Agent 007. Women want him and men want to be him. While not many women have been able to have him, it is very likely that many men (Women too) have become him. This may sound crazy, but becoming the worlds greatest secret agent is a lot easier then you might think. All you have to do is simply place a game cartridge or disk into your favorite video game system and bam! You are now in the shoes of 007. Sadly, some of these experiences are quite forgettable and leave most gamers with a sour taste in their mouths. On the other hand, there are a few bright spots in the series that do extraordinary jobs of casting you into the role of 007 himself. Now, I shall ask you to take a trip with me in remembering some of the best and worst of games of Agent 007.

James Bond: The Duel - MegaDrive

One of the earliest titles in the Bond series was this MegaDrive II release - James Bond: The Duel and just as the lackluster title (The Duel? That's the best they could come up with?) it is a lackluster game. Bogged down by sloppy controls, poor graphics (Even at the time they were crap) and a ridiculous difficulty balance. End level bosses were easily defeated, while normal baddies were downright infuriating. Boring soundtrack that doesn't fit the mood or setting of the game at all were all other reason why Universal was always so weary to give out the licensee to the beloved spy franchise.

James Bond 007 - Gameboy

Next up on the memory trip is James Bond 007 for the Gameboy and it turns out to be just as forgettable as the previous title mentioned, James Bond: The Duel. The story is something a two year old would have no trouble following and it borrows many elements from the movies and ties in with it bringing several popular (and some not so popular) characters. Unlike James Bond: The Duel, which had an insane difficulty balance, James Bond 007 featured a gameplay system that was very balanced - Easily balanced. Enemies and bosses alike were no trouble at all to conquer leaving gamers yearning for something more, yet the game they got next more then made up for it...

GoldenEye 64 - Nintendo 64

Sheer Brilliance. That's one way to describe it. Released in '97, Goldeneye redefined an entire genre of games. While they are obviously outdated today, for the time they were nothing short of spectacular. The vivid detail given to everything around you is something to be remembered. The control layout is perfect and makes using 007 a breeze. Sound and music that brings the game to life more so than before. All of these things add up to one astounding game, yet that isn't it. None of these features can hold up to the masterpiece that is this games brightest part. The Multiplayer. With tons of levels, dozens of gameplay features including favorites such as Capture the flag, the Multiplayer is something to behold. To this day, GoldenEye is still considered one of the best, if not the best First Person Shooter and Bond game to date.

Tomorrow Never Dies - Playstation

The first Bond appearance on the Playstation and it is far from impressive. Maybe the fact that it had to follow GoldenEye had something to do with its low status? Maybe it was a good game, but the expectations were so high that it was near impossible for it to live up to anything? It could be any of those reasons, but I feel there is only one problem. Its a poorly put together game. Start with the visuals which are, simply put, horrendous. As much as this game was hyped and the length it was in development really says something about the effort put into the game. There's no detail put into the scenery around you, explosions look like they were done by a year three art class. The controls are something that will piss you off time and time again. They try to give you the ability to do so many things yet leave out things that would help you the most. (You can't reload? Huh?) The game does provide a decent difficulty setting which does add to the reply value if you are looking for a challenge, but it is recommended that casual games stay away from this one. For the hardcore Bond fans only.

Nightfire - Playstation 2

Next up its Bond's PS2 adventure, Nightfire. Not his first outing on a next generation system, but this will be the first one that shall be covered here. Easily one of the more impressive games in the series (if that's saying anything) Nightfire is a solid game. The gameplay is fast paced with plenty of action. The Controls are pretty good making it easy to move Bond around a breeze. The targeting system could use a tweak, but it's really nothing major. The graphics are impressive. Scenery is given quite a bit of detail, all the characters look good as do the vehicles. Sound is once again fantastic (seemingly one of the only consistent things in the series). Probably the only gripe I have with this game is the story which is very weak. It has plenty of potential, but just really doesn't live up to a Bond caliber plot. Takes away from the game's overall value, but doesn't detract from the gameplay which is extremely solid.

Everything or Nothing - Gamecube/PS2/Xbox

Living up to a game like GoldenEye is an extremely difficult thing to do. Many tried, but all failed. Now comes Everything or Nothing. Once again, another much hyped game that has a seemingly impossible mountain to climb if it wishes to get the recognition as GoldenEye. Does it succeed? You bet your ass it does. Starting with the graphics. Everything is so realistic. The framerate never seems to drop even when you are in the middle of an intense gunfight. The sound is really something they put some effort into. Guns are realistic and the music fits the mood perfectly. It heats up when the action is on and slows down once everything is calm. The story is something that, unlike previous Bond games, is pretty damn interesting and will pull you in with ease. Gameplay and controls are top notch although some gamers may be unhappy as the ability to customize the controls has been left out. This isn't exactly a bad thing as there are a ton of different set ups that the game lets you chose from. Bond handles as good as ever and Multiplayer is a blast. Tons of unlockables add to an enormous amount of replayability that will keep you coming back time and time again. Is it GoldenEye? Hard to decide. I feel it is just as good a game, if not better, but everyone really should make their own decision on this. Definitely worth at a rental at the very least.

GoldenEye 2 and beyond

Now with both Nightfire and Goldeneye set as the pinnacle games in the series, who knows what will come of the future. A sequel for Goldeneye has already been announced for the Gamecube and while it may stray a bit from the norm, it is still a promising endeavor. This next game is slated to have not have you in the role of Agent 007 opting to place you, for the first time in the series, in the position of a villain. Joining up with Auric Goldenfinger, "players battle for control of the world's greatest criminal organization." While this may startle some (A Bond game where you aren't Bond?!) it is sure to be a promising endeavor. Just maybe Agent 007 will get his Martini Shaken, Not stirred. BM