GoldenEye 007

The N64 remake of GoldenEye 007 is out on the shelves. What's the word on the web about the Wii exclusive? Well, most are saying it's awesome, others are just glad to have a "hard core" game for the Wii and hope it's the start of something that's long overdue.



If you’ve been following this game at all before it’s release, you would probably know that it’s not a port of the original Goldeneye. It’s a whole new game created by a completely different developer (Eurocom). With that being said, there is hope that a bit of nostalgia comes through in game play. Let's check out what those who've played the game think.

Vinnie at My Gamer Talk said "It’s not your average first person shooter, but it’s not your average Nintendo game either. When I say “Nintendo Wii” what’s the first thing that pops into your mind? Probably ‘casual gaming’, or something along those lines, but probably not ‘hardcore gaming.’ I would even go out on a limb and say that if Nintendo could get a decent online service going for the Wii (easier said than done), this could be a great start at finally creating a good line-up for the hardcore gaming audience.

There are certain parts of the game where you will just stop and think to yourself ‘Hey, I’ve been here before’. But there are just as many instances where you will think the opposite. I could be completely wrong, and maybe it’s just because I was only ten years old when the first Goldeneye came out, but I don’t remember actually being able to sneak through levels of the single player. In this game though, you actually get a chance to be more of a stealthy secret agent than a balls to the wall mercenary."

Matt Clark at 1 UP " It's essentially now a game, based on a game, based on a movie. James Bond is still pursuing information on the titular GoldenEye satellite, hooking up with computer programmer Natalya Siminova, and getting double crossed by a thought-to-be-deceased compatriot. The game begins with the familiar (albeit much improved visually) dam level. Bond can storm the guard tower, guns blazing, or take a stealthy approach to avoid a firefight.

Beyond the unnecessary button mashing, GoldenEye's missions are well structured; combining the forerunner's smaller (at least by today's standards) level design and missions that frequently pay homage to the original game while adding new elements. Not every original mission is represented, but the developers did an admirable job of evoking GoldenEye's most memorable locales. Think of it this way: the way we fondly remember the past is typically not identical to what actually happened. If you think back to playing GoldenEye in the late '90s, certain game environments from the single-player campaign will typically come to mind (Dam, Runway, Frigate, and Cradle for example). Those missions are represented here (visually updated, of course), but more importantly they elicit the "feel" of playing those classic levels without the need for an exact reproduction. As much as I love the old GoldenEye, I never felt like these changes were inappropriate; after all, the Nintendo 64 game wasn't without its faults."

1 Up gave GoldenEye a B+. Looks like an old friend had a pretty good face lift done. Nice.