One of the most critically-acclaimed first-person shooters ever made isGoldenEye 007for the Nintendo 64. But despite the game’s immense popularity, it has never had a proper rerelease, mainly thanks to a mountain of licensing issues and other problems. However, that doesn’t mean that attempts haven’t been made over the years, and in fact, footage of a canceledGoldenEye 007Xbox Live Arcade remaster has appeared online.
TheGoldenEye 007XBLA remake footage shows a playthrough of the game’s story campaign, as well as some multiplayer footage.PopularGoldenEyemultiplayer maps like Facilityare on full display, with the remaster performing at a blistering 60 frames per second and at 4K resolution (thanks to an emulator - it’s unlikely that the actual game would have supported 4K resolution as it was in development in 2007).
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ThiscanceledGoldenEye 007gamewould have featured revamped character models and other upgrades, while still maintaining the general feel of the original. What’s a shame is that the footage seems to show a content-complete game, and so really licensing issues were likely the only thing keeping it from being released to the public.
WhileGoldenEye 007never got its XBLA remaster, its spiritual successor did. The classic Nintendo 64 FPSPerfect Darkwas remastered for XBLA a few years after thisGoldenEyeremaster was canned, with the game adding new bells and whistles like online multiplayer support and achievements. It was then re-released again as part of theRare Replaycollection, making it playable on Xbox 360, Xbox One, and even the newly released Xbox Series X.
If theGoldenEye 007licensing issues can ever be figured out, it would be great to see the game get a proper release. As it stands, a variety of competing corporations would have to agree on the release terms, including Nintendo and Microsoft. Nintendo and Microsoft have collaborated in the past, withcharacters like Banjo and Kazooie showing up inSuper Smash Bros.and Xbox-owned games likeOri and the Will of the Wispsreleasing for the Switch, so it doesn’t seem completely impossible.
In the meantime, the James Bond video game legacy will continue with IO Interactive. IO Interactive is developing a gamecurrently known by the working titleProject 007, which will be a brand new take on the iconic character. IO just recently shippedHitman 3, so more information onProject 007likely won’t come anytime soon, but fans should keep an eye out for more information on that front in the months and years ahead.
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