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Update #2 []:
Not long after the new trailer for The James Pond Legacy: The Pond Is Not Enough went live yesterday, fans were quick to point out that, true to form, System 3 appears to be using GenAI to create assets for this collection.
The veteran publisher has embraced GenAI in many of its titles, and Time Extension understands that the company outsources much of its production to external partners rather than doing the work in-house.
It seems that System 3 tried to head off such questions from the get-go, as the press release contains the following statement, as spotted by Go Nintendo:
"No generative AI was used in the creation of the artwork. Every stage began with the authentic original James Pond graphic and was completed using traditional digital illustration, 3D rendering and manual artistic refinement."
This claim hasn't stopped people sharing their opinion on the use of GenAI in the game:
GameSpot received a statement from System 3’s PR team on the matter:
“System 3 has confirmed with [the PR team] that no generative AI was used to create the character artwork highlighted in the trailer. The Pondverse characters were produced through a human-led process beginning with the authentic James Pond pixel graphics.”
Update #1 []:
System 3 has reconfirmed that James Pond is getting its own collection on modern systems.
The game (complete with cover art that looks very GenAI) is coming to Switch 2 in both physical and digital form in October; the physical collector's edition includes all the data on the game card (thanks, Gematsu).
Dubbed The James Pond Legacy: The Pond Is Not Enough, this new pack brings together 12 versions of four classic adventures: James Pond: Underwater Agent, James Pond 2: RoboCod, James Pond 3: Operation Starfish and The Aquatic Games Starring James Pond and the Aquabats. The supported formats include Amiga 500, Mega Drive / Genesis, SNES and Commodore 64.
As well as modern features like save states and screen filters, this collection will also feature a new theme song called Maybe, which is billed as "an original studio-recorded title track inspired by Dr Maybe. The song is planned for release on Spotify and Apple Music ahead of the game’s launch in October."
You also get the "Pondverse", an interactive hub "filled with character profiles, hero and villain biographies, franchise history, level information, original packaging, and a comprehensive series timeline."
System 3 founder and CEO Mark Cale says:
“James Pond has never been an ordinary hero, and this was never going to be an ordinary collection. This release is about preserving the different versions, soundtracks, artwork, and unmistakable personality that shaped the series, while making them enjoyable for players today. With the new Pondverse and a limited physical Nintendo Switch 2 edition, longtime fans and new recruits can explore the complete legacy of James Pond like never before.”
Original Story []: Veteran publisher System 3 is celebrating 43 years in the business today and has announced that it intends to release a James Pond collection on modern systems.
The James Pond Legacy: The Pond Is Not Enough will be "a celebration of one of gaming’s most enduring and beloved characters" and will include "faithfully emulated versions of the original Sega, SNES and Amiga titles, preserving their classic gameplay exactly as players remember them."
While the full list of included games isn't mentioned, we'd imagine it will include:
- James Pond: Underwater Agent (1990)
- James Pond 2: Codename Robocod (1991)
- James Pond 3: Operation Starfish (1993)
- The Aquatic Games Starring James Pond and the Aquabats (1992)
We'd imagine it's highly unlikely that the 2011 smartphone title James Pond in the Deathly Shallows will be included.
System 3 has revealed the cover artwork for the game, which, if we were being particularly unkind, looks like it was generated using AI – something the publisher has been guilty of in the past.
The Pond Is Not Enough is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2, and "marks the next step in the continuing James Pond legacy," says System 3.
This isn't the only James Pond project in the works, as rival company Gameware Europe is working on James Pond: Rogue AI, a project that Pond creator Chris Sorrell isn't particularly fond of.
Speaking exclusively to Time Extension earlier this year, Sorrell lamented the fact that the ownership of Pond is shared between Gameware and System 3. "Like the whole situation couldn't be any sadder," Sorrell said. "That there are two companies fighting over these tepid scraps just beggars belief!"