{"id":9400,"date":"2026-05-15T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/?p=9400"},"modified":"2026-05-16T13:15:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T09:45:17","slug":"the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/2026\/05\/15\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complete History of James Bond Games"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">James Bond: the ultimate spy. The secret agent that other secret agents check under the bed for at night, although that\u2019s probably less to do with their concerns about his martial arts prowess and more about his penchant for sexual congress. Hey, honey, whose Aston Martin is that in the driveway? And why is it beeping?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cIngenious, and useful too. Allow a man to stop off for a quick one en route.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">At any rate, conceived by WWII British Naval Intelligence officer Ian Fleming as a cocktail of the many killer elite commandos and secret agents he met during his time in the service, the iconic James Bond has clearly come a long way from his literary beginnings in 1953. Bond quickly migrated from the pages of Fleming\u2019s novels to radio plays, comic books, and \u2013 of course \u2013 a film series that\u2019s lasted over 60 years. There aren\u2019t many movie franchises that have been around longer. Not this side of Godzilla, at least. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Now, James Bond\u2019s video game history obviously isn\u2019t quite as storied as his silver screen exploits, but it still stretches back well over 40 years. So, whether you\u2019re unfamiliar with Bond games, or you\u2019re just after a quick refresher, we\u2019ve assembled a full history of James Bond games right here, so all you need to do is pour yourself a dry martini and slip into something more comfortable.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cSince you are here, would you mind giving me something to put on?\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">To uncover the very first James Bond game we need to go back to 1982, but there is a slight twist to it. 1982\u2019s Shaken but Not Stirred! was developed and published by Richard Shepherd Software for the ZX Spectrum computer, an underrated icon of 8-bit gaming that played an instrumental role in the home computer revolution \u2013 and helped inspire an entire generation of UK game designers in the process. Richard Shepherd, a certified accountant, was one such man. Urged on by his wife, Elaine \u2013 who suggested he look into adventure games after she\u2019d been shown one while visiting a work client \u2013 Shaken but Not Stirred! came together as a classic text adventure.<\/p>\n<p><span data-cy=\"playlist-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<section class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401 user-list-embed\" data-cy=\"user-list-embed\">\n<div class=\"card jsx-1339469126 jsx-1355461925 box jsx-2627838217\">\n<section class=\"stack jsx-806034919 carousel-section jsx-282394234\" data-cy=\"carousel\"><span class=\"stack jsx-3647836811 jsx-1304765713\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<h3 data-cy=\"title3\" class=\"title3 jsx-12333944 jsx-2321054750\">James Bond: The Complete Video Game Playlist<\/h3>\n<p>Here&#8217;s every James Bond game adventure ever &#8212; from humble text-based beginnings in 1982 over the golden age of GoldenEye to 007&#8217;s gaming future after a long release drought. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"stack jsx-3647836811 jsx-2980091846\">See All<button class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--secondary jsx-3381835873 action-button contained centered large\" data-cy=\"more-actions-btn\" type=\"button\" title=\"More Actions\"><span class=\"ign-icon icon-ellipsis jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"icon-ellipsis\"><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/span><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">In 1982, text adventure games were at the peak of their popularity \u2013 and the genre was the only real way to have complex adventures in interactive form at the time. \u2018Complex\u2019 may be a slight overstatement when it comes to Shaken but Not Stirred!, though it is bizarrely impenetrable at times. That is, I began the game by being instantly abducted and shot dead, before being reincarnated by the game designer, and I left sometime after getting lost in a randomised ocean and shooting my second octopus.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">I\u2019m going to shoot the octopus six times and go home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">However, what\u2019s particularly interesting about Shaken but Not Stirred! is that it was never actually an <em>official <\/em>Bond game at all. Richard Shepherd Software never had the rights to make an official Bond game, something that seems obvious when you note Moneypenny\u2019s transparent name change \u2013 but admittedly less so when \u2018Miss Cashcoin\u2019 is introduced directly beneath the sentence \u201cA James Bond Adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cYou\u2019ll need a good lawyer.