James Pond: Underwater Agent
James Pond: Underwater Agent — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is James Pond: Underwater Agent on?
- James Pond: Underwater Agent was released on Acorn Archimedes, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Atari ST/STE, Amiga, Archimedes.
- When did James Pond: Underwater Agent release?
- James Pond: Underwater Agent was first released on December 31, 1990.
About James Pond: Underwater Agent
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 character was popular and even featured in some comic books of the time, and the game was successful enough to spawn two sequels and one spin-off game. A nefarious supervillain named "Doctor Maybe" (a pun on the name of Dr Julius No, the villain in Dr. No) has overtaken the ruthless megacorporation Acme Oil Co, and is not only filling the oceans with radiation and toxic waste but even threatening all the world from his underwater lair. The protagonist of the story and player character of the game is an intelligent, mutated anthropomorphic mudskipper who is given the name "James Pond" (after the legendary spy James Bond) and hired by the British Secret Service to protect the seas and take out the bad guys in underwater areas. He is also suave enough to seduce numerous attractive mermaids, some of whom act as double agents as is common with James Bond's love interests. The game spoofs James Bond movies with levels mimicking their titles, with level names like "License to Bubble" (after Licence to Kill), "A View to a Spill" (after A View to a Kill), "Leak and Let Die" (after Live and Let Die) and "From Three Mile Island with Love" (after From Russia with Love).
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Developer
- Vectordean
- Publisher
- Millennium Interactive
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1991 | $8 | $26 | $78 | 77% | Low |
Also released on: Acorn Archimedes · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Atari ST/STE · Amiga · Archimedes. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardboard box release | — | $21 | — |
| European (PAL) release | $13 | $43 | $91 |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about 2 times a month
- Sealed: about 3 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $1.30 in Oct 2008, $9.29 five years ago, and $7.72 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2009 | $2.77 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $1.25 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $1.98 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $2.24 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $2.12 | $8.99 |
| Jan 2015 | $4.50 | $9.99 |
| Jan 2016 | $4.75 | $8.79 |
| Jan 2017 | $4.22 | $10.00 |
| Jan 2018 | $6.75 | $13.50 |
| Jan 2019 | $6.37 | $14.99 |
| Jan 2020 | $5.85 | $14.50 |
| Jan 2021 | $8.99 | $17.78 |
| Jan 2022 | $6.00 | $27 |
| Jan 2023 | $11.44 | $22 |
| Jan 2024 | $5.65 | $21 |
| Jan 2025 | $7.99 | $24 |
| Jan 2026 | $8.99 | $25 |
| Oct 2026 | $7.72 | $26 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Barcode |
|---|---|---|
| North America | April 1991 | 014633070538 |
| Europe / PAL | 1991 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1991
- Authenticity
- Low
The Genesis port of the first James Pond game, pleasant enough and an inexpensive cart.
James Pond: Underwater Agent was the first of the James Pond games. It began on home computers in 1990, and Electronic Arts published the Genesis version, from developer Vectordean, in North America in April 1991 and in Europe in 1991.
MegaTech called the Genesis version a cute and entertaining twelve-level aquatic platformer. Console XS disagreed, finding it a poor conversion of the computer game and rather bland.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | 77% |
“A cute and entertaining twelve-level aquatic plat form game which provides plenty of fun. There are lots of hidden levels, and ardent platform addicts will definitely enjoy the action.”
“The very first Mega Drive game developed in the UK, and now looking dated. Still worth investiagtion if you can pick it up at a budget price though.”
How the Sega Genesis version differs
Electronic Arts released a Genesis port the year after the computer originals.
MegaTech scored the Genesis version 77%, calling it a cute, entertaining twelve-level aquatic platform game.
Also on other platforms
Amiga · Atari ST · Archimedes
| Amiga | Vectordean |
| Atari ST | Vectordean |
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits below the middle. The European cart usually costs noticeably more than the US one. A cardboard-box edition is priced separately from the plastic-case copy, so check which one a listing is.
James Pond: Underwater Agent screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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