James Bond Video Games -- Retro Rewind
12. James Bond Jr. (1991, SNES and NES)
THQ acquired the rights to United Artists' animated series based on the super-spy and created two games. In the games, you play the much younger James Bond Jr. as he battles the evil army of S.C.U.M. Lord, a villain who captured many of the world's greatest scientists for a dastardly plot. Despite the mixture of platforming and shooting stages, the games left a lot to be desired.
11. Goldeneye: Rogue Agent (2004, PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox)
Not satisfied with Everything or Nothing's lack of success, EA released Goldeneye: Rogue Agent. The company attempted to capture the intensity of the classic N64 shooter while including a storyline involving a former MI6 agent working for the nefarious Auric Goldfinger – and not a playable Bond character. Unfortunately, the game succumbed to lame plot twists, tired gameplay and below-average visuals. Not even the inclusion of Christopher Lee, refilling his classic role of Francisco Scaramanga (from The Man With the Golden Gun), could save it from failure
10. James Bond 007 (1983, Atari 2600)
Parker Brothers took the first jump with the James Bond franchise in 1983 with the release of 007 for the Atari 2600. Based on events from four classic Bond films – For Your Eyes Only, The Spy Who Loved Me, Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker, you avoid incoming enemy attacks and obstacles while blasting them from above and below. Parker Brothers also released a separate game for the 2600 later in the year, based on the train chase sequence from the Bond movie Octopussy.
9. 007 Racing (2000, PlayStation)
Since exotic cars are a staple in the Bond franchise, EA tried its hand at an exclusive driving game bearing the 007 license. Unfortunately, 007 Racing ended up as a smoldering wreck, thanks to weak gameplay, a bland presentation and a lack of multiplayer options. Despite the inclusion of Q's gadgets and such cars as the Lotus Esprit, the Aston Martin DB5 and the BMW Z3, the tires quickly went flat on 007 Racing.
8. Tomorrow Never Dies (1999, PlayStation)
In 1999, Electronic Arts became the exclusive license holder of the 007 franchise. Its first product, Tomorrow Never Dies, is based on the movie of the same name, where Bond (Pierce Brosnan) battles against an evil media titan named Eliot Carver (played in the film by Jonathan Pryce). It shifts the action to a third-person perspective, jetting Bond across the globe as he battles Carver and his evil minions. Due to sloppy gameplay and lack of long-term appeal, Tomorrow Never Dies quickly met its demise.
7. James Bond: The Duel (1993, Sega Genesis)
In 1993, Domark attempted to produce a worthwhile Bond game with The Duel, a platforming shoot-em-up where you activate bombs, rescue female hostages and battle familiar enemies from previous Bond films. It resembles Namco's Rolling Thunder games, but lacks the quality presentation and gameplay. Oddly, the game's cover features former Bond star Timothy Dalton, four years after completing his final Bond film, License To Kill.
6. The World Is Not Enough (2000, PlayStation and Nintendo 64)
The World Is Not Enough, based on the 1999 Bond movie of the same name, plays from a first-person perspective. As a result, it was more successful than EA's previous offering, Tomorrow Never Dies, although it still didn't quite reach the heights achieved by Goldeneye. The game's story follows the film as Bond tries to stop a madman named Renard before he can unleash worldwide chaos. The N64 version ended up being the best, since it includes multiplayer action for up to four people, along with three additional levels
5. James Bond 007 (1997, Game Boy)
To coincide with the release of Goldeneye 007, Nintendo also released another licensed Bond game for the Game Boy. Although made by an entirely different development team (Saffire handled the handheld port while Rare took care of the N64 game), James Bond 007 still features solid shoot-em-up action. It's a top-down shooter with a Legend of Zelda-like perspective, with Bond completing a number of missions for MI6 using his array of weaponry and gadgets.
4. James Bond: Agent Under Fire (2001, PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox)
After the lukewarm reception for 007 Racing, EA created a wholly original James Bond game with Agent Under Fire, the first offering from the company not based on a film. In this first-person shooter, Bond fights back against a corporation run by the untrustworthy Adrian Malprave. The game ended up being a success, both with a strong single-player campaign and off-line multiplayer. EA followed it in 2002 with the release of 007 Nightfire, another original effort that ended up being better than most gamers expected, thanks to its lavish stage design, variety of stages (shooting and driving alike) and more multiplayer action.
3. From Russia With Love (2005, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and PSP)
From Russia With Love is EA's final offering with the Bond franchise, before losing the rights to Activision a year following its release. This third-person game is based on the film of the same name, pitting a '60s-era Bond against the evil OCTOPUS organization. The game features several classic Bond contraptions, including the PK pistol, a jet pack and a miniature flying copter. From Russia With Love's biggest achievement is the involvement of Sean Connery, who not only lent his old-school likeness to the game but also recorded new voicework for it prior to his retirement. It's a game that's worth checking out while you're waiting for Quantum of Solace to debut later this year.
2. James Bond 007: Everything Or Nothing (2004, PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox)
EA went all out with its next Bond effort, Everything Or Nothing, with Pierce Brosnan supplying his likeliness and his vocal talents. It features other well-known actors as well, including Willem Dafoe (as villain Nikolai Diavolo), Shannon Elizabeth (as Bond girl Serena St. Germaine), Judi Dench (as M), John Cleese (as Q) and Richard Kiel (re-appearing as the classic villain Jaws). The game goes with a third-person perspective this time around, but has enough high-intensity shooting and driving action to entertain every gamer.
1. Goldeneye 007 (1997, Nintendo 64)
Nintendo and Rare took the Bond license in a whole new direction in 1997, introducing a top-notch first-person shooter with Goldeneye 007. Not only does the game feature level design that's strikingly close to locales based on the film, but most of the cast makes appearances, including former Bond star Pierce Brosnan. The game has a strong single-player campaign, but we remember it best for its split-screen four-player multiplayer mode. It's easily one of the N64's finest efforts. Recently, there were rumors that Microsoft was attempting to bring the game to Xbox Live Arcade. Sadly, those rumors have since been shot down – just like 006. Still, that doesn't stop Goldeneye from being the best Bond game to date.
Robert Workman
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/james-bond-video-games--retro-rewind/?page=1
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