Remaking the original Goldeneye for the Wii always sounded like remaking Citizen Kane. You just can’t.

This is a game that has reached a kind of biblical nostalgia status, with some players worshiping the Nintendo 64 original as the perfect shooter.

The good news is that the new Goldeneye is actually a well-made game. The bad news is that it will probably piss off those zealots.

The game-play has been updated with most of the Call of Duty trappings such as auto aim and iron sights, which is made even better by the motion controls. Aiming with the Wii remote gives the player an almost ludicrous level of precision as you land headshot after headshot, which becomes a definite advantage in the games multiplayer.

The game also supports the Classic and Gamecube controllers for players who can’t stomach motion controls.

The game’s single-player has its high and low points. The highs generally being anytime in the game where you are shooting enemies in the face, and one notable low point being a level set in a night club where you are forced to slowly scan the faces of random people to find an informant.

The game’s plot swaps Pierce Brosnan’s campy-but-loveable Bond for Daniel Craig’s violent-but-still-lovable Bond, and with it a more modern take on the Goldeneye story.

The problem is that the story for Goldeneye is idiotic, and actually manages to get in the way of the game play with overly wrought cut-scenes that can’t be skipped.

The graphics are a mixed bag with good to amazing levels. The architecture is beautiful, and yet in contrast there are some characters that look like horrifying mannequin people from your nightmares.

The multiplayer includes an online and split-screen variety, with the split-screen being just as good as the original. With some exceptions, you have all the original modes and characters, which means this game is can be an amazingly good time with a group of friends.

Odd Job is also back, and since you can actually aim down, he isn’t such a cheap bastard anymore.

Online is like the campaign which follows the Call of Duty template with a character you can level up and a “perk” system, all with a James Bond flair. This means you get an incredibly deep online game you probably won’t find in many other Wii titles.

But ideally the multiplayer needs to be played on a couch with a few friends, and with a full single-player campaign, the game manages to give you a lot in one package.

If the thought of having Call of Duty mixed with Goldeneye drives you to nerd rage, steer clear of this game. For everyone else, this is one of the few James Bond games actually worth playing.

(Photos courtesy of Activision)

(Photos courtesy of Activision)

(Photos courtesy of Activision)