Sunday 5 December 2010

James Bond 007: GoldenEye (DS/DSi)

James Bond gets set for another round of espionage in 007: GoldenEye (DS). Rather than being a simple port of the earlier Wii version, this game has been specifically produced by videogames' company n-space, who are also responsible for bringing three high-quality Call of Duty games onto the DS.  It also features an updated Bond as played by actor Daniel Craig.


The game itself is essentially a first-person shooter, but it does put a lot of emphasis on stealth during each of the in-game Bond missions,which helps to recreate the feeling of being an international super-spy. This game uses the D-pad as its the primary controller for Bond's movements and the shoulder buttons  (left and right buttons) are used for firing weapons. The stylus is used for focusing the camera so that Bond can examine his surroundings and look up, down, left and right.

Nevertheless, a stylus-based control system has also been included in the game for those who prefer to use it. This control system is quicker than the D-pad controls, but may not be as accurate overall. At the end of the day, the control system you choose will of course depend upon which one you find the most comfortable, but it is still nice to have the choice.


n-space's own 3D engine has been used to recreate the look of the main characters. As a result, the graphics are top-quality, which is still somewhat of a rarity on the DS consoles these days. The designers have also kept much of the original voice work from the main console versions, allowing Daniel Craig and Dame Judi Dench to play Bond and M respectively.

Furthermore, the game boasts an impressive AI system, which means that enemies will anticipate your attacks and will even think twice before entering a room where Bond is hiding. This makes the game missions very challenging to complete.

However, the same AI is also the main source of frustration with this game. Despite Bond's array of weapons, the control systems (both stylus and D-pad) sometimes seem to fail when Bond is aiming at enemies, whilst the AI enemies seem to be so sharp on the weaponry that Bond may as well just be standing there with a white flag in his hand as opposed to a gun.


The game features a strong multiplayer mode for up to six players  in several different modes using a variety of modifications, some of which will be recognisable from the original Wii version whilst others are exclusive to the DS.

Furthermore, the single player mode offers new content after the original story has been completed, including unlockable time trials, bonus missions and unlock cheats, which greatly increases the game's replay value.


This is a great game overall, but the difficult controls can lead to frustration when facing various enemies. Nevertheless, this is an excellent attempt to bring a high-quality Bond game to the DS and is likely to appeal to most First-Person Shooter fans and Bond enthusiasts alike. Overall rating: 7/10.

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