Much like Rare's other recent effort, Blast Corps, GoldenEye is a pleasant surprise that is well worth the wait. Being the best movie-to-game translation ever, GoldenEye lets you assume the role of James Bond. Unlike other first-person shooters, though, this is not a "kill everything in sight" kind of game. What separates GoldenEye from the other games in its genre are the spying elements and the different mission objectives. Depending on which difficulty level is chosen, a number of objectives must be completed before moving on. For example, let's look at the objectives of the first level. On the Agent (easy) level, the only objective is to "Bungee jump from platform." On the Secret Agent (medium) level, you must do that and "Neutralize all alarms." On the 00 Agent (hard) level, you have to complete both of those tasks and "Install covert modem" and "Intercept data backup." Furthermore, spying elements actually come into play. Failing to take out security cameras will sound off an alarm if spotted, or using a high-powered noise maker, such as a rifle, will have numerous guards coming after you. These little touches only help to bolster the game's play mechanics, longevity and fun factor. However, in my opinion, there are some discrepancies in the game. For instance, I believe the first half of GoldenEye is incredible. But as soon as I hit Statue Park, the game started to go downhill from there -- somewhat. Though it is obviously following the movie, I started to get frustrated at some of the level designs, particularly those which are dark. I also wish the sniper rifle would be used more after the first several levels. This doesn't bring down the game that much, though; in fact, some may even appreciate the added challenge and variety. Control in GoldenEye is rewarding and precise -- that is, once you get used to it. There are several different control schemes, everything from a Turok-like scheme to a Mario 64-like scheme to a scheme with two controllers. With the control, you have the ability to shoot, switch between weapons, zoom in on a target, open doors, etc. Unfortunately, there is no jumping in the game. Although it wouldn't really be necessary in the regular mission mode, it would have made the multi-player mode better if you could jump down and surprise someone or take a shortcut from higher ground. The game features Rumble Pak support, too, but it's not as impressive as, say, MRC or Star Fox 64. And just how good is the multi-player mode, after all? Well, it's obviously not on the same level as a networked computer game because of the smaller screens and the ability to see each other, but it's still the best four-player game on the N64. Rather than being an afterthought, it's easy to tell that some planning was actually put into the mode. For instance, the multi-player boards were specially designed for deathmatch action. In addition, there are tons of options to tweak to keep the mayhem fresh. Aesthetically, GoldenEye looks fantastic. First of all, fog in the game is virtually non-existent. Second of all, the character animation is fabulous; characters will clutch where they've been shot and will die in numerous ways. Third of all, there are texture-mapped faces on the characters that give the game even more personality. On the other hand, the game does slow down at times, though this is not a big problem, and there are some clipping problems in which a character's gun will appear through a door. Despite these shortcomings, GoldenEye is arguably the best-looking game on the system. The use of sound also helps to escalate the GoldenEye experience. Even though the background music is all based on the Bond theme, it's nowhere near as repetitive as one might think. The sound effects fit the game very well, too. Hey, you might even get nervous from hearing doors opening and closing in the distance. About the only thing GoldenEye is missing in this department is voice. Despite its quite untimely release, GoldenEye is, without a doubt, one of the best games ever made. There's something for everyone here. With the numerous objectives and difficulty levels, the one-player mode has enough replay value to keep even seasoned veterans happy for some time. And the four-player deathmatch will certainly keep you and your friends glued to the TV. While the game has a few minor faults, they can be easily overlooked. In fact, the most disappointing thing about GoldenEye is the lack of copious amounts of blood. But hey, Nintendo wanted to make sure the game got a "Teen" rating. And when a game is this good, I can certainly live without it.Graphics: 4.8 out of 5 Sound: 4.5 out of 5 Control: 4.2 out of 5 Gameplay: 4.7 out of 5 Lastability: 4.8 out of 5 Overall: 4.7 out of 5
