Forgotten Gaming Mascots #4: James Pond

On 02/04/2021 at 10:13 AM by The Last Ninja

Games: James Pond (Amiga, Atari ST, Archimedes, Gen/1990), James Pond 2: Robocod (Gen, SNES, GB, computers/1991), James Pond 3: Operation Starfish (Gen, SNES, GG/1993)

Macot for: Millennium Interactive

James Pond (who is painfully a spoof on James Bond) is a fish spy who works for the British Secret Service in the area of aquatic espionage. The games are all platformers which involve some puzzle elements such as finding items in order to progress. These games have some hilarious parody names. The second game (which is probably the best since it was ported to everything) is a rip-off of Robocop. The levels in the first game have titles that are puns of Bond movies, such as "License to Bubble" and "A View to a Spill." Apparently these games are not complete crap.

What happened: They've tried to bring this series back in recent years (there is an iPhone game that was released), but poor James can't seem to gain enough traction. Honestly, I think it's hard for a mascot to be timeless when he's so fiercely tied to another character as a parody. Other characters, such as Spy Fox, have been more successful by not being a total rip-off of one character. (Note: Believe it or not, James Pond 2 is available on the Switch. What a strange world we live in)

Matt Snee Staff Writer

02/04/2021 at 11:25 AM

I remember this one. But I've never played this game. It's not a terrible idea, but it's not that great either. Cartoon spies are cool though.

The Last Ninja

02/04/2021 at 10:40 PM

It's such a blatant rip-off that it's kinda embarrassing.

daftman

02/04/2021 at 11:55 AM

For some reason I was sure James Pond was a penguin, so this blog was quite the surprise.

LOL clearly this is the first time you've heard of the guy

KnightDriver

02/04/2021 at 04:28 PM

I love the idea of James Pond. I've never come across a game to play though.

02/04/2021 at 10:42 PM

After writing this blog, I actually want to get the SNES carts of his second and third games. I think the second one (Robocod) is not bad.

02/05/2021 at 09:12 PM

It always gets a giggle from me, James Pond.

Cary Woodham

02/04/2021 at 06:56 PM

I think these games were more popular in Europe, too. Never played them, myself.

Especially England, amiright?

Super Step Contributing Writer

02/04/2021 at 11:24 PM

I guarantee you it's not that I don't remember this, it's that I did not know of tthis mascot until now. Now that I know, I love the puns.

02/05/2021 at 12:48 AM

The puns are pretty funny (some of them)

PixlBit