Highly anticipated: Am I dreaming? I literally have not played GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64 since the early 2000s because... well, I haven't had an N64 since the early 2000s. However, it and the Star Wars series are the games I miss the most from that system. This week I'll be able to live the nostalgia of this classic gaming staple on my Nintendo Switch.
Last September, Nintendo confirmed that GoldenEye 007 was "coming soon" to the Switch Online N64 emulator. Since then, fans have been waiting with bated breath for more info, particularly when they could get their hands on it, but we got nothing but silence from MI6.
On Wednesday, Nintendo finally announced a release date for GoldenEye via Twitter and YouTube. It says the game hits its Expansion Pack subscription service on Friday. Happy dance.
Enter a world of espionage as Bond in GoldenEye 007. Your covert operation to stop the GoldenEye weapon satellite spans the globe - you'll infiltrate underground bases, charge through a military train and slink around the depths of a jungle. Along the way, M will brief you on your objectives, and Q Branch will support your efforts with an array of gadgets, but the ultimate success of this mission is yours alone. Save the day, then go for the gold in spy-vs-spy action locally or online in the four-player multiplayer mode and enjoy round after round of first-person competitive action.
For fans, this is exciting news. It was arguably one of the best, if not the best, 007 games on any platform. Has it held up over the last two and a half decades (it turns 25 on August 23)? Judging by all the mods and DMCAed fanmade remakes over the last several years, interest is still very high. And since Nintendo's hawkish legal team has literally shot down every effort to bring the game to today's players, new and old, it's likely to see quite a few download from the GoldenEye deprived.
Bear in mind that this is not a remake. It is the original GoldenEye 007, as it was released in 1997, which is not a bad thing. It even retains its four-player mode. In 1997, it was split-screen couch-competitive action with four controllers. Since Nintendo is using the original game, that hasn't changed. So playing locally with friends, you'll have to have an original Switch (not the Lite) hooked up to your TV for it to be a viable way to play. However, Nintendo added an online multiplayer mode that presumably allows users to play full-screen competitive matches.
The game will also be available on Xbox via Game Pass or Rare Replay.