GoldenEye 007 is an all-time classic and the game boomers will point to as the pinnacle of split-screen shooters. Oddjob is still banned though.
GoldenEye 007, one of the most iconic and beloved shooters of all time, has received a new release on Xbox Game Pass and Rare Replay, bringing the Nintendo 64 classic to new consoles. The 1997 movie-tie-in became a classic in its own right, bringing a deep single-player campaign, and of course, split-screen multiplayer to the table.
The game is now available for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, or Xbox Cloud Gaming. Upscaled to 4k resolution, with new achievements, and the original graphics, GoldenEye 007’s latest release looks like a faithful recreation of the original. But how does it hold up to today’s standards?
GoldenEye 007 returns to modern consoles
If you’re old enough to have forgotten or young enough to have never played it, GoldenEye was a huge revolution in gaming when it first came out. But going back to it can be difficult. On the original N64 version, the controls are unwieldy, inverted by default, and some mechanics feel weird. The game gives you an arsenal of weapons that work best at close range and then repeatedly puts enemies as far away as possible. It was a struggle at times.
The Game Pass port seems to solve all of these issues, giving Xbox players a control scheme that’s more modern and far easier to handle. But complaints have been heard about the Switch port, which appears to be a direct emulation of the N64 version. And presumably, assumes you’re using an N64 controller, which baffles modern users.
What’s more, the once permanently-eched-into-the-mind cheat codes from the original don’t work on Xbox. But they do work on Switch. Because it’s running an emulator. Apparently, these cheats can still be activated on Xbox by completing missions under a certain time, but that’s no solace to those of us who want to boot up DK mode, unlock all the characters, or play the secret Aztec level right now.
Still, one of the kings of split-screen shooters is back, and video game boomers can rejoice. And with a new TimeSplitters being developed by UK company Free Radical, perhaps another golden age for the genre is on the horizon. So it's time to get four friends, turn the settings to Golden Gun only, and prove who’s the best at GoldenEye once and for all.