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Yes, perhaps \u2013 especially since, by 1982, the Bond license had already been secured by Parker Brothers. Unfortunately for Richard Shepherd Software, the American toy and board game giant was ramping up its video game efforts at the time after snatching up the lucrative rights to publish Star Wars games, and Bond was another hot property it jumped on. Resultingly, Shaken but Not Stirred! was rapidly re-issued as Super Spy and, in 1983, Parker Brothers released what\u2019s technically the first <em>official <\/em>Bond video game: James Bond 007, for Atari, ColecoVision, and Commodore 64. A version called 007 James Bond was also released in Japan for the SG-1000, Sega\u2019s first-ever home console.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">James Bond 007 is a side-scrolling vehicle shooter with three or four levels, depending on the version you played. Each is extremely loosely based on a moment from four Bond films released between 1971 and 1981: The Spy Who Loved Me, Diamonds are Forever, Moonraker, and For Your Eyes Only. You don\u2019t control Bond himself so much as you control a transforming Bond car, although it realistically spends most of its time as a kind of jumping submarine.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">I don\u2019t remember this part of the film.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">James Bond 007 otherwise plays like a short and safe clone of existing side-scrolling vehicle shooters from the dawn of the \u201980s, and you can certainly argue the bulk of the Bond flavour comes from the 007 logo slapped on the front. The official license did, however, bring along with it the opportunity to use the Bond theme for the first time \u2013 which is an admittedly crucial component of the Bond experience.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">1985 arrived with two separate Bond games, both based on A View to a Kill. It was the new Bond film for that year, and the final featuring Roger Moore.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The first is an action game for a variety of home computer platforms, including ZX Spectrum, Amstrad, and Commodore 64. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cI find a computer indispensable.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Published by Domark Software \u2013 a short-lived company that spent the late \u201980s and early \u201990s publishing only Bond games before merging with Eidos in 1996 \u2013 its version is broken up into three chunks. It opens with a driving level, which is followed by two rudimentary action sections. The three-games-in-one approach was novel enough, but ultimately the game was not especially well-received.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">A View to a Kill\u2019s other game tie-in was a text adventure for MS-DOS, Apple II, and Macintosh, and one of the first games published by Mindscape. Interestingly, A View to a Kill\u2019s text adventure was written by Texas author Raymond Benson. 12 years later Benson would be tapped to take over writing duties for the continuation of the James Bond novel series, stepping in for the retiring John Gardner who had stewarded the Bond books throughout the \u201980s and \u201990s.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Benson would go on to contribute to the next Mindscape Bond game in 1986, which was another text adventure for the same platforms \u2013 this time based on 1964\u2019s Goldfinger. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">I mean, I probably would\u2019ve prepared my game for this prompt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">However, while Mindscape returned to a past Bond adventure, Domark decided to remain in the present with its 1987 tie-in for Timothy Dalton\u2019s Bond debut: The Living Daylights.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">For The Living Daylights, Domark opted for a traditional, side-scrolling shoot\u2019em up approach, developed for what appears to be just about every major home computer system of the era. The result wasn\u2019t revolutionary, but it was a considerable step-up from A View to a Kill. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cRelax Georgi. Our engineers have spent months perfecting this.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Beginning with Bond\u2019s training exercise against the SAS in Gibraltar and ending in the villainous Whitaker\u2019s mansion, The Living Daylights might be a bit basic, but it at least effectively mirrors the plot of the movie upon which it&#8217;s based. The ability to choose a different weapon before each level also adds some additional replayability.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">With no new movie in cinemas in 1988, Domark\u2019s next Bond game for home computers was loosely inspired by 1973\u2019s Live and Let Die \u2013 which had been the first to feature Roger Moore. The key word here is loose, as Live and Let Die is exclusively a\u2026 speedboat shooter.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cWhat the f\u2014\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">While it\u2019s true the iconic speedboat chase is one of the most memorable moments of Live and Let Die, basing a whole game around it stretches the concept to breaking point. It has just four levels, only the last of which is ostensibly focused on disrupting Dr. Kanaga\u2019s drug operation. The remainder are extra training levels set about as far away from the setting of Live and Let Die as you can get. How far? The Sahara Desert, and the North Pole.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">However, there is a reason that Live and Let Die barely feels like a Bond game, and that\u2019s because it was never meant to be one. In truth, Domark simply got wind of a speedboat shooter at UK software house Elite Systems called Aquablast. Domark subsequently pulled the plug on a boat blaster project it already had on the boil with a different developer, slapped a 007 logo on Aquablast, and published that instead. It seems Live and Let Die was always going to be stuck in a boat, but going with Elite got it done faster.