GoldenEye 007

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Modern take on older Bond flick, as first-person shooter.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that GoldenEye 007 one of the few "Teen"-rated shooters because while there is quite a bit of violence, there isn't much blood or gore. Yes, some red blood can be seen while shooting at enemies -- and they're bad guys -- but it's considerably less graphic than other first-person shooters. There are also some suggestive scenes and words in the game, but both are minimal.

  • While you're a secret agent "good guy" working for the British government, you are shooting and killing enemies in this game. The overall message is that violence is the solution for problems you face. Plus, there are many multiplayer modes where gamers are shooting other human opponents and not A.I. characters from the film.
  • James Bond isn't a bad guy -- he's taking down enemies who want to unleash a powerful weapon on innocent people -- so in this respect he's a good role model. But because he's killing hundreds of enemies with all kinds of weapons, some might argue he's not a good role model. The James Bond character is also a womanizer and known for drinking alcohol.
  • The game offers four different ways to play, so you can choose one that suits your skill level, plus there are varying difficulty levels to choose from, too.
  • This "Teen"-rated video game is a first-person shooter, so much of the gameplay has you aiming a gun and firing at enemies, tossing grenades, or using your hands as weapons (such as pushing an enemy's head against a wall). Small amounts of blood can be seen from shot enemies and in some cases, such as larger bosses, dramatic slow-motion effects kick in during final blows.  
  • There is one brief scene in which a man and woman are kissing and stroking each other. Dialogue such as "watch your hands" can be heard.    
  • There is some mild profanity in the game, such as "ass," "hell" and "damn."
  • The game features the likeness of actor Daniel Craig, the current James Bond actor, and this game is tied to the 1995 flick GoldenEye.

What's it about?

It would be an understatement to say GoldenEye 007 was an influential shooter when it debuted in 1997: not only did it cleverly combine intense first-person action with stealth gameplay and fuse a memorable single-player campaign with multiplayer modes, but it also singlehandedly shifted the focus on shooters away from the PC and onto the TV-connected consoles. Fast-forward to today, and Activision has launched GOLDENEYE 007 for the Nintendo Wii, a spiritual successor to the 1997 hit. While it's not a remake, this new offering delivers a modern take on the classic Bond flick, GoldenEye, now starring Daniel Craig, and more importantly, reigniting the shooter genre for the Nintendo platform. The story involves stopping the hijacking of a deadly weapon by a fellow agent believed to be dead.


Is it any good?

 

GoldenEye 007 is great fun on the Wii for those who like first person shooters. Take on the
role of the famous secret agent, who must run and gun or stealthily use
cover to remain unseen (it's up to you). The 8-to-10-hour solo campaign features many memorable
missions and introduces familiar Bond characters, weapons, gadgets, and
locations from the film (and previous game). Vehicle-based missions and
challenging boss fights add to the fun. Graphics are good, though certainly inferior to other recent shooters,
such as Halo: Reach and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, likely because of
the hardware limitations of the Nintendo Wii. Also, be aware that you can't
skip through the cut-scene sequences in the story mode. But the game really shines in the many multiplayer modes, both split-screen on the same television or online with up to eight friends. Whether you've played the original game or not, this new reimagining of the spy thriller is a blast -- and one you'll likely play well
into the future.

Online interaction: GoldenEye 007 offers many different online modes -- nine, in fact -- all of which pits you (or your team) against other human players. Some are team-based, too. You can't talk with friends (or strangers) or hear inappropriate comments from others because the game doesn't support this feature. But all involve killing each other.

 


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how movie-based games seem to be much better when they're not tied to the launch of a new film. Whether it's Batman, Ghostbusters, or James Bond, the best video games weren't rushed out the door to be released with a new theatrical release. Agree or disagree?

  • Families can also talk about the impact of violence in children's media. Why is it that so many games feature violence? Does violence sell?


This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Parent of 8 year old
November 15, 2010
 
I have my doubts about this being an ON for 13, but then again, I'm not sure that it shouldn't be either.
You know, I really liked this game. It really was cool. The visuals were not bad at all (Though very cartoony, but hey, it's a Wii we're talking about here, no?). The game was really cool except for one or two missions that get a bit too hard (one of them is when Natalya has to deactivate the satellite while you have to protect her. She does that twice with hordes of enemies coming at you, and there are no checkpoints in between. But all in all, I will give it an 8 out of 10. Now, about my Common Sense Rating, that is what I give it, but I would really like to hear what other parents have to say. I guess it could be ON for 8 year olds given the fact that first of all, it looks cartoony, yeah A LOT of shooting, but nothing realistic. And the a$$, and *ell and *amn, well, they here A LOT worse at school from strangers and friends alike. So that to me would not be a big deal. I mean, boys love that kind of action, don't they? Besides I really find nothing too suggestive. For example, when Bond goes to the night club to find some dude, none of the dancers are suggestive, nor do you find drug use nor sex or anything like that. So, I have my doubts that this should be only "13" and up. But like I said, I would love to hear what other parents have to say because I will definetely change my mind with a logical and argument.

