Released by Rare in 1997, Goldeneye 007 by many accounts, was the reason that people purchased a Nintendo 64. It was received warmly by critics around the world and outsold many other popular games of the time - cementing its place as one of the highest selling console games of all time. There were many reasons that this game was well received. Best of all, it was one of those elusive games that actually performed very well as a video game based on a movie (now, if only we could get a movie doing the same thing). Why is the game such a fantastic addition to any classic gamers' library? How has this game stood the tests of time and continued to be a Friday night favorite?

Goldeneye 007 Changes a Character

Many James Bond fans considered Goldeneye to be the revival of a slipping hero. Pierce Brosnan was seen as the actor that brought a character thought dead after the end of the cold war back to life. Millions of fans went to the theatre to witness this revival. In turn, millions of fans went to the store to pick up this fantastic game. After a noted slump in the movies following the departure of Roger Moore, United Artists was looking for a way to bring Bond back to the present and maintain the "misogynist dinosaur's" relevance in the modern world. Goldeneye 007 was the video game that defined how console first person shooters were to function and, despite a lack of Internet game play, became one of the most popular multiplayer games of all time.

According to "The Way of the Gun," an independent study of the firearm in video games, Goldeneye was one of the most important games for the sniper rifle with a workable zoom function. Goldeneye 007 was also cited by this same study as pioneering a very important function of first person shooters today, the body area sensitive shot (increased damage depending on the location hit). Often taken for granted today, this was a relatively new concept of the time. Finally, an unfamiliar stealth element in Goldeneye 007 (when compared to games like Quake and Doom) made it a fun and exciting adventure combining clever stealth elements and frantic gun battles.

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Replay Value of Goldeneye 007

The jewel in this crown of Nintendo 64 achievement was the replay value of Goldeneye 64. Not only was the multi player enough to drop many the grades of high school students, the single player campaign was simply awesome. Following the film very well and adding material when necessary, this campaign could be played at a variety of difficulty levels and time challenges to unlock new challenges and cheats. Nothing was more exciting than trying to beat the Facility level in less than 2 minutes, 5 seconds. Of course, even the hilarious game glitches still hold a place in gamers' hearts (how is it that enemies apparently have a very hard time hitting you when you are a little too close for either's comfort). This only adds to the legitimate placement of Goldeneye 007 in video game history.

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