James Bond Movie Games
Added 2019-08-16 11:38:50 +0000 UTCJames Bond has been on our screens in one form or another for well over 50 years, but how did his video game interpretations stack up against the features? Let's have a look.
A View to a Kill (Spectrum)
It was 1985, and Rog wasn't the only one looking ropey thanks to the release of this stab at Bond's 14th adventure from Domark. You play at James Bond, though he looks more like Engelbert Humperdinck, as you try and stop Max Zorin from destroying the microchip industry, which after playing this for more than a few minutes, sounds like a mercy killing.
There was also an exciting "text-based adventure" for anyone who liked that sort of thing, and didn't just spend the entire time telling the text to "fuck off" just to see how it would react (fond memories of the "Minder' game punching you if you did this).
The Living Daylights (Spectrum)
Another Domark shit in a flaming bag. Spent hours trying to get excited while playing this and failing as this incredibly dull and unplayable side-scroller wandered through an exciting story like a confused old man on glue.
Live and Let Die (Spectrum)
A very dull boat-racing game that at times feels almost like you've been huffing paint for hours. The colours are so bright and deafening that you begin to wonder if you aren't just slowly passing away and following the light.
Licence to Kill (Spectrum)
Revenge is the order of the day, and I suspect you'll be out for your own revenge against Domark for putting together this nightmare of frustration and bad controls.
Described as a "vertical scrolling action shoot-em-up", which seems generous, as it's more like a "vertical scrolling exercise is helpless blindness". Each level brings an exciting moment from the film, but from miles in the air and with a range of colours only available at the B&Q paints section staffed by Timothy Leary.
The Spy Who Loved Me (Amiga)
Remember the game "Spy Hunter"? Well Domark clearly did as they decided to "borrow" it wholesale to make a game of Bond's 10th exciting adventure. The only really exciting thing about this whole sorry affair was the opening titles that as well as the gun-barrel, included a pretend BBFC title.
The game itself was alright, not awful, but not that great either, seeing as Spy Hunter did it better.
Goldeneye (N64)
The best Bond game there ever was and ever will be. Followed the film to a tee - even down to set design, and also had the most exciting and thrilling death-match modes ever seen up until that point on a console - and made so many (including me) buy an N64.
Tomorrow Never Dies (PS1)
How do you follow up one of the greatest first person shooters in video game history? With an incredibly dull and tepid third-person shooter, of course. Such a let down at the time, and still looks like shite.
The World is Not Enough (PS1)
A bit better, and back to the first person-shooter mode, though there was still a load of Goldeneye charm lacking, and waaaay too much John Cleese.
From Russia With Love (PS2)
Sean Connery returned to voice his own sprite, though his advanced years made it sound like Bond was really tired all the time and needed a rest. An interesting experiment in revisiting an old Bond property and allowing you to play the entire movie, rather than one specific action scene. It also incorporated Bond driving the iconic Aston Martin in driving-related levels, even though he didn't get it until Goldfinger.
Quantum of Solace (PS2)
This was actually quite a fun little third person shooter that also served as a bridge between the end of Casino Royale and the start of Quantum of Solace, and had a great deal of the cast doing voices. However it did get very old very fast as it lacked any real variety.
Goldeneye Reloaded: 007 (PS3)
The game that had the balls to recycle Goldeneye, but put Daniel Craig in it as the lead, and remove Sean Bean as the villain. Utterly pointless and cynical exercise which attempted to recreate the Goldeneye game buzz, but utterly fucked it up by being so utterly lacking in energy, and very, very tedious.
So Goldeneye N64 is the clear winner, and will never, ever be beaten, unless that is of course they decide to re-do the Home Alone Nintendo game and release it as Skyfall.
Comments
(Behold, my comment, a year late...) Me and my brother had an Atari and we LOVED played Live and Let Die, even though I look back at it now and think... it was a bit pants, really. It had better graphics than the Spectrum one. But... it's literally just a speedboat driving along a river. So actually not very exciting, and MUCH less exciting than the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom game we played at around the same time (Live and Let Die doesn't have a level where you play a tune on human bones, so clearly not up to snuff). Occasionally, you're shot at, and if there's a bend and you don't turn fast enough you crash. And you have to collect floating oil drums as well, but at just the right angle otherwise you'll blow up. There's a couple of jumps you had to do, and then at the end there were jumps while you were being shot at - OH MY. But it doesn't seem to have much to do with the film, and could just as easily be marketed as "that bit at the end of From Russia with Love." At least, if the captain wore Connery's natty sailor hat.
Helen Barrell
2020-09-06 16:52:49 +0000 UTC
