James Bond video games have been around almost as long as the films, but not all have been successful. Here is a look at 007's chequered past of hits, flops, and oddities.
James Bond 007 (1984)
The first official Bond video game was released in 1984 by Parker Brothers. It grouped several 007 adventures together, including Diamonds Are Forever, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, and For Your Eyes Only. However, despite including elements from each movie, the game was essentially the same throughout: an unsatisfying mashup of Moon Patrol and Scramble, with the player controlling Bond's amphibious Lotus from The Spy Who Loved Me. Due to a dispute between Bond producers Eon and screenwriter Kevin McClory, the Diamonds Are Forever segment replaced Blofeld with a villain named Seraffino.
A View to a Kill: The Computer Game (1985)
The 14th James Bond movie, and Roger Moore's last, became the source for Domark's ambitious first collaboration with the spy series. The game features three diverse levels that reflect important scenes from the film: a Paris car chase, a city hall fire, and a Silicon Valley mine. Despite replicating the famous opening sequence and music, the game was hampered by technical issues and almost bankrupted its publisher.
Live and Let Die (1988)
Originally known as Aquablast, this game's similarity to the speedboat sections of Moore's Bond debut led Domark to purchase it from rival publisher Elite Systems. It bears virtually zero resemblance to the movie beyond its river-based scenario, but it was praised as the best Bond game to date. Licence to Kill from 1989 improved things further, presenting multiple scenarios from the film.
Q's Armoury (1989)
With the Sinclair Spectrum entering its twilight years, owners Amstrad released the James Bond 007 Action Pack, bundling the computer with a cheap lightgun. Two Bond lightgun games were hastily compiled, with little connection to the movies, while Domark's The Living Daylights was repackaged as Mission Zero.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1990)
With no new movie, another archive Bond movie adaptation appeared. After generic overhead vehicle levels inspired by Spy Hunter, the game culminated in a shootout inside villain Stromberg's base. On the Commodore Amiga or Atari ST, completing the game rewards players with an image of Bond in bed with Russian spy Anya Amasova.
007 James Bond: The Stealth Affair (1990)
Delphine's point-and-click homage to Bond was given an official licence in the US, leading to Bond's puzzling shift from MI6 to the CIA. A year later, THQ published NES and SNES platform games based on the James Bond Jr cartoons, in which players control Bond's nephew.
James Bond 007: The Duel (1993)
With the film series in development hell, Domark released this platform game for Sega consoles. Boasting an original storyline, it was the final Domark Bond game and the final appearance of Timothy Dalton as the spy. The Duel keeps a foot in the movies with characters reminiscent of henchmen Jaws and Oddjob.
GoldenEye 007 (1997)
Rare's GoldenEye set the standard for James Bond video games. Released two years after Pierce Brosnan's debut as Bond, it was accurate to the film's plot, highly detailed in graphics and audio, and became a killer selling point for the Nintendo 64. Its multiplayer mode helped usher in a newfound appreciation for first-person shooters on consoles.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1999)
With Electronic Arts inking a deal with MGM, work on a game based on Brosnan's second Bond movie had already begun when GoldenEye appeared. Developers crafted a different third-person experience that closely follows the movie's plot. It is a competent action game that, unfortunately, trailed a brilliant one. The World Is Not Enough followed in 2000, shifting the action to first person.
007 Racing (2000)
The chance to drive classic cars such as the Aston Martin DB5 and Lotus Esprit had plenty of potential, but like the film series itself, Bond games were beginning to border on mediocre. Classified as a non-canon spinoff, similar to 2004's GoldenEye Rogue Agent.
James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire (2001) and Nightfire (2002)
When Electronic Arts cancelled the PlayStation 2 and PC versions of The World Is Not Enough, it forged ahead with a new series unrelated to the movies. Agent Under Fire focused on a strained cloning plot mixed with common Bond tropes. Brosnan's likeness appeared in Nightfire, voiced by Maxwell Caulfield.
From Russia With Love (2005)
As the movie series took a break, Bond games went back to the 1960s. Key to development was securing Sean Connery for the role. Names were changed to avoid legal difficulties, such as Spectre becoming Octopus. While the game diverges from the movie's plot, it retains the spirit of the original.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
With the licence now with Activision, it produced a game based on the latest movie, with flashback scenes set in Casino Royale. It features a Gears of War-style cover system and Halo health regeneration, but is not as good as either of those games.
GoldenEye 007 (2010)
Released alongside third-person shooter Blood Stone, Activision attempted to evoke the spirit of the Rare classic with this muddled update. Daniel Craig replaced Brosnan, and the date was shifted to between Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. Despite idiosyncrasies, it stands as the best-rated Bond of the Activision era.
007 Legends (2012)
Similar to Star Wars Battlefront, it presented a collection of famous scenarios from each Bond actor's most popular movie. However, the result felt like a bland Call of Duty reskin, and developer Eurocom closed its doors a few months later. Activision stepped away from the franchise soon after.
007 First Light (2026)
But it was worth the wait! IO Interactive's First Light reinvigorates the franchise, blending tense stealth with heart-pounding set pieces, erasing the memory of its often-dodgy predecessors and giving Bond fans hope for the future.