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cYou call my brother-in-law, Billy Bob. He&#8217;s got the fastest boat in the whole damn river.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">In 1989, Timothy Dalton\u2019s second and unfortunately final Bond film hit the big screen, and Domark unsurprisingly had a game to coincide with it. Licence to Kill, again developed for all major home computers of the era, was yet <em>another <\/em>new approach for a Bond adaptation \u2013 this time it was a top-down, vertically-scrolling shooter. It was rather tricky, but arguably serviceable enough compared to similar games of the era. 1989 also saw a light-gun enabled version of 1987\u2019s The Living Daylights bundled into Amstrad\u2019s Christmas relaunch of the Spectrum +2. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The James Bond 007 Action Pack included two generic shooting gallery games to justify the inclusion of the Magnum Light Phaser, though neither are worth remarking on.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">In 1990, Domark again resurrected a slice of the Roger Moore era with The Spy Who Loved Me for home computers, which is perhaps notable for having the funkiest remix of the Bond theme ever partially stolen from Run-D.M.C., Rob Base, and DJ E-Z Rock.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Hit it!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The Spy Who Loved Me was a Spy Hunter clone: a top-down, vertically-scrolling vehicle shooter that has a few flourishes to call its own, but overall is pretty similar to Midway\u2019s 1983 classic. The comparison is potentially a <em>little <\/em>unfair considering how heavily inspired Spy Hunter was by James Bond in the first place \u2013 down to the Interceptor\u2019s suspiciously close resemblance to Bond\u2019s iconic white Lotus Espirit \u2013 but either way The Spy Who Loved Me was certainly a little derivative.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">1990 also saw the arrival of Interplay\u2019s 007 James Bond: The Stealth Affair, a point-and-click adventure for Amiga, Atari-ST, and MS-DOS \u2013 which <em>was <\/em>officially licensed but wasn\u2019t <em>actually <\/em>a bona fide Bond game at its core. The Stealth Affair had previously been released in Europe as a Bond-adjacent adventure called Operation Stealth, starring CIA agent John Glames. For the North American release, Interplay simply changed Glames to Bond, but left him taking orders from the CIA rather than MI6.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cNow what\u2019s the CIA doing here?\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">On the topic of Bond games that aren\u2019t quite Bond games, in 1991 THQ\u2019s James Bond Jr. \u2013 developed by Eurocom \u2013 was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System. A distinct (and worse) Super Nintendo version, developed by Gray Matter, arrived in 1992. If you\u2019re unfamiliar with James Bond Jr, it was a cartoon series that ran for around six months back in the early \u201990s focusing on the nephew of James Bond; a man who is canonically and famously an only child, and not an uncle to\u2026 anyone. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">If you\u2019re unfamiliar with the games, you should probably keep it that way.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">1992 also saw the release of a completely unofficial adaptation of the Roger Moore film Octopussy, developed by a Bratislava-based studio and released only in Slovakia. Octopussy was the final Bond game for the then-ancient ZX Spectrum and, while the game was totally unlicensed, it\u2019s certainly possible it helped shift a few more systems down in central Europe before it was discontinued that same year.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cFive more through Czechoslovakia!\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">1992 additionally marked the arrival of the final Bond game from Domark: James Bond: The Duel. It was released on Sega consoles \u2013 first for Mega Drive in Europe  in late 1992. A North American release on Genesis followed in early 1993, as did a version for the Master System, and a Game Gear version emerged in 1994. It was made by the same internal development team at Domark that made The Spy Who Loved Me, which I didn\u2019t mention before, but was rather ironically known as The Kremlin.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">James Bond: The Duel is notable for being an original Bond story \u2013 that is, not based on a film or book \u2013 that nonetheless features the official Bond of the era. In this instance, it\u2019s the likeness of Timothy Dalton, several years <em>after <\/em>his final big screen appearance. Dalton was intended to make a third film, but legal issues between MGM and the film\u2019s producers dragged on for too long and the actor hung up his Walther PPK. There\u2019s no denying that James Bond: The Duel remains an indefensibly boring title that captures none of the intrigue or charm of an actual Bond novel or movie name, but the game itself is a passable action platformer \u2013 even if it is hilariously seedy that Bond\u2019s means of replenishing his health is rescuing blondes.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cNow, put your clothes back on and I\u2019ll buy you an ice cream.