Page 27 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #7

James Bond 007 (1983)
Developer: Parker Brothers
Publisher: Parker Brothers
Platforms: Atari VCS, ColecoVision, Atari 5200, C64

The usually on-target Parker Brothers misfired in their first and only Bond
game, a vehicle shooter obviously inspired by Moon Patrol, though not
nearly as fun. While your car has the ability to jump over craters and to
submerge underwater, the combat is surprisingly weak: you can only fire
at 45 degree angles, and the helicopters and other threats harassing you
each step of the way are invulnerable, which means you dodge more
than shoot in this game. Another problem? If not for the static character
likeness and snazzy theme song before each stage, you’d never know
this was a “Bond” title. Parker Brothers earned a strong reputation of
backing its high-profile licenses with quality gameplay, but in this case,
its license should have been revoked.

A View to A Kill:
The Computer Game (1985)
Developer: Softstone Ltd.
Publisher: Domark Software, Ltd.
Platform: C64, Apple II

Perhaps we shouldn’t expect much from a game based on a film star-
ring a Metamucil-guzzling Roger Moore and the shrieking, ahem, acting
of Ms. Tanya Roberts, but did it have to be so damn frustrating? A
loose collection of three mini-games, A View to A Kill features time-
sensitive missions that range from navigating a car through a maze to
deactivating a bomb in a mineshaft. Problems include buggy glitches
that force you to restart and imprecise control, making the thought of
completing the game more frightening than Grace Jones after a cup of
capuccino. The box art, some speech, and an impressive rendition of
Duran Duran’s theme song are the few bright spots in an otherwise slip-
shod release. Not to be confused with James Bond 007: A View to A
Kill, also released in 1985, a text-based adventure game published by
Mindscape.

James Bond 007: Goldfinger (1986)
Developer: Angelsoft, Inc.
Publisher: Mindscape, Inc.
Platform: PC

One of two text-based gam es released by developer Angelsoft, the other being a loose translation of A View to A Kill, Goldfinger is
an involving, well-written adventure that closely follows the book and film’s storyline. Unlike lesser titles in the genre, the writers didn’t
skimp out on the descriptive details, giving you a clear picture of your surroundings. The drawback? You better well have seen Gold-
finger if you expect to get anywhere in the game, as many of the situations require you to react just like Sean Connery did in the film.
Being James Bond is not nearly enough -- you have to think like him too.

Classic Gamer Magazine July 2004 27