DEVELOPERS – Rareware
PUBLISHERS – Nintendo
CONSOLE – Nintendo 64
MEDIUM – Cartridge
GENRE – First Person Shooter
MODES – Single player/Multi-player x4

At what point in a games life does it become an absolute classic? After 10 years? 20 years? I must say, Rare broke the mould on so many levels when making this game. And I don’t mean levels in the game. Or do I? The graphics are amazing, the gameplay is phenomenal and the commitment to the storyline of the movie is fantastic. Released two years after the film it’s based on, Goldeneye takes us through the story of Pierce Brosnan’s first time in the James Bond shoes. And what a story it is.
The game starts as the film does. Even down to the gun following an animated Bond across the screen only for him to turn and shoot you, just like in every Bond ever made. When the blood drips down the screen, you know your in for a treat. Using a crosshair to navigate the menus, you pick a folder to save your game in, difficulty level and level itself, which are depicted in old film reel.
This is the game every other first person shooter wants to be. Everything that came out after this has to tip its cap to Goldeneye. Those at Rare, we salute you. Those who tried to cash in on its success with Goldeneye – Rogue Agent, quit your day jobs.

CHARACTERS

As you work your way through, you encounter characters old and new. Even though the characters can‘t talk, you can read what they’re saying to each other, which isn’t all bad. It adds to the charm and kind of dates it in a good way. By today’s standard, the look of the characters aren’t too bad. When scrutinized, you could say that the animation is blocky and unrealistic. But then again the faces of the characters are, I believe, real photos of the characters. Could it get any more realistic than that in 1997? Probably not.

GAMEPLAY

When a game spends between 5 and 10 seconds at the beginning of every level rotating 360 degrees around Bond only to go through the back of his head to get his perspective, you have to think, is there anything that could make you feel more like a secret agent? Quick answer? NO! A vast array of weapons keep the game fresh and depending on your mood, gives you a choice of just blasting your way through the levels, or being slightly more cunning and covert. The creators didn’t stop there though. Rather than toggle through your weapons whilst in play, you can pause the game and select them through your watch. That’s right, Q has done it again. A watch that tells you how much health and body armour you have left, tells you your objectives for that level and much more. I won’t ruin all the little bits for you. AI in the game make enemies respond to noise and gun fire. Which makes the silencers in the game completely necessary. If you want to stay quiet and not make much of a fuss and set off alarms then those weapons are for you. Realistic character movement, smooth motion, smoke from bullet holes, sparks and explosions have turned this game into a bonafide classic. Finally, having the controller the way it is with the trigger button underneath the pad was a stroke of genius. Makes it feel like your shooting and actual gun. Amazing.

REPLAY VALUE

10 out of 10 vodka martinis from me. I am still looking for a game to make me feel the same as I do when I play Goldeneye. Bad things about the game? Erm…I’m still trying to find some. Please leave suggestions in the form of a comment! If I could only take one game to a desert island, even now, this would be it!

 GRAPHICS

Some of the better graphics I’ve seen on any console from the 90‘s. Realistic scenery and foreground just add to the experience. If you go into the game expecting today’s standard of visuals, then you will be disappointed. But for the time, it was light years in front of everything else.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR!

• Characters from the classic Bond films.
• Drivable tanks!
• The comical value of shooting an unsuspecting guard in the head whilst he is on the toilet.

RANDOM FACTS!

• During The Dam level, if you look to the right on the Dam itself, in the distance there is a building. For a while there was speculation that you could get to it. But apparently it was originally put there in the early stages of development with the intention of it becoming part of the level. When they decided against it, they just kept it in the background.
• Although Bonds default weapon in the game is a PP7, in the movies (and real life) it’s actually a Walther PPK.
• Just over 8 million copies have been sold since the games release in 1997.