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">In 1995 we got a new Bond in Pierce Brosnan, and a new film with GoldenEye. What we didn\u2019t get, however, was a game. Not initially, anyway; not after the commercial failure of the Virtual Boy saw Nintendo cancel a Bond driving game based around GoldenEye. No, the actual GoldenEye 007 as we all know it wouldn\u2019t come until two years later, but it would change everything.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Developed by legendary UK software house Rare and published by Nintendo itself for the Nintendo 64, 1997\u2019s GoldenEye 007 was lightning in a bottle. With a rookie director Martin Hollis at the helm, GoldenEye was eventually assembled by a small team of around a dozen developers with no meaningful experience building a shooter. In fact, eight members of the team had never even worked on a commercial game before. <\/p>\n<div class=\"display-title jsx-684634384 jsx-2659527929 quote-container\" data-cy=\"quoteBox\">To say that there were a variety of factors conspiring against the success of GoldenEye 007 would be an understatement.<span class=\"stack jsx-2959124702 jsx-326843967\"><span>\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">To say that there were a variety of factors conspiring against the success of GoldenEye 007 would be an understatement. It wasn\u2019t just a movie tie-in; it was a <em>late <\/em>movie tie-in. Hell, Brosnan\u2019s second Bond film \u2013 Tomorrow Never Dies \u2013 was already complete and set to hit cinemas later in 1997. Furthermore, GoldenEye 007 was a first-person shooter, which was a genre that mainstream console gamers had yet to prove they had a real appetite for. FPS games simply had no firm footprint on consoles at that stage. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">If only it actually was just nine years ago, and not 29!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">On top of this, the team was missing deadlines, and began working 100-hour weeks in the lead-up to launch. The multiplayer mode was squeezed in just six months out from release. Expectations for GoldenEye 007 were low. Even esteemed Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto was unconvinced, with a fax to Rare late in development warning of his unease with the amount of close-up killing and suggesting that the team consider having Bond visit his vanquished enemies in hospital at the end of the game to shake hands with them.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Thankfully, the team at Rare opted against this advice, and the result was more than just the greatest Bond game to date; GoldenEye 007 is frequently regarded as amongst the greatest games ever made. It was a smart and layered story-based shooter with an absolutely essential splitscreen component that literally revolutionised the genre. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">GoldenEye 007\u2019s multiplayer, which was brimming with characters, weapons, and clever modes, may have come about as almost an afterthought, but it became the template for four-player FPS fun \u2013 years before the internet would swoop in and try to crush same-screen shenanigans. Slappers only, anyone?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cBeg your pardon. Forgot to knock.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">GoldenEye 007 wasn\u2019t the first FPS to hit consoles, but its immense success gave the genre a whole new trajectory. It even helped pioneer the idea of dual analogue controls, since one control scheme allowed gamers to play using a separate N64 controller in each hand. Following this, using two analogue sticks to control an FPS on console quietly made its way into the original Medal of Honor as an alternate preset, and it was still very contentious by the time it appeared as the default control solution in 2000\u2019s Alien Resurrection. The controversy is quaint in retrospect, considering how surprising an FPS <em>without <\/em>dual analogue controls would be today.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Ultimately, GoldenEye 007 sold more than eight million units, grossing $250 million dollars on a budget of just $2 million. Globally, it is the third highest-selling N64 game on the console. In the US, it\u2019s the bestselling N64 game ever. It is far and away the single most important game in this list, and we could talk about it for a good deal longer if we didn\u2019t have so many more games still to get to. After a gutbusting development period, Hollis and a few of his team declined an offer to make a sequel to GoldenEye 007 and, regardless of Rare\u2019s plans, EA swooped in and reportedly \u201cdramatically outbid\u201d all comers for the Bond license, anyway. As such, the Bond games moved on without Rare, and so must we.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Unfortunately, we are out of time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Following Nintendo\u2019s James Bond 007 in 1998 \u2013 a top-down, RPG-style adventure for Game Boy \u2013 Bond began a lengthy tenure at EA.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The first game was 1999\u2019s Tomorrow Never Dies. Developed by long-defunct Black Ops Entertainment and published exclusively on the original PlayStation, Tomorrow Never Dies was initially intended to be called Tomorrow Never Dies: The Mission Continues and pick up where the movie left off.