The one question that’s been on every Nintendo fan’s mind ever since the company started porting its past hits to newer consoles is when GoldenEye 007, the N64’s beloved first-person shooter, would show up again. After years of licensing and rights battles, we finally have an answer, and it’s even better than we could have hoped.
During a Nintendo Direct presentation this morning, the company revealed that several more N64 games were being added to its Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, including Pilotwings 64, 1080° Snowboarding, Pokémon Stadium, and finally, GoldenEye 007.
Ready up for your objective, secret agents. Nintendo 64’s GoldenEye 007 is coming soon to Nintendo Switch for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members, now with online play! pic.twitter.com/pXNzpDW7Ud
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 13, 2022
Nintendo didn’t reveal specifically when GoldenEye 007 would be available through the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, which is only available through an annual $US50 ($69) subscription fee, but did reveal that for the first time the game would include online multiplayer, in addition to the classic split screen gameplay that claimed so much of our younger lives.
But alongside Nintendo’s announcement that GoldenEye 007 would return on the Switch, Rare itself announced on Twitter that a remastered version of the game is also coming to the Xbox through Xbox Game Pass.
25 years after its original release, experience GoldenEye 007 faithfully recreated for Xbox consoles. Includes achievements, 4K resolution and a smoother framerate – even in split-screen local multiplayer! Coming soon to @XboxGamePass. pic.twitter.com/kpBlJKqFR9
— Rare Ltd. (@RareLtd) September 13, 2022
The remastered GoldenEye 007 will run at 4K with a smoother framerate than the N64 could muster, as that console was known for grinding to slideshow speeds when four friends found themselves in a battle all in the same room. According to the official 007 website, the Xbox version will not offer online multiplayer, but at least playing split screen with modern controllers means you won’t have to worry about the console accidentally being yanked to the floor by that one friend who’s angry about being vanquished by the Golden Gun.
There’s also no specific details on when the remastered Xbox version will arrive, aside from a promise of “Coming soon.”
Update, September 13, 11:47am EST: According to the official James Bond website, 007.com, online multiplayer for GoldenEye 007 will only be available on the Switch version. We’ve updated this article to reflect that, and are reaching out to Xbox to confirm.
Exclusive to the new Switch version of the 1997 title will be online play, allowing 007 fans across the world to take part in the popular four person multiplayer mode.