James Pond - Codename Robocod

"A classic platformer that is out of it's depth on the DS"

After about a decade away from our screens, James Pond's second adventure, Robocod, is back for the Nintendo DS. After already being released for the current generation of systems such as the Game Boy Advance and PlayStation One it features with totally remixed levels yet sporting the same sounds and graphics. First released on the Amiga, SNES and Genesis, the game featured simplistic yet addictive platforming action making him a cult icon in his day. Now the game comes to the Nintendo DS with a few new features yet is pretty much the same game as the recent GBA and PS1 versions.

The story is no award winner; basically the day before Christmas Eve of 2005, Mr. Maybe takes over the North Pole toy factory, kidnapping and strapping explosives to all the working elves, effectively ruining Christmas. Or will it? James Pond, the Robocod, has to get to work in freeing all the elves and taking down Mr. Maybe. Can he do it in time to save Christmas?

The general game play is that of simple 2D platforming - Robocod can move left and right, jump on enemies heads to kill them, crouch and so on. He does have a unique ability of being able to stretch his body, allowing him to see areas high above him, or when he eventually hits the ceiling he can latch on and move across, gaining access to higher ledges and to avoid perils below. He moves amazingly fast for a (robotic) fish out of water, and it takes a few levels to get used to the pace. No doubt that the first few deaths will be related to running into enemies and not reacting in time.

The game takes place at Santa's Workshop, which acts as the games hub. To progress through the game you must go around from level to level; completing the first unlocks the next, and so on. Every few levels is a boss that you must defeat in order to progress. Despite this being one of the first games in it's day to include a hub like area as a means of access to all the other levels, my today's standards it's nothing new and even somewhat poorly done – the level progression is linear and there are little extras to be found bar random collectables that litter around the workshop window ledges.

The levels themselves are themed according to various toys – highlights include sports, card games, teddies, music, cars and so on. This makes for varied environments, platforms and enemies. However the level design it self is rather lackluster, with no puzzles or real thought gone in to it – it's basically just go from one area, avoid the enemies, rescue the elf, drop down to the next area, and so on. There are various secret areas to be found if needs be, offering more challenge, but most of these just contain useless collectables (which just increase your score) and now and again, a handy powerup, which apart from toward the end of the game, you don't really need to survive.

These collectables litter the levels as a means of something to retrieve, despite no real purpose. They increase your score, but like many games of old, this doesn't achieve anything apart from a place on the highscore. There are many different collectables to be found though, offering different points, but apart from the aesthetic variation they offer little interest or point. Items on the other hand are a different story; they actually serve a purpose. Examples include armour making your invincible for a short period of time, umbrellas that slow down your descent, wings to make you fly, and bells to gain access to bonus rooms. You have a quota of bells in each level, and if they are met, you are transported to a bonus room upon level completion. These are just simple areas of collectables, where you try and get as many as you can before the time runs out. But as collectables just add to your score, you won't be in a dire need to locate all the bells if it's too much hassle. You can also use various vehicles during the game, such as a car, aeroplane and… bathtub! This really spices up the game and makes the featured levels a lot more enjoyable, however sadly there are only around 5 that include these.

Graphically the game isn't anything special either, although the bright sprites and varied themed levels make it rather pleasing on the eye. Just don't expect any dazzling 2D sprites or animation, like say the first Rayman. Audio is one of the worst features of this title however, as although much of the game's music is rather catchy and cute at first there are only a handful of different background BMG's that are used, which repeat over and over and get amazingly repetitive. Plus with annoying sound effects the DS will be muted after half hours of play. However for fans of the game the graphics and audio remain largely unchanged, with only a few samples of audio changed, which is no doubt a positive.

Apart from the latter levels, Robocod isn't that difficult. Once you get used to how Robocod controls and how to avoid certain enemies, you shouldn't lose that many lives on your way to the end. This is mainly down to the uninspired design and length of the levels themselves. For instance one of the unique moves Robocod offers, stretching, isn't used to it's full potential in any way – you'll only use it to get over spike pits, while it could have you used for some really thought out maze like scenarios. However there are some devilish stages toward the end, with well placed enemies and platforms that will really challenge your reaction speeds and thinking. Bosses pose little problem; they all follow the same simple pattern and only the very last one should prove some challenge. And with only around 40 levels in the game (around 4-6 hours worth), the ability to save every four levels and no extras, this game will be over pretty quickly.

As for the use of the DS's features, this game offers hardly anything. The microphone is unused and the touch screen is limited at best – you can navigate the menus via this way and control Robocod using touch too, but it is so ridiculously fiddly there is no point in attempting to. The second screen is used however as a map and statistics screen, showing how much health and elves are remaining, but apart from that it's pretty much a port of the Game Boy Advance version.

Overall, this is a fun platforming title – there is a somewhat addictive quality to this game and you'll most likely want to finish it once you've started. I can only really recommend this to fans of the original game, hardcore platform fans and for anyone else, a rental or at a very reduced price. If you are wondering what version is the best out of the DS, Game Boy Advance and PlayStation, I would go with the DS for the map (comes in real handy for finding the elves) and for the save facilities that the GBA version doesn't offer. As a fan of the original Amiga version I'm glad I bought it and I can see me replaying it in the future, but I imagine that most other DS fans won't see what the fuss is all about.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 03/20/06