Review – Goldeneye 007

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Rare
Platform(s): Nintendo 64
Genre: First-Person Shooter

Rating: Teen
ESRB Content Descriptors: Blood, Animated Violence

The Scoop: Goldeneye 007 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare and released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997. The video game is based off the movie of the same name and features the same characters from the film.

The Setup: With the same idea as the film, James Bond is sent to the Byelomorye Dam in Arkhangelsk, Soviet Union in 1986, where M16 has discovered a secret chemical weapons facility. Bond is sent to infilitrate the facility by bungee jumping off the dam and soon meets up with his partner, fellow 00-agent Alec Trevelyan. Things turn haywire on the mission and Bond must escape the facility. Soon after, faces turn heel and buildings blow up. Goldeneye 007 remains as one of the best and most action packed first-person shooter games for the N64 console.

What’s Hot: Many games come and go. Most don’t stand the test of time, but Goldeneye 007 has aged gracefully and still remains as one of the most nistalgic games in my collection. Several pro’s come with this title that make it a timeless classic.

• Story: The James Bond movies are synonomys for having a great story involving a great plot, gorgeous women and lots of explosions. The gaming franchise is no different as it offers just as many explosions, and plot that stands equal to the films and some highly pixelated yet gorgeous women.
• Graphics: The graphics were superb for N64 visuals. The enviornments were spot on to that of the Goldeneye movie.
• Audio: The awesome Bond music is present in this game which really adds to the sound. Superb voice acting from the same cast of the Goldeneye film and some amazing sound effects make this game definite ear candy coming out of your audio system.
• Multiplayer: In my opinion, Rare perfected the multiplayer function for the N64 first-person shooter titles. Not only could you play with four other friends, but Rare’s creation also inspired many other future first-person shooters such as, Perfect Dark and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil.

What’s Not: Besides a few frame rate issues, there’s really nothing bad to say about Goldeneye 007.

Final Verdict: Now in the year 2009, the first-person shooter genre has dramatically changed from what it used to be ten years ago. Games like Goldeneye 007, Perfect Dark and Turok dominated the Nintendo console. Not only that but they inspired a whole generation of first-person games. If you’re a fan of first-person shooters or James Bond, this is the game for you.  5 stars and a solid recommendation.