James Bond Geneology

The number of James Bond video games has come to rival the number of James Bond movies.

1983 - James Bond 007 - You are in command of the ultimate all-terrain vehicle in this very loose collection of missions based on Diamonds Are Forever, Moonraker and The Spy Who Loved Me.

1985 - A View to a Kill - Roger Moore's final apperance as Bond lead to two video games for home computers. The first was an action game published by Domark.

1985 - James Bond 007: A View to a Kill - Despite the similar name, this second title based on A View to a Kill is not meant to be a direct follow-up to Bond's first video game. This is a text adventure, created by Angelsoft.

1986 - James Bond 007: Goldfinger - Angelsoft also created this text game, based on the older Bond film starring Sean Connery.

1987 - The Living Daylights - This platformer, released by Domark for several home computers, is based on Timothy Dalton's first exercise as Bond.

1988 - Live and Let Die - Domark also published this racing game, loosely based on the speed-boat scenes from the movie starring Roger Moore. The game was not originally intended to be a Bond game, but became so after it was noted how similar the game was to those scenes.

1989 - 007: License to Kill - From Domark again, this title for home computers lets you recreate Dalton's last performance as Bond.

1990 - The Spy Who Loved Me - While the movie series went on hiatus, Domark continued to publish James Bond games. This top-down shooter for European computers features James Bond driving the Lotus Esprit seen in the 1977 movie.

1990 - James Bond 007: Operation Stealth - Once upon a time, James Bond was a CIA agent. At least that's how he was portrayed in his first on-screen appearance, in an episode of the 1950s TV show "Climax," based on Casino Royale. Maybe that's the Bond featured in this game created by Delphine Software International, where James is apparently taking orders from the American spy agency. Truth be told, this isn't really a Bond game at all. Released simply as Operation Stealth outside of the U.S., the game was offered with Bond's name attached for sale in the States.

1991 - James Bond Jr. - THQ's only Bond game doesn't actually feature the British agent at all, but instead his nephew, James Bond "Junior," who at the time was starring in his own cartoon series.

1993 - James Bond 007: The Duel - Domark's final Bond game was also the first not based on any existing Bond movie or novel (not counting the quasi-Bond game Operation Stealth). Domark released the game for Sega's then-current game consoles, including the Genesis/Mega Drive and Game Gear.

1997 - GoldenEye 007 - This first-person shooter based on Pierce Brosnan's first outing as Bond is perhaps the most celebrated Bond game. Originally a Nintendo 64 exclusive, the game was later given an update for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and XBox 360.

1998 - James Bond 007 - This Game Boy release is not to be confused with the Parker Brothers title of the same name. Having said that, both games do share something beyond their name, in that both mash several Bond movie plots into a single game.

1999 - Tomorrow Never Dies - After Electronic Arts acquired the license, Bond games began appearing a lot more often. EA's first release was this half-first-person, half-third-person shooter for the Sony PlayStation.

2000 - The World Is Not Enough - After subpar reviews for Tomorrow Never Dies, EA opted to make this title completely first-person. Playing to each console's strengths and players' expectations, EA offered a multiplayer option the Nintendo 64 version, while the PlayStation version boasted scenes lifted from the Pierce Brosnan movie.

2000 - 007 Racing - Take the Aston Martin DB5 out for a drive, or the Lotus Esprit, or one of five other Bond cars in this PlayStation exclusive.

2001 - 007: Agent under Fire - EA's first Bond game for the XBox, PlayStation 2 and Game Cube comes with its own story, not based on any existing book or movie. Tellingly, the title character is not modeled on any existing Bond actor, allowing the developers to save a few dollars.

2002 - 007: Nightfire - This sequel to Agent under Fire was offered on the same systems. Among the best-reviewed Bond games, Nightfire was probably helped by Bond's appearance, this time provided by movie Bond Pierce Brosnan.

2003 - 007: Everything or Nothing - This time Brosnan lent both his likeness and his voice to a Bond video game, his first time doing so. Released for the PlayStation 2, XBox and Game Cube, Everything or Nothing boasted another original story, a common trait across all Bond games for this generation of consoles.

2004 - GoldenEye: Rogue Agent - Taking characters and plot points from a variety of previous Bond stories and stitching them into a more original tapestry, Rogue Agent challenges players to play not Bond, but a former MI6 agent named Jack Hunter. Rogue Agent received bad reviews and sold underwhelmingly, cutting short any future missions for Hunter.

2005 - 007: From Russia with Love - EA's final Bond game stars none other than Sean Connery, returning to Bond a second time after saying he would never play the role again. Fittingly, the game is based on one of his movies.

2008 - 007: Quantum of Solace - Activision's flagship Bond game was also the first based on a Daniel Craig movie, as well as the first Bond game released for the XBox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. Craig himself voiced the title character, working alongside several movie compatriots including Judi Dench and Olga Kurylenko.

2010 - 007: Blood Stone - Generously, Daniel Craig offered his services to this game as well, a third-person shooter with an original story meant to follow Quantum of Solace.

2012 - 007 Legends - Activision's third and last Bond game is built in large part on the GoldenEye revamp published for the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3. Craig once again appears as Bond, and Judi Dench reprises her role as M. Other reappearing characters have new actors behind them, which is understandable given how Legends assembles characters from every era of Bond.