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">While the final product was extensively reworked to follow the plot of the film instead, it was a very different sort of game to GoldenEye 007. For one, it was an entirely conventional third-person shooter, as opposed to a trendsetting first-person shooter. Two: it had no multiplayer whatsoever.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">And three? It wasn\u2019t very good.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">It was full of bugs, as Elliot Carver requested.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">EA was able to effect somewhat of a course correction with its next attempt, which was based on The World Is Not Enough. Three separate versions of the game were produced \u2013 one for PlayStation and one for N64 in 2000, and a clunky and forgettable Game Boy Color version in 2001.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The World Is Not Enough on PlayStation was again developed by Black Ops Entertainment, which immediately pivoted from its Tomorrow Never Dies approach and built The World Is Not Enough as a first-person shooter. The result was undoubtedly an improvement, but the solid but scrappy PlayStation version again had no multiplayer. The original PlayStation only had two controller ports compared to the N64\u2019s four, and perhaps asking PlayStation owners to wear the additional expense of purchasing a Multitap was too optimistic to ask for.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cThis is a game I can\u2019t afford to play.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">At any rate, The World Is Not Enough on PS1 paled in comparison to the N64 version which, funnily enough, was built by James Bond Jr. developer Eurocom. The World Is Not Enough on N64 doesn\u2019t carry the same esteem as its predecessor, but it still packed four-player splitscreen multiplayer \u2013 this time with optional bots \u2013 and was nonetheless an excellent shooter for its time.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">2000 also saw the release of 007 Racing, a PlayStation-exclusive action driving game that played out from entirely behind the wheel of a fleet of recognisable Bond vehicles. Developed by Eutechnyx, the developer of PS1 racing games like Total Drivin\u2019 and Max Power Racing, 007 Racing was a good concept for resurrecting the idea of a SpyHunter-inspired, vehicle-based Bond game \u2013 but it was impossible to recommend over something like the Driver series, which was the king of 3D action driving at the time. A sequel to 007 Racing was planned but never eventuated.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cJames, is it really necessary to drive quite so fast?\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The turn of the century brought with it exciting new consoles with the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube, and alongside this new hardware came a new era of Bond games \u2013 beginning with James Bond 007 in Agent Under Fire.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Agent Under Fire initially began life as the PS2 and PC versions of The World Is Not Enough. However, after development delays \u2013 and concern that interest for the film would\u2019ve cooled off too much by the time it was released \u2013 The World Is Not Enough for PS2 was rebuilt into a new and original Bond adventure, albeit one that didn\u2019t actually feature Pierce Brosnan as Bond this time around. This should be immediately clear from badly-lit Bond on the box art, which looks as if someone\u2019s tried to take a picture of 007 without using a flash.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Released on PS2 in late 2001, and ported to GameCube and Xbox in 2002, Agent Under Fire was a short but solid Bond shooter \u2013 and far better than its fractured development might have suggested it should have been. Developed internally at EA, Agent Under Fire\u2019s mix of first-person blasting and driving missions \u2013 which were more robust than one might expect thanks to EA\u2019s Need for Speed experience \u2013  was entertainingly slick based on the standards of the era. It even introduced optional, cinematic-inspired flourishes throughout the action called Bond Moments, where keen-eyed players could tackle certain moments throughout the levels with a well-aimed shot or smart decision. Speaking of smart decisions, Agent Under Fire also boasted four-player splitscreen on <em>all <\/em>consoles, with usable jetpacks, no less.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">There are gadgets aplenty in Agent Under Fire.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">EA followed Agent Under Fire with James Bond 007: Nightfire in 2002, which added Pierce Brosnan\u2019s likeness back into proceedings, albeit not his voice. The home console versions were led by Eurocom, and the result was a slightly more refined evolution of Agent Under Fire that has the distinction of being the first Bond game with its own original song, and the first time we got to see an Aston Martin turned into a submarine. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Though not the last, if you count the&#8230; disappointingly soggy end to Spectre\u2019s car chase.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">In confusing circumstances \u2013 especially since Nightfire is typically considered one of the strongest Bond games in the history of the series \u2013 Nightfire\u2019s PC port is an entirely different game to Eurocom\u2019s console version, and it\u2019s terrible in contrast. Developed by Gearbox, Nightfire on PC runs on a totally different engine, features no driving levels, and is regularly broken.