#1 GoldenEye 007 (1997) N64

Courtesy of: Nintendo

Goosebumps don’t lie. GoldenEye 007 is a masterpiece and one of the most iconic video games of all time. It is arguably the launching pad of the first person shooter and the precursor to the Call Of Duty/Halo phenomenon we see today. It’s greatest revolution was its four player multiplayer mode that allowed four friends to duke it out in a number of unforgettable levels. The game options may seem limited by today’s standards but at the time it was the most robust multiplayer experience around. The level design is creative and allows for a number of different ways to do battle. Who doesn’t remember booby trapping the crap out of Facility with proximity mines (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHZvkddtAGI&feature=related), or trying desperately to lower their aimer on to the annoyingly short Oddjob before he could take you out with his deadly hat. Each game was a truly memorable experience.

The single player mode is no slouch either. It features semi-open world levels for you to explore as you complete unique mission objectives. The game has three difficulty settings with specific missions added to the harder ones so that the game is an appropriate challenge for all skill types. The story closely follows the film narrative and takes Bond to many of the locales featured in the movie. Even some of the more annoying aspects of the gameplay are memorable. Escorting Natalya for example… “ We should go to the main control room”

Though the graphics and controls may feel archaic by today’s standards, the game is still remarkably fun to play. Even 15 years later, with all the advancements there have been in video game technologies, no Bond game has come close to surpassing GoldenEye’s brilliance.