"Is this possibly a good James Bond Gameboy game?"

Another one of those games that Nintendo brought from Nintendo 64 to Gameboy to see if they could get a quick buck because of the popular N 64 version, James Bond 007 hits the Gameboy. Only this time the game is almost like a ... dare I say RPG!? And it proves to be somewhat fun in its own right.

Game Play

This is actually not a bad game, although it's nothing like the Nintendo 64 version. Yes, you do your fill of killing baddies, except that in this one, you actually have to do some thinking and also get somewhat lucky. For example, if you look under an innocent persons bed you might find a health item or power-up (How's that for invasion of privacy?). And you need a series of things to complete a level.(Small Spoiler) You may need a piece of paper and pen to have a prisoner write you a pass that gets you into the enemies base. The levels after the first definitely aren't a push over. Some of the levels may take a while and/or get you very frustrated. But that's what most of the good ones do, no? It's a side scroller but there are many parts to the levels and there are several enemies. If you know the enemies weakness, you can take them out without ever taking damage. There is usually a boss at the end of the level, which also usually have their own weaknesses. This one isn't that bad at all.

Story

''Bond, James Bond.'' This one is pretty obvious if you have seen any of the movies. You are James Bond the British spy and are assigned several missions to find an international terrorist. Take down the baddies, get the girl, and save the world all in the same game.

Audio/Video

Well as always, what can you expect from Gameboy. The graphics and sound are plenty good for the game. Lots of different areas and rooms with different backgrounds and things you can check for power-ups. Everything from file cabinets to beds. Some interesting sounds from background music to kicking and punching. So they are OK, but what should get you is the game play, strategy, and trickiness of it all. Could be better, could be worse.

Replay

You may not want to play it more than twice or three times but it definitely is tricky the first time around. It will keep you interested (or frustrated) for a while with the many tricks, bosses, and hidden items that you need to successfully beat the game. If you are into these types of games you may play it for quite some time.

Overall

Since it was a totally different game than I thought it would be and it was actually a nice Bond game with some thought, strategy, and luck involved I gave it a seven. The graphics and sound are Gameboy quality, but that is expected and it doesn't take anything away from the game play. I don't know about buying, but you will probably want to if you are a Bond fan or if you are into these types of strategy games. My advice, give it a try and you might like it.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/12/01, Updated 01/12/01