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cWell let\u2019s just&#8230; skirt the issue, shall we?\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Indeed; let\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">EA subsequently made a risky pivot, and 2003\u2019s James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing arrived as a third-person shooter. In other words, EA had opted to follow up Nightfire, an otherwise well-received first-person shooter, by returning to territory previously soiled by the disappointing Tomorrow Never Dies. The shift to third-person probably represented better value to the EA beancounters \u2013 after all, if you\u2019re going to pay for Pierce, you may as well try to put his head on screen as much as possible. But it certainly didn\u2019t represent a sure-fire strategy.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Fortunately, it worked. Everything or Nothing was the best-looking Bond game to date, with a lengthy set of levels, explosive action, and quality driving missions. It also had a stacked cast of voices AND likenesses, featuring not only Bond alumni Brosnan, Judi Dench, and John Cleese, but also Heidi Klum, Shannon Elizabeth, and Richard Kiel as the famous Jaws. EA even got Willem Dafoe on deck to play the villain. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Certainly worth smiling about.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">However, while the single-player component of Everything or Nothing was pleasingly strong, the multiplayer wasn\u2019t quite up to the same standard. While Everything or Nothing introduced a fun, but slightly less-polished, co-op mode, the GoldenEye-inspired brand of four-player, FPS deathmatches was cast aside.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Unfortunately, after a robust three-year run, EA fumbled the bag with 2004\u2019s GoldenEye: Rogue Agent for PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and DS, which was a disappointingly bland and cynical attempt to marry mid-2000s edginess with a recognisable brand.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Set in an alternate Bond timeline, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is an FPS that follows an ex-MI6 agent who, after being ejected from the service for being reckless, recklessly joins forces with a host of Bond villains, including Goldfinger and Scaramanga \u2013 most of whom betray him. Lacking in the swagger or spirit of a true Bond game, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent also had the misfortune of being a first-person shooter released in November 2004 \u2013 the same month as Halo 2 and Half-Life 2.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Whoops.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">For clarity, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent has absolutely nothing to do with the 1995 film or the N64 classic. It\u2019s just called GoldenEye because the main character has\u2026 a golden eye. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Despite ending with a clear sequel tease, that was the end of the road for the GoldenEye: Rogue Agent experiment, and EA\u2019s final Bond game in 2005 was a return to how things were before \u2013 and in more ways that one. That is, not only was it a third-person shooter like Everything or Nothing; EA turned the clock way back to 1963 for an adaptation of the Sean Connery classic From Russia With Love \u2013 starring Connery himself, no less, in his video game debut.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Pay attention, 007.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Developed for PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and the PSP, From Russia With Love was perhaps a little shallow overall, but its \u201960s setting oozed charm and it was a significant step up from GoldenEye: Rogue Agent.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Unfortunately, the fun was just about to come to a dead end.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">In May 2006 it was announced that Activision had acquired the Bond video game license. After a pair of spin-offs and half-a-dozen mainline entries, the EA cadence of yearly Bond games fans had enjoyed was suddenly over.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Unfortunately, things haven\u2019t been quite the same ever since. In 2008 Activision released Quantum of Solace on a host of platforms, including PS2, Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and even DS. It was fine enough, but Daniel Craig\u2019s video game debut was otherwise pretty unremarkable, even by contemporaneous standards. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Things did improve a little in 2010, with the release of two separate games: Blood Stone, developed by Bizarre Creations for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, and a remake of GoldenEye 007 for Wii by Eurocom. Both games also had a DS version built by n-Space.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Blood Stone, an original Bond adventure featuring the voices and likenesses of Daniel Craig and Judi Dench, was a third-person shooter with a variety of driving sequences \u2013 the latter being a natural fit for the studio behind the Project Gotham Racing series. It was a well-produced action game, but it just wasn\u2019t a long or revolutionary one.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Blood Stone is about as 2010 as video games get.