James Pond 2
Encyclopedia
James Pond 2: Codename RoboCod, also known as Super James Pond, is a platform
video game and sequel
to James Pond
. The game was developed by the same British video game developers as the original game. The title music
by Richard Joseph
is an upbeat rendition of the RoboCop
film theme.
James Pond 2 was originally released on the Amiga
, DOS
and Mega Drive in 1991 by three different publishers. The game also appeared on Amiga CD32
, Atari ST
, Game Gear, Commodore 64
and SNES
. The SNES version was called Super James Pond in North America, whereas in other regions it was named Super James Pond II. More recently the game was released as a budget title for the PlayStation, Game Boy Advance
, and Nintendo DS
, and as a download on the PlayStation 3
.
where he has taken over Santa's workshop
. Dr Maybe is holding Santa's workers hostage (in most versions of the game they are penguin
s, in some they are elves
), and has turned many of Santa's helpers into his own twisted and dangerous assistants. James Pond is recruited to infiltrate Santa's grotto, free the captive penguins, retrieve the stolen toys for the children of the world, and defeat Dr Maybe once and for all. This time, however, due to the greater risks involved in this mission, Pond is given a robotic suit and the code name "RoboCod" (a pun on RoboCop
). This suit gives Pond superhuman strength and agility as well as enabling him to stretch his midsection almost indefinitely and reach otherwise impossibly high areas.
James starts outside Santa
's toy factory. There are many doors, each of which leads to a stage with many differently-themed levels, 50 in total. Hostile creatures lurk in these levels, and they come in many forms. There are no weapons in the game, so James must jump on them to defeat them. After completing two "doors", James goes on to another door where a boss awaits.
James's body armour enables him to extend his body vertically to incredible lengths and grab hold of the ceiling or platforms above him. This allows him to travel along the ceiling and drop down on the top of an unsuspecting enemy, or to get to otherwise inaccessible areas. James can also pick up items that provide points. Power-up
s include extra lives and wings that grant James the ability to fly. From time to time James may enter vehicles, namely cars, planes or flying bathtubs.
for the McVitie's
biscuit company's Penguin Biscuits
, making it one of the earliest games to use this form of advertising. According to a 1994 article in the UK edition of PC Gamer
, Penguin outsold arch-rival KitKat for the first time in the product's history soon after the release of the game.
and Nintendo DS
in 2005. Both versions are identical except for the addition on a map on the second screen of the DS. The version of the game released for Nintendo's handheld consoles is largely different from that of the original. The graphics have been improved to take advantage of the consoles' newer hardware, and whilst the levels retain some of the themes of the originals, their layout is entirely different. In the new versions, McVities' sponsorship branding has been removed from the game, and Robocod must rescue Santa's elves, rather than penguins. In addition, the hidden levels have been omitted entirely. These recent iterations are re-makes
rather than ports of the original game.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game and sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to James Pond
James Pond
James Pond, also known as James Pond: Underwater Agent, is a platform video game that was developed by British video game developers Vectordean Ltd and Millennium Interactive, and published by Millennium Interactive and Electronic Arts for numerous home computers and consoles in 1990...
. The game was developed by the same British video game developers as the original game. The title music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
by Richard Joseph
Richard Joseph
Richard Joseph was a British computer game composer, musician and sound specialist. He had a career spanning some 20 years starting in the early days of gaming on the C64 and the Amiga and onto succeeding formats through to the present day.After being diagnosed with lung cancer, he died on 4 March...
is an upbeat rendition of the RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
film theme.
James Pond 2 was originally released on the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
and Mega Drive in 1991 by three different publishers. The game also appeared on Amiga CD32
Amiga CD32
The Amiga CD32, styled "CD32" , was the first 32-bit CD-ROM based video game console released in western Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil. It was first announced at the Science Museum in London, United Kingdom on 16 July 1993, and was released in September of the same year...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Game Gear, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. The SNES version was called Super James Pond in North America, whereas in other regions it was named Super James Pond II. More recently the game was released as a budget title for the PlayStation, Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, and Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, and as a download on the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Plot
The game takes place immediately after its predecessor, James Pond. Although Acme Oil Co. has been destroyed by James Pond, Pond's arch enemy Dr Maybe survived and has retreated to the North PoleNorth Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
where he has taken over Santa's workshop
Santa's Workshop
Santa's workshop may refer to:*Santa's workshop, the mythological workshop at the North Pole*Santa's Workshop , Wilmington, New York, USA*Santa's Workshop , an 1932 animated short by Disney...
. Dr Maybe is holding Santa's workers hostage (in most versions of the game they are penguin
Penguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
s, in some they are elves
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
), and has turned many of Santa's helpers into his own twisted and dangerous assistants. James Pond is recruited to infiltrate Santa's grotto, free the captive penguins, retrieve the stolen toys for the children of the world, and defeat Dr Maybe once and for all. This time, however, due to the greater risks involved in this mission, Pond is given a robotic suit and the code name "RoboCod" (a pun on RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
). This suit gives Pond superhuman strength and agility as well as enabling him to stretch his midsection almost indefinitely and reach otherwise impossibly high areas.
Gameplay
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
's toy factory. There are many doors, each of which leads to a stage with many differently-themed levels, 50 in total. Hostile creatures lurk in these levels, and they come in many forms. There are no weapons in the game, so James must jump on them to defeat them. After completing two "doors", James goes on to another door where a boss awaits.
James's body armour enables him to extend his body vertically to incredible lengths and grab hold of the ceiling or platforms above him. This allows him to travel along the ceiling and drop down on the top of an unsuspecting enemy, or to get to otherwise inaccessible areas. James can also pick up items that provide points. Power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s include extra lives and wings that grant James the ability to fly. From time to time James may enter vehicles, namely cars, planes or flying bathtubs.
Product placement
In the original UK version of the game, the penguins featured as in-game product placementProduct placement
Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...
for the McVitie's
McVitie's
McVitie's is a snack food brand owned by United Biscuits. The name derives from the original Scottish biscuit maker, McVitie & Price, Ltd., established in 1830 on Rose Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. The firm moved to various sites in the city before completing the St...
biscuit company's Penguin Biscuits
Penguin (biscuit)
Penguin biscuits are milk chocolate-covered biscuit bars filled with chocolate cream. They are produced by United Biscuits manufacturing division, McVitie's. The Tim Tam produced by Arnott's in Australia was based on the Penguin...
, making it one of the earliest games to use this form of advertising. According to a 1994 article in the UK edition of PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
, Penguin outsold arch-rival KitKat for the first time in the product's history soon after the release of the game.
Game Boy Advance/Nintendo DS version
James Pond 2 was released for the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
in 2005. Both versions are identical except for the addition on a map on the second screen of the DS. The version of the game released for Nintendo's handheld consoles is largely different from that of the original. The graphics have been improved to take advantage of the consoles' newer hardware, and whilst the levels retain some of the themes of the originals, their layout is entirely different. In the new versions, McVities' sponsorship branding has been removed from the game, and Robocod must rescue Santa's elves, rather than penguins. In addition, the hidden levels have been omitted entirely. These recent iterations are re-makes
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
rather than ports of the original game.