Video Game Vintage Title: GoldenEye 007

GoldenEye 007

GoldenEye 007 is a 2010 first-person shooter video game developed by Eurocom and published by Activision for the Wii video game console, with a handheld version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. It is a modern reimagining of the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, and a remake of the 1997 Nintendo 64 video game GoldenEye 007. The game was officially announced by Nintendo at their E3 2010 conference presentation. The game was released on November 2, 2010 in tandem with another James Bond game, Blood Stone. It took on the elements of a modern shooter while retaining a classic name. A remastering of the Wii game was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles in 2011, re-titled as GoldenEye 007: Reloaded.

GoldenEye 007 Plot

The story is set some time after Quantum of Solace as James Bond (007) (Daniel Craig) and Alec Trevelyan (006) (Elliot Cowan) are on a mission infiltrating a chemical weapons facility in Arkhangelsk, Russia, which is believed to be the source of weapons used by a terrorist cell to target British embassies around the world. The mission goes awry when Trevelyan is apparently shot by General Ourumov (Laurence Possa). Bond escapes by detonating explosives he had placed throughout the facility before fleeing Arkhangelsk via airplane.

Later, a phone call intercepted from Ourumov connects him to Russian gangster Valentin Zukovsky (Alec Newman) as Ourumov attempts to acquire a helicopter that has been modified to survive an electromagnetic pulse. Zukovsky directs him to an arms fair in Dubai but is unable to stop Onatopp and Ourumov from stealing the helicopter. He is however able to plant his smartphone on board, and MI6 is able to track the helicopter to a remote base in Siberia. Bond is unable to stop the theft of a GoldenEye weapons satellite which is detonated by Ourumov. Bond is able to rescue Natalya Simonova (Kirsty Mitchell) before being arrested by the Russian army.

Believing Bond and Natalya to be responsible for the GoldenEye blast, Russian Defense Minister Dmitri Mishkin (Ed Stoppard) interrogates the two in St. Petersburg, but is killed by Ourumov who abducts Natalya. Bond pursues him to a train and confronts him over his plan for the GoldenEye satellite. Xenia betrays Ourumov and kills him. Bond is able to help Natalya off the train and goes to a meeting at Statue Park learning that Trevelyan survived his execution at the hands of Ourumov and is now Janus, the mastermind behind the GoldenEye theft and leaves with Natalya, who is instrumental to his plan. Bond is able to infiltrate a Solar facility in Africa and tricks Alec into destroying his supercomputers stopping his plan to use the satellite to destroy the bank of London erasing evidence of finances he stole. After fighting Trevelyan, Bond is able to overload the facility control room and shoots Trevelyan sending him to his death over the tower. Natalya and Bond escape the base by helicopter, with the couple kissing in the mission's aftermath.

GoldenEye 007 Gameplay

While GoldenEye 007 is a re-imagining of the film, the game does have noticeable differences. Levels have been altered to reflect the game's modified story. According to Craig Harris of IGN, "GoldenEye still retains the basics of GoldenEye's story, but retells it in a way that makes sense with Daniel Craig's interpretation of James Bond." Likewise, the game features modern game elements to coincide with other modern first-person shooters, such as destructible environments, regenerating health, and online multiplayer.

Eurocom has also added a few updated features while retaining some features from the original game. Instead of a watch, players use a mobile phone to scan documents, take photos, and communicate with MI6. The original GoldenEye 007 featured a cheat menu which is available from the start in the re-make. The game updates the AI-Bot system which is built upon Eurocom's previous game, Dead Space: Extraction. Each computer player possesses its own AI-bot system to make them dynamic and challenging.

The game offers players several choices of controllers: Wii Remote with Nunchuk, Wii Zapper, Classic Controller, Classic Controller Pro, or a Nintendo GameCube controller. GoldenEye 007 also provides players using the Remote with Nunchuk or Wii Zapper with the ability to peer around cover by tilting the Nunchuk. The game includes twenty-five weapons based upon counterparts from the Bond franchise.

Multiplayer

GoldenEye 007 features both offline split screen for up to four local players and online play for up to eight players. There are 10 multiplayer maps. There are four different game modes for offline multiplayer and nine different game modes for online multiplayer. Online multiplayer is provided through the free Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and though up to eight players can connect to a game remotely, only one local player is allowed at a time. Multiplayer includes characters from the single player campaign, such as James Bond and Alec Trevelyan, as well as classic Bond-series characters including Jaws, Oddjob, and Julius No. Additionally, online multiplayer offers XP progression, unlockables and multipliers. Split screen combat provides over a dozen modifiers, including Paintball Mode from the original game.

Reception
GoldenEye 007 has received positive reviews. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Wii version 83.67% and 81/100 and the Nintendo DS version 68.82% and 64/100. IGN awarded the game a 9.0 out of 10 and an Editor's Choice Award, praising its multiplayer component and its well-crafted story while criticizing the lack of voice chat. The reviewer, Craig Harris, concluded by acknowledging that the game�as of its release�is the Wii's best first person shooter. Gaming Nexus gave GoldenEye 007 an A�, stating, "instead of standing in the original GoldenEye's shadow, Eurocom has created a brand new game that is just as compelling and addictive as the original." GameSpot reviewer Tom McShea also praised the game, awarding it an 8.5 out of 10. Joystiq scored the game 4 out of 5. Nintendo World Report awarded the game an 8.5/10, with the reviewer stating, "Frankly, I haven't seen a more impressive Wii shooter." The Official Nintendo Magazine gave GoldenEye 007 a score of 90%. GameTrailers scored the game at 8.6 of 10, indicating that while most aspects are well-done, the game's performance suffers from inconsistent framerates, particularly during splitscreen play. They also derided the menus as "bland" and the "not very crisp" overall picture due to aliasing. Digital Trends' gave the game 8 of 10, complaining of the enemy AI's simplistic strategies and lack of adaptability. While the multiplayer gameplay was highly praised by the reviewer, the lack of voice chat was seen as a significant omission.

GamesRadar, although less positive, were still pleased with the result, awarding the game a 7 out of 10, stating that it was impossible for the game to live up to the original, but that it was still "a damn fine, 'serious' shooter on the Wii, and that's saying something," adding that "even without the limited options for mature action for Wii owners, GoldenEye 007 is a solid game in its own right." In contrast, however, Game Informer was less impressed, giving the game a 6.5/10, calling it "a lackluster game that fails to hit the same high notes of the original, or keep pace with modern shooters".