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">GoldenEye 007 on Wii fared better. Replacing Pierce Brosnan with Daniel Craig and updating the story made for a pretty\u2026 <em>iffy reimagining<\/em> of the source material, but it gathered a good deal of praise for being one of the better first-person shooters for the Wii. For Bond fans without a Wii, GoldenEye 007 was ported to PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2011.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">But then, in 2012, we got 007 Legends.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">007 Legends, for PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U, was the last Bond game published by Activision. Unfortunately, it was also the last ever game made by regular Bond developer Eurocom, which was shut down less than two months after the game\u2019s release, after 25 years of operation.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cWhat an unpleasant surprise.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the film franchise, 007 Legends had grand plans to celebrate the entire series, and its single player campaign was built to contain missions from films featuring all six different Bond actors. That is, Goldfinger for Sean Connery, On Her Majesty&#8217;s Secret Service for George Lazenby, Moonraker for Roger Moore, Licence to Kill for Timothy Dalton, Die Another Day for Pierce Brosnan, and Skyfall for Daniel Craig. However, like the GoldenEye 007 remake, it simply used Daniel Craig\u2019s likeness in place of all the previous actors.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Unfortunately the end result was a tepid Call of Duty clone that did very little to capture the spirit of Bond, and even less to translate what fans love about these films.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">007 Legends doesn\u2019t just misunderstand Bond; it gets him totally wrong. Hell, he even completely flubs his most famous line, \u201cBond. James Bond.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">\u201cBy the way, I didn\u2019t catch your\u2013\u201d \u201cJAMESBOND.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Mowing down mooks with a mounted minigun may be pretty typical shooter stuff, but it isn\u2019t what James Bond is about. He\u2019s a spy, not a super soldier. There are parts of 007 Legends you can play by keeping a low profile, but they mainly boil down to slinking around slapping blokes on the arse so firmly they die. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">All Activision Bond games were suddenly pulled from Steam and the publisher\u2019s own web store in January 2013. The move, which happened less than three months after the release of 007 Legends, came completely unannounced and without explanation. Since Activision originally announced its deal with MGM was supposed to last until 2014, the premature termination of the license led to speculation that things had soured significantly.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.gif\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Ah yes, the most famous scene in On Her Majesty\u2019s Secret Service: the helicopter minigun battle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The spirit of Call of Duty killing James Bond was deeply ironic considering it\u2019s been suggested that the James Bond game series very nearly prevented the Call of Duty series from ever happening in the first place. That could have happened if EA had partnered with Call of Duty creators Vince Zampella and Jason West, who had pitched for the PC port of Nightfire back in the early 2000s. As it turned out, EA went with Gearbox, and Zampella and West accepted a deal from Activision and founded Infinity Ward.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">At any rate, the funk of 007 Legends has sadly hovered for some time, and there have been no new Bond games for over a decade. He didn\u2019t quite disappear completely, though. 10 classic Bond cars, complete with gadgets, made their way to Forza Horizon 4 in 2018, and two Bond Aston Martins hit Rocket League in 2021. In 2023 the original GoldenEye 007 fought its way out of licensing purgatory and onto Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. In 2024 a confidential sizzle reel concerning a past pitch to make a LEGO James Bond game even leaked onto the internet; the idea looked and sounded incredible, but it obviously never made it into production. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Happily, Bond\u2019s long hiatus is just about over thanks to the imminent arrival of IO Interactive\u2019s 007 First Light in May. A modern and original origin story for Bond, which appears to be a more explosive riff on the sort of gameplay IO has been refining within its Hitman series for the past two decades, First Light features Irish actor Patrick Gibson as Bond, with Lenny Kravitz aboard playing the villain.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">For more deep dives into the histories of long-running licensed video game franchises, you can check out IGN&#8217;s look back at the terrifying (and sometimes terrible) history of Alien games, and embark with us on a crusade through the history of Indiana Jones games. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/the-complete-history-of-james-bond-games.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[63,50],"class_list":["post-9400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-49","tag-fps","tag-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9400"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9402,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9400\/revisions\/9402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}