Pros: Everything.
Cons: Some of the later missions on higher difficulties are insanely hard.

Despite the fact I have the N64 system on my 'hate it' list, even the worst of systems have redeeming games. Just look at the Playstation 2.

Ok, it's still too early to call the PS2 as bad or awful. But that's not the point of this review. The N64 as a system was just a series of bad plans and mistakes. But Goldeneye is one of those games that made the N64 a worthwhile purchase for me.

What I feel truly makes a great game is a combination of great single and multiplayer rolled into one. Goldeneye has this in spades; the multiple difficulty levels and unique missions in single player will keep you busy for a month. I myself, having owned the game since 1997, have still not beaten all the difficulty modes.

But that really makes Goldeneye great is the multiplayer. Who can deny how great this game is for multiplayer? I would go so far as to say it is the single greatest multiplayer experience for N64. The 4 player split screen suffers no slow down, and the myriad of options and gameplay modes provide tons of variety and replay. My friend and I invariably play Goldeneye whenever we're hanging out or bored.

So, what is Goldeneye like, exactly? It's hard to believe there is anyone that has not played or at least seen this game in action. But for all you freaks out there, here goes. Goldeneye is a first person shooting game in the same vein as Doom or Quake, but the similarities end there. Goldeneye is much more strategic and cinematic then either of those games. Don't be mistaken however, Goldeneye does have much more mission and objective variety then the 'find key, kill things, find exit' gameplay of other first person shooters; but it is not the thinking man's first person shooter as Half-Life is. Sure, you may be trying to help someone escape from prison or recovering different devices. But inevitably you will be shooting people.