Has anyone picked up this version? I did, and it's possibly one of the best looking Wii games, not to mention best shooters on the Wii, which is probably not that hard a thing to do, but the game does look really good. My only annoyance is that I sometimes lose control of where I'm pointing, but I think that's more a Wii problem than a problem with the game.
Overall, I like the game. There have been some pretty exciting moments that made me feel very Bond-esque. My disappointment is that, although it's a good game, it's not Goldeneye. Maybe my expectations were off, but I was looking for a game that was going to be truer to the original N64 version.
I enjoyed it well enough, especially considering it's a Wii shooter. Anyone who wants to play the original GoldenEye should ... well, boot up their N64 and play the original GoldenEye, because this game was never going to be the original with prettier graphics. For what it is (Call of Duty with nifty gadgets, more stealth and the Bond license, with an updating of GoldenEye's overall story), it's not too bad at all. The multiplayer is somewhat painful in terms of leveling, which is primarily because there's no Prestige mode or anything of the sort, so the gap between levels gets pretty brutal starting around 19 or so. I'd say it's the best single-player FPS experience on the Wii, though.
I've never played the original, but I don't think a remake this extensive will ever be closer to the original. It's been many years since the original, and I believe I remember hearing about an XBox Live remake some time ago that was closer to the original but with high res models and textures. This is more of a Goldeneye for the current generation of consoles. I believe it's even more expansive and has more modes.
They did a fantastic job with the remake, and i was very impressed that they had full control for the game cube joy pads for everybody who found the motion control unplayable....but i personally have been so ruined by HD eye candy and trophies that after a hour playing it i never went back simply because its in standard definition, which is a crying shame because this remake could, and i think would, have been a big seller on all formats if it had been released across the board, its just a pity its only available on the wii......a true shame indeed.
The motion controls actually feel rather natural when you get used to them. Maybe with the Move and the Kinect out now, maybe they will release it on other platforms.
Yes, about two years ago, Microsoft was going to publish an HD upgrade of GoldenEye on Xbox Live, which Rare had been working on for more than a year, until legal issues kiboshed the whole thing. It was pretty complicated, as Microsoft, through Rare, owned the actual design and intellectual property of the original game, while Nintendo owned the publishing rights to the original game (Rare was second-party in the N64 days) and Activision held the Bond license. Microsoft and Activision came to a financial agreement, but Nintendo refused to budge, even after Microsoft said, "Hey, we'll even have Rare re-code this for the Wii and you can put it up on the Virtual Console a few months after we put it on Xbox Live." When Eurocom's GoldenEye 007 was revealed this year, Nintendo's intransigence suddenly made sense.
The game is wonderful imo, especially if you are a fan of old school shooters and are fed up with regenerative health and stuff. If you are a veteran, just skip the modes with regenerative health and go for 007classic (where you have non-regenerative health and armor pickups). Single player is one of the best I've ever played. Those guys know the original Goldeneye well; and even though most levels differ greatly from the original, there are countless nods to GE64- sometimes it's the objectives (like freeing hostages on the ship), sometimes it's the level design (Dam is pretty faithful in parts) and sometimes it's the gameplay. Enemies are VERY fun to fight. They are smart, but not to the point of being annoying, and you can often choose to use stealth or being agressive. Facility can be done stealthily 100%, which is very cool. The destructible environments and objects are very nice. Nothing like unloading a clip into a room full of computers for fun or detsroying the cover behind which the AI is hiding. Multiplayer is also very good, although I still like the original a bit more. I wish they had included levels from the original and non-regenerative health (don't mind loadouts, personally). Still a lot of fun. I'd give it a 9/10.
The game's also got some very nice environmental effects, such as the rain on the first level and the fog in some places. I was playing the Nightclub level the other day, and the kitchen must have slippery floors, because the enemies were sliding around and falling. It was hilarious. There was one time where I shot an enemy and he ended up falling onto a countertop, yet he was still alive, lying prone, until I shot him dead. Was also very fun to fight in with all the pots and pans hanging around. The game's got some very good sound effects. You know what, I think this version will show that a good shooter can be made on the Wii, much the same way showed that a good shooter could be made on consoles. We have enough fans here, maybe we could set up a multiplayer session sometime.