date:

1993

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Systems:

Mega Drive, SNES, Amiga, CD32, Game Gear

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Today's the 25th anniversary of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System! Except it isn't, because the Super Nintendo came out in North America on August 23rd 1991 and the Super Famicom was released in Japan a year earlier on November 21st 1990. But in the UK we got the system in April 1992, so I'm playing a SNES game to celebrate.

This week on Super Adventures I'm taking a quick look at James Pond³: Operation Starfish! Because what better game is there to celebrate the Super Nintendo than a port of a Mega Drive game that's a sequel to a series strongly associated with the Amiga? There is sense behind my selection though: it's one of the few PAL exclusive titles for the SNES.

James Pond 3 is the third of the James Pond games, obviously. Except it isn't, because The Aquatic Games came out before it, which had the aquatic agent competing in various sports. It is the third game developed by creator Chris Sorrell though, and the last, as crappy iPhone game James Pond in the Deathly Shallows was allegedly crafted by a finite number of evil monkeys.

Alright I'm going to play it for a few hours without reading the manual, quit when it gets difficult, and then write a review at the end like my brief experience with the game makes me an expert. Same deal as usual.

The Aquatic Games (Amiga) - Guest Post

It's been ages since I've played an Amiga game! (Can't imagine why that would be.)

After all those 'orrible 3D Bond games last year, I'm sure you're dying to see a colourful, sprite-filled James Pond romp instead!

James Pond: Underwater Agent (Amiga)

Because you requested it, today I'm taking a look at the first of the James Pond games.

You know, for a one joke character (he's the fish version of James Bond!), the F.I.5.H. agent didn't actually do so badly for himself. Most of the 90s platformer creatures faded away before they even got a sequel, but this guy managed to make it all the way up to the sports game spin-off part of the vg mascot lifecycle before disappearing without a trace.

Though I did hear rumours that he resurfaced in a rubbish iPhone game a year or so ago, this time with a Harry Potter pun in the title (Deathly Shallows). He isn't a wizard in it though, so they kinda missed the point there.

James Pond II - Codename RoboCod (Amiga)

GOOD RETRO GAME WEEK, day 3.

Today I'm taking a look at another game I remember being pretty good, James Pond 2: RoboCod aka. Super James Pond aka. Super James Pond II. Yep apparently on the SNES the game is its own sequel. Unlike the slightly obscure James Pond 1, this was released on practically everything from Commodore 64 to Nintendo DS, though I'm playing the original Amiga version.

Wow, the theme tune is blatantly a happier version of RoboCop theme. Well not exactly, but it's close enough. Now I'm curious about whether the first game has a James Bond style theme tune.

(It does, plus it has a more... interesting looking title screen.)