James Bond 007 Game by Saffire Reviewed by Adrock adam@dmgice.com Size: 4 Megabits Save: Battery, 3 slots Released: 1998 Works with: Any version of Game Boy **************************************************************************** Opening Snide Remarks: Bond fans rejoice, 007 comes to Game Boy. This game will have you punching and shooting bad guys, getting ill with the females, solving puzzles, getting ill with the females, playing cards, and getting ill with the females. Yep, if there is one thing this game does not have, it sure ain't females. This game is sassy, in the word's truest form. And I am rambling, now. On with the ill review. **************************************************************************** Gameplay Descripion: Just like the movies, this game has a lot of fighting, puzzles, cards, and macking on chicks. Note that this game is not based on any of the movies. This game will have you everywhere undercover... The Sahara, Tibet, China, and Russia, among others. The play is strikingly similar to Zelda, Link's Awakening. It's kind of a mixed bag... it's an overhead shooter, but with an adventure game type format. You'll fight lots of familiar faces. Who, you ask? Like "That guy with the teeth", and "That really short guy". I will keep their names anonymous. Some enemies are easy to defeat, some might take a little while to catch on to just how exactly to kill them. Some puzzles and stuff will pester the heck out of you. But with puzzles aside, the replay value might seem pretty dim. Things like alternate endings and the card games will help. (Finally, I own a copy of a portable blackjack game. Rock!) How good did Saffire do with keeping real to the Bond story and setting? Pretty good actually. With only their knowledge of the movies themselves, they did quite a good job, considering. They must of been Bond fans or something. Which is good for this game. Lots of Bond-itude shines through the game. Liked: A classic. It's got shooting, punching, women, cards, and puzzles. Hated: Replay Value? **************************************************************************** Graphics Description: Well, they drew Bond and gang from scratch. I thought they looked pretty good. They don't look like Zelda, but then again, that probably wasn't the look they were going for. The game's enviroments are true to life... China has lots of farmers and huts. London has lots of tall buildings and... er... clocks. Anyways, lots of detail on the graphics. The weapons are also very detailed, so you know just what weapon you're using. There are many diverse people in the game. Like the potato man. And the belly dancer. And the fire breathing guy. They don't recycle the same three guys over and over. Which is good. Hey, if everyone looked alike, then James would be in for it pretty deep. He would wake up and be like "Oh, how are you feeling on this bloody lovely morning, Candice!" *SMACK* "I'm Kate, you moron! Candice is my sister!" Luckily, for James and us, since everyone does infact look different, James can get really drunk, go shag with a chick, and wake up tomorrow, with no smack. And we have Saffire to thank. Liked: Lots of detail and no repetitivity. Smart SGB border and palette. Hated: Nothing. **************************************************************************** Sound/Music Description: The James Bond theme is in the game. Which is good. It's a little off in some parts, though. Other music in the game is standard par. It's suitable, but is very short and loops a lot. Some songs get annoying quick. Others suit the mood of the stage. So again, it's a mixed bag. As far as Sound FX, right on! Lots of Boom! Boom! And Tat-tat-tat-tat! And as Philip so gracefully put it, "Swoosh, swoosh!" Gotta love the swoosh. Hmm. This game could use some voice in places. Maybe a "Well done" or a "Game Over." Liked: Some nice Sound FX! Hated: Seven letters: MoSysFX **************************************************************************** Play Control/Game Design: With the select menu, you can choose your item for buttons B and A. This includes all of your weapons, health packs, dodging, and fists. Plus keys and other task related items. Control is dead on accurate and hit detection is top-notch. Liked: Top-notch controls! Hated: You'll have to cycle through your items a lot. **************************************************************************** Improve: Better songs! Color! Voice! And most of all, more replay value! RIYL: Zelda 4, Goldeneye, Final Fantasy Adventure, Fortified Zone, Anything James Bond... **************************************************************************** Final Words: Despite it's problems, this is a pretty good game. Replay Value is what kills it. There's not really anything to strive for after you've played the game once, besides the other ending. And the two endings are really mostly alike. Nonetheless, this game is a GB classic and currently still stands it's ground on Nintendo Power's Game Boy Top 10 charts. **************************************************************************** Score Gameplay: **** Graphics: ***** Sound/Music: *** Play Control/Game Design: ***** Personal Opinion: ***** Total: 22 Final Score: %88 **************************************************************************** Currently Known Codes: Enter any of these names as your name to play the hidden card games. BJACK = Black Jack REDOG = Red Dog BACCR = Baccarat