The Game's Good, Really Good (Golden Eye 007 (N64))

Member Name: Midrange

Product:	Golden Eye 007 (N64)
Date:	05/08/08 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A classic first person shooter, great gameplay, lasting fun, still play it to this day!

Disadvantages: Graphics might look a little blocky by today's standards

Goldeneye 007 is, without doubt, one of the Nintendo 64's finest releases. It was not revolutionary for it's time (we'd all seen first person shooters just like it) but not one with so much class, scope and multiplayer mayhem!

In single player mode, the player takes on the role of super-spy James Bond and leads him through the entire plot of the original film. The storyline is detailed and the game remains true to the film, including all the main characters, locations and events. It even includes a little extra back story. There is easily 40 hours of gaming time locked away in the main game. Once you've mastered the "Agent" difficult level (easy), you can work through the other two difficult settings, "Secret Agent" and "00 Agent". The increased difficulty is not just a simple case of "you take more damage from enemy bullets" - there are actually more mission objectives to complete, forcing the player to enter areas of the levels they have not previously visited.

The levels are vast - for N64 standards at least. From the famous "Jumping off the dam scene" at the eginning of the film, to the classic "Facility" level (where Bond sneaks in through the gents bathroom, knocking out unsuspecting guards as they use the facilities!), to the snowy plains of Siberia. The game designers really worked hard to incorporate as much of the film into the game as possible and have done a fantastic job. Over 20 different gadgets, a veritable arms stash of guns (at least 30 different weapons!) and carefully constructed level designs and mission objectives make for a very "realistic" game - although driving a Tank through the streets St. Petersburg is a little far-fetched, it's tremendous fun!

The multiplayer brings in a whole other world of entertainment. Up to 4 players can battle it out in 12 different arenas - each with their own secret passages, vantage points and hiding places! The battle mode is fully customizable - you can change the weapon set, the game duration, the "kills to win" score, the health of each player and unlock new levels and characters.

As a personal note on the end, I had hours of fun at University playing this with housemates. That was just last year - nearly 10 years on and this game is still just as playable. The graphics were astonishing for their time (nowadays they look rather blocky). The in-game music is excellent - all clever variations on the classic "Bond Theme". The control style takes a little getting used to (I know because some of my non-Nintendo-initiated housemates struggled for a few days with the analog stick) but once you've got the hang of it, it works like a dream. Indeed, one of my mates commented "Goldeneye has the perfect control system. I was made for it and it was made for me!"

Finally, for the really hardcore gamers, there is a secret "007 Mode" that can be unlocked once all the solo missions (including the two hidden bonus missions) have been completed on the hardest difficulty setting. The secret new mode allows you to adjust the reaction speed, health, accuracy and damage caused by enemy soldiers - essentially you can edit the enemy to be as challenging or pathetic as you like! There are also a wealth of cheats to unlock, including the marvellous "All Guns" cheat and the hilarious "Fast Bond" cheat - where you can move at twice the normal speed.

Summary: Absolute classic shooter, hours of fun, faithful to the film and superb mutliplayer battle mode