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Parent of 11 year old
February 22, 2011
 
perfect for tweens
my son was asking for the Call of duty black ops. i said no way and he went in to a silent treatment and said that some people at his school were making fun of him. We agreed on this game and he loves it perfect game!!!!

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Teen, 18 years old
November 10, 2010
 
Enhanced remake/reboot strikes all the right notes; fine for teens
Yeah, it's more of a reimagining than a remake (Daniel Craig is the new Bond, as Pierce Brosnan is gone). And, having played the excellent original, I was quite skeptical of this during Nintendo's E3 announcement. But considering that the UK developer Eurocom, who made the excellent Dead Space: Extraction and James Bond: Nightfire (they do know how to make 'em good), was at the helm of this game, perhaps I wasn't so skeptical about it. But the final product isn't just another Goldeneye. In fact, there are many differences from the original - as mentioned before, Pierce Brosnan is gone, for instance, and the weapons now have their actual names - but the key aspects that made the original so fun remain. The story is pretty well-known by now: Bond must stop a former colleague he thought was killed who is planning to get a weapon known as the Goldeneye. However, it's updated to today, in lieu of 1995. Considering the technical limitations of the Wii, the game is yet another that pushes it to its limits. 480p (HD/component video) output looks quite good for a Wii game, but is not up to the level of some other Wii titles like Monster Hunter Tri and Dead Space: Extraction, much less contemporary FPS games like Modern Warfare 2. Moreover, sound is used very well. With the excellent single-player campaign and the frantic multiplayer, as well as multiple control methods to choose from (even the not-often-used Wii Zapper is given notice, but the Classic Controller Pro is the best), this is the Wii's five-star FPS. It's also okay for teens. Violence is frequent, as with other shooters, but is quite mild. All you see from a bullet impact is a one-second spurt of blood. Headshots, which are usually very graphic in FPS games, are bloodless. Sniping is depicted through a scope view showing silhouettes of your enemies, making that (usually violent) part of FPS games less violent as well. Mild profanities pop up, such as "h*ll", "d*mn" and "*ss". There's only a bit of sexual content in a few scenes, including one with a baddie embracing his female coworker, and some dialogue includes lines like "Watch your hands, boy!" But, overall, Goldeneye is the best FPS on the Wii. If you even have a minor interest in shooters, don't hesitate to pick this up.

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Teen, 14 years old
February 1, 2011
 
Obviously not for little kids, but ok for teens

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Kid, 10 years old
January 15, 2011
 
Good job with the graphics and all its really fun for both genders my 4 year old brother plays it too so why would this be bad I love being Natalya and I can shoot my dad really easy I also know all the best snyping places I love it for all the family! !? ? ? ?

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Adult
December 18, 2010
 
Always for England!
I rented it for a week and I loved it. I loved the story, but there was a super hard part where you had to protect this girl while she deactivated the satelite. There was no cover and enemies rushed in from all sides. But the online was great. There were levels to rank, achievements to earn, guns and attatchments to unlock and much more. It's very much like Call of Duty from a structural point of view. Oh well. Back to a normal life.

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Parent of 11 year old
April 2, 2011
 
Awesome for 10+ kids.
very good for 10 plus kids. As a parent first i said no to my 10 year old son. but then he showed me videos of it. I still thought it was violent. especially near my 6 year old son. But then we tried it out. there was graphic blood. Barley any bad words but i would not recommend it for a 8 or lower kid.

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Kid, 13 years old
March 25, 2011
 
Must Buy Wii Game
This is probably the greatest Wii FPS I've played to date (besides Metroid Prime 3). I loved the orginal game and although this doesen't top it I love it none the less I love this game too. I like that its not a straight up remake but more of a reimagining. While I do like Pierce Brosnan better Daniel Craig is great in this. No one comes to revise their roles from the orrginal Goldeneye movie except for Judi Dench who was of course M also in the Goldeneye movie. Online is like Call of Duty and you'll be familiar with this if you've played COD (even though I hate COD I must admit it is the king of online).

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Kid, 12 years old
May 1, 2011
 
This is a great game!! Best Wii FPS!
If you're a kid, get you're mum and dad's attentions. If you're a parent, hear me out. This game is great for kids from 10 and up. The game is based upon violence, but James Bond is a great role model for kids. He saves the world from bad guys who want to do bad things. This game has little bad language. Only 3 bottom-of-the-chain bad words are used lightly. There is a scene in which two adults are kissing, but they are not naked. Very little sexual language is used in this scene. The site forgot to also include the last scene in which Bond and Natalya kiss. They are fully clothed and only seen for a brief second before the campaign ends. The game's multiplayer is no problem at all. There's no chat between players, so you don't need to worry about language in multiplayer. No usernames are seen through online multiplayer, so nobody can steal it.

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Kid, 13 years old
March 27, 2011
 
IT IS BOND, JAMES BOND The game has execllent controls Great Level Designs Great Graphic Fun Multiplayer What else do you want!

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This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Platforms:Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS
Available online?Available online
Genre:First Person Shooter
Developer:Activision
Release date:November 2, 2010
Price:$49.99
ESRB rating:T for Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence

This review was written by Marc Saltzman

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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