A new collection of SNES and Sega Genesis games has been announced exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. The collection is set to hit the Nintendo eShop in October, though when exactly we do not know. There is only this release window, not a release date. The new and upcoming collection specifically features four games, but 12 versions across these four games. There is no price point revealing how much this will all set back Switch 2 users, but there is word that there will be a physical release in addition to a digital release on the eShop.
Videos by ComicBook.com
More specifically, the London-based developer System 3 is set to debut this October with the release of The James Pond Legacy: The Pond Is Not Enough. Right now, this has only been announced for Nintendo Switch 2; however, a PS5 version has been rated for release, so it’s clearly coming to PS5 as well, but maybe not in time for launch. According to System 3, this release is as much about preserving the games featured in the collection — their various versions, soundtracks, and artwork — as anything else. As for the games, they are as follows: James Pond: Underwater Agent, James Pond 2: RoboCod, James Pond 3: Operation Starfish, and The Aquatic Games. These games span not just the SNES and the Sega Genesis, but the Commodore and Amiga 500 as well.
AI Controversy
You’d expect classic games like these returning to be received warmly by those nostalgic for said titles, but the reception has been anything but positive. To this end, the trailer above has 191 likes to over 3,200 dislikes. In other words, the reception has been going terribly. And if you read the comments, it’s because fans don’t like all the alleged AI in the trailer. That said, in the pinned comment, System 3 has denied these accusations, noting that “no generative AI was used in the James Pond Legacy trailer or character artwork.” Despite this clarification, most of the replies to this pinned comment don’t believe it.
“The new 3D Pondverse characters were created from the authentic original pixel graphics through a human-led process involving manual redrawing, 3D rendering, Photoshop clean-up and a final paint-over,” writes System 3. “These characters appear in the introduction, menus and presentation surrounding the collection. They do not replace the original in-game graphics. The collection preserves 12 original retro versions of four games across the Sega Mega Drive and Genesis, SNES, Commodore 64 and Amiga 500.”
Unfortunately, it’s a rough start to life for this new nostalgic collection. And it could be DOA for the new collection. It ultimately depends on how much of the comment section is the intended audience vs those passionate in their criticism of AI, which has been a huge talking point in gaming over the last year or so.
More Gaming
-
Courtesy of FromSoftware -
Courtesy of The Pokemon Company
