Tomorrow Never Dies

Tomorrow Never Dies was not a great movie. But the game adaptation gets full points for doing the unexpected at every turn.

For example, they veered away from the Goldeneye FPS design to give us a solid third-person action game in the vein of Syphon Filter. The voice acting is nice and immersive, and the story helps to expand and explore the pretty barebones backstory of the film.

It’s not the best Bond game you’ll ever play. But it is far, far better than you can imagine!

007 Racing

It’s easy to feel skeptical about a licensed racing game. After all, most racing games seem like they are just biting the style of a more successful franchise like Mario Kart.

But car chases have been part of the Bond mythos since the beginning, and 007 Racing brings that to life with fun levels, thrilling gameplay, and great voice acting. If you can look past how ugly this PSX title looks now, there is a truly great game waiting for you.

GoldenEye: Rogue Agent

Let’s get it out of the way: the very name of GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is hoping to cash in on your nostalgia for the original N64 game. Beyond the bad name, though, this is actually one of the most original James Bond stories ever created.

You play as a former Mi6 agent gone rogue after being mutilated by Dr. No. Now, armed with a weaponized golden eye, you work with other villains like Goldfinger and Scaramanga in order to get your revenge.

Ultimately, the sheer fun of playing as a bad guy and encountering all these famous villains in one title makes this game worth it.

James Bond 007: Blood Stone

Despite featuring Daniel Craig’s Bond, James Bond 007: Blood Stone gives us a completely original adventure not related to Craig’s movies. And the globe-spanning tale is certainly better than Quantum of Solace and Spectre were.

The core gameplay is pretty fun, with a lock-in system that encourages you to mix melee combat and gunplay. And the voicework by Daniel Craig and Judi Dench helps really sell the feeling that you have stepped into James Bond’s shoes.

GoldenEye: Source

If you can’t beat’em, join’em! In all seriousness, GoldenEye: Source is the best way to experience the N64 multiplayer fun without breaking out the old one-stick controllers.

As the name implies, this is a multiplayer Source Engine remake of the original Goldeneye 007 levels. And it features the multiplayer modes you miss and fun extra features like the classic Paintball Mode. Finally, you can toggle between playing perfect recreations of the original maps and modern versions that simply use the old maps as inspiration.

James Bond 007: Nightfire

In many ways, James Bond 007: Nightfire is the first Bond game to prove you don’t have to be Goldeneye to be a success. It combined an original story with great graphics that made Pierce Brosnan’s Bond look like he would walk right out of the screen.

While it’s pretty standard these days, we really enjoyed collecting in-game tokens and unlocking special features. This provided a strong incentive to replay old levels and see what we missed the first time through.

007: Quantum of Solace

Okay, cards on the table: Quantum of Solace is one of the worst Bond movies ever made. But the game adaptation is actually decent.

First of all, it bridges the gap between Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace quite nicely. Second, it involves some slick gunplay and beautiful level design. And finally, the sheer variety of multiplayer modes adds nice replay value.

From Russia With Love

Most of the games on this list tried to cash in on whichever James Bond actor was currently active. But From Russia With Love actually brought back Sean Connery to voice a game recreation of his classic movie (which remains the best Bond film ever made).

The game captures the spirit of the classic film while throwing in enough action and car chases for modern audiences. And in a bittersweet turn, this would end up being Sean Connery’s last performance as 007.

007 GoldenEye: Reloaded

To some players, the very idea of remaking the original N64 Goldeneye was nothing short of sacrilege. But if you can get past that, this remake is a really fun and thrilling FPS romp.

Certain faces are different (for example, you play Daniel Craig’s Bond and not Pierce Brosnan’s) and the levels aren’t exactly as you remember. But everything has been heavily inspired by the original game, giving you a hefty dose of nostalgia mixed with some fun new game experiences.

James Bond 007: The Duel

James Bond 007: The Duel is the oldest game on this list. But this Genesis title is still worth picking up and playing!

Despite the return of familiar villains like Jaws and Oddjob, this game brought us an original story starring Timothy Dalton’s James Bond. It’s a weirdly engaging sidescroller that throws in some fun objectives (such as rescuing beautiful women and blowing up enemy bases).

If nothing else, this game deserves props for bringing back Timothy Dalton (in a digital likeness, at least). To this day, his performance of Bond is the one most accurate to Fleming’s novels.

James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire

This was the sequel to an earlier game called James Bond 007: Nightfire. While the gadgets are still there, this game really leaned into the idea of being a breathless “run and gun” experience.

And while it may seem primitive now, this game is an early example of effective console multiplayer design. You and your friends can compete to see who is the best secret agent long after you’ve beaten this title.

The World Is Not Enough

The World Is Not Enough was released in the lingering shadow of Goldeneye 007’s success. But once you get over the fact that no game will be exactly like Goldeneye, The World Is Not Enough is great fun.

Perhaps the best thing about it is the emphasis on Bond’s cool gadgets. Any given level made you feel like you were really a secret agent, and you didn’t have to face every challenge with guns blazing.

James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing

Part of what makes Everything or Nothing cool is the unique story. Despite not being based on an existing book or movie, this topsy-turvy story is as cool as most of the James Bond narrative canon.

The gameplay was also fluid and engaging. There is a fun mix of shooting and racing that makes you feel like you’re playing a movie. And the voice acting from Pierce Brosnan, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, and more is downright captivating.