Video game:IBM 007: Licence to Kill - Review Copy

Before widespread video games existed to capture the imagination, Ian Fleming published twelve novels and two short story collections featuring the British Secret Service agent James Bond. Between 1953 and 1966, the public waited eagerly for the next installment featuring the charming and elusive spy. Today, James Bond continues to captivate the world through film, books, and video games that present the opportunity for players to step into 007's shoes and try their own hand at going undercover with MI6.

Parker Brothers released the first James Bond video came in 1983 for Atari 2600. Entitled "James Bond 007," this side-scrolling platformer features four missions, each based off a Bond film. Players must control James Bond's car, jump over obstacles and dodge attacks to gain points. While this simple game served as a stepping stone for many future installments featuring secret agent James Bond, the Bond video games did not become popular until Rare released "GoldenEye 007" in 1997.

In 1989 Domark released "007: Licence to Kill" for DOS, Atari ST, and Commodore 64. Based on the film of the same title, gamers play as James Bond and must track down the drug lord Franz Sanchez.

While the floppy disk technology used in "Licence to Kill" seems outdated by today's standards, critics at the time found the graphics "clean and sharp." Reviewers and players enjoyed the game but criticized its lack of puzzle solving and exploration. In his review of the game, Yung Min Choi of "Computer Gaming World" magazine wrote, "If the player is not a devoted arcade addict, he will probably find that Licence to Kill' can be a license to bore."' Nevertheless, Domark released the follow-up game "The Spy Who Loved Me" one year later in 1990.

The James Bond novels and movies stimulate imaginations everywhere, and 007 continues to amuse audiences through the medium of gaming.