9. James Pond 3: Operation Starfish
Released in 1993, I barely remember playing it. But, what I do remember is never completing it; ever. To this day I've never seen the end of James Pond 3: Operation Starfish. For all I know a huge starfish appears, fills the screen with chocolate and gives you the finger. Honestly, I found Operation Starfish very dreary, maybe because after going back to the two previous James Pond titles, I felt like it didn't mix up the froggy broth enough to warrant a third instalment. The main problem is you can't work out what the hell you're supposed to be doing, collecting, going, achieving, fighting. So I'd end up uncomfortably wandering around the bizarrely colourfully dull levels like a teenager in the sex section of Boots. What doesn't help the boredom is the wave of puns and the absolutely absurd password system that not even Satan would use to torment his imprisoned souls. The controls are another issues seeing as they're far too responsive and you'll find yourself skating round levels like a bloody figure skater; who's also a frog. While the music is pretty damn good, the actual sound effects are so annoying I end up not attacking anyone so I can party down to the funky beats of each level. In this generation of 'retro' gaming, you might think that Operation Starfish is a hidden gem next to the Super Marios, MegaMans and the Zeldas, but it's honestly not.