Shoot'em Up! / Shoot'em Up! - Horizontal Scrolling · 1984

James Bond 007

Published by Parker Brothers · Developed by On-Time Software, Inc.

atarimania.com — atari-400-800-xl-xe-games-james-bond-007-29219

Information

Genre: Shoot'em Up! - Horizontal Scrolling
Language: Machine Language
Controls: Joystick
Players: 1, 2 (alt.)
Programmer(s): [unknown]
Graphic Artist(s): [n/a]
Sound: [n/a]
Cover Artist(s): [n/a]
Year: 1984
Publisher: Parker Brothers
Developer: On-Time Software, Inc.
Country: USA
License: Prototype
Serial: -

Votes / Statistics

Rating: 7.6/10 · Votes: 102 · Downloads: 1,898 · Hits: 7,630

Additional Comments

Could somebody confirm this is an earlier build of the game?

Main differences with the original cartridge release:
- pressing the fire button will let you select the starting mission
- pressing the fire button has no effect in the "GOOD LUCK..." scene
- the intro music plays fine on all systems whereas the early notes are off on XL-XE computers with the cartridge version

Missing original file!

Screenshots (9)

Ads (1)

Book / Magazine Reviews (1)

Computer Games · November, 1984 · Rating: A

Your vehicle's a James Bond special: it can fly straight up in the air, dive below the water and packs lasers for knocking out airborne targets and flare bombs for underwater foes. Scenes from Bond films form the basis of the four missions, all staged on horizontally scrolling screens. In Diamonds Are Forever, you bounce across a crater-pocked desert, avoiding bombs from indestructible satellites and blasting away at big diamonds in the sky.

Success leads to an ocean scene, where these enemies are abetted by frogmen firing from below. The goal is to land on a floating oil rig that's visible only by the light of the exploding diamonds, so sharp timing and reflexes are vital. The rest of the missions, from Moonraker to For Your Eyes Only, also take place at sea, against everything from space shuttles to mini-subs and helicopters.

The different missions and variety of enemy weapons make Bond an exceptionally challenging shoot-em-up. It's also interesting to have a definite purpose at the end of each mission, instead of simply shooting everything that moves. Graphics and sound are simple but the action's intense all the way. No bonus ships are granted but you don't have to start over from the first screen when you get wasted. A high-score display would have been nice. Two skill levels. Two-player option.

Comments (4)

scott stilphen — 30 Dec 2024
On-Time Software was the developer for it, as mentioned in this interview with Jack Verson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsUgbY6VRRM
the big m — 26 Apr 2024
The Parker Bros series received some negative reviews: that graphics were poor, game was too hard, and "Just a poor Moon Patrol!" But, there's a lot to like for an early 80's game. This was the first 007 licenced game. That opening animated scene with the Bond music had to be impressive back then. And 4 different missions in a small file is also impressive. Recommended!
Atari A to Z (Pete Davison) — 16 Jul 2022
What's a secret agent to do when there's four movies' worth of things to blow up? Jump in his amphibious car and get shooting, obviously... Let's Play! https://youtu.be/4DpI81pHENQ
Scott Stilphen — 15 Nov 2020
Yes, this is a prototype version - "WIP 6". There's a photo of the cartridge on my site: http://www.ataricompendium.com/game_library/prototypes/8bit/james_bond_007.html