Hands On: Our First Impressions Of GoldenEye 007 On Xbox Game Pass

It only runs at 30fps? That’s a shame, PC emulation has been able to run this at 60 for years

I had a quick go of this and the switch one before work. My only negative is the strafe-run doesn't work on the new controls.

One thing that does need some getting used to is seeing 2023 in the copyrights, the XBOX controller where the N64 one was...

That there's a lot of screen tearing and other artefacts, well, as said in the article, this is Goldeneye N64, warts and all. We just didn't notice all these things until the resolution was pin-sharp 1080p or higher.

@Kaloudz Are they still locked? Have you checked the achievements section on the dashboard?

I think they were locked last night or not functioning when I played the first 4 missions. However, I saw the achievements section on the home menu and I saw I got them, it just happened that the "pop" notification (the one that appears on screen) wasn't showing them to me.

Hope it helps, had a blast last night when I downloaded it!

My only complaint is 30fps when Perfect Dark is perfect 60fps. Everything else is fine, especially the controls.

@Kaloudz Cool that it works now, mate! .

About the game, I will be interested to see what the young'uns think about it, lol.

I played it last night (26th). I loved it as much as when I played it for the first time. Top notch game design, IMO.

So great to play this on my Xbox. Every couple of years I'd boot up my N64 to blast through the campaign in a couple of hours. The music, the feel of the levels... It just works.
It still feels a bit dreamlike that this is still a thing on Xbox. Seeing the GoldenEye Logo in "My Games" doesn't yet seem real

There’s no doubt I along with other people would have loved to seen the Xbox Live Arcade version so don’t understand why we don’t have that one, Perhaps somebody here knows? However, It’s amazing to see this on an Xbox console and with updated controls.

! faithfully enhanced ! sorry but when 2010 ?
Sorry but its just another bad quality re-release.
GoldenEye 007 Reloaded is way more detailed and really enhanced... i think this is faithfully bad

@kihaennem Think you are confusing enhanced with a remake. This was intended to be true to the original and they don't have as much control over the assets to reskin it like they did with Perfect Dark. With the insane licensing and shared rights involved, it was a miracle we even got this! Assets remain, just resolution scaling and lighting changes for the most part as well as controller scheming.

@kihaennem GoldenEye 2010 is a shameless COD clone. Terrible level design, awful objectives, and endless enemy fodder cause don't think, shooty pew pew. 007 is supposed to be a SPY, not Rambo.

I've spent a lot of time with the N64 version since it first came out and can't say I've ever seen it wobble like it does in this.

That aside its pretty good overall with the only real disappointments being the wobble, the low res text which would have benefitted from being swapped out and the 30fps cap. Overall its very good and better then playing on an actual N64, a shame we'll never see the superior 360 version officially but at least a new generation gets to play it and we can again

I could not be happier. After years of failed promises, reboots (I didn't really mind the 2010 Reloaded for what it was), and having the 360 remaster rumored — then yanked — then rumored again, I can't believe it's finally here. Seeing the Goldeneye icon on my Xbox dashboard and Nintendo Switch is just wild.

Do I wish it was the 360 remaster? Yeah. Are there little nitpicks like the blurry text? 100%. Do I wish I had access to any of the other Bond games, from Agent Under Fire to Bloodstone? Absolutely. But man, at least I have this — Goldeneye N64 is what kickstarted my crazy Bond fandom and playing it again is just a nostalgia rush. And it's still so much fun.

Side note, with the absence of Timesplitters 1, it's pretty cool that I have almost all of the Goldeneye dev team's games on my Xbox — Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Timesplitters 2, and Timesplitters 3.

....I'm getting zero work done today.

Played the Dam and then deleted it.

I’m loving this but can’t deny the nostalgia factor (and the force) is strong with this one. Still fun after all these years.

I'm passing on this one. Played it many times already, including recently. It hasn't aged very well and I would rather spend time with other games right now.

This seems like such a waste. Of all these games that get remakes, this one needed it most. This port is horrible and lacks the features needed to make it flourish.

This is the 1st time I've played this since my N64 days back in 1997.

I loved it back then and I.....think it's crap now !

Some fond memories are best left as just fond memories.

Here's to hoping that leaked remaster gets released someday. Been enjoying playing that on the Steam Deck.

@iplaygamesnstuff @Notoriousmakavel They weren't allowed to

I haven't had a chance to try the re-release but I am glad it is now available on Xbox and Switch. In my opinion new access to any older games is a win for the video game medium. All games may not appeal to all people but I find it is important to have the opportunity to dip into the history of games. If even just one person discovers Goldeneye for the first time and enjoys an evening of local multiplayer with their friends cursing Oddjob in 2023 I consider that amazing!

@Kaloudz I reluctantly consider myself an "oldie" haha. I find over the years I prefer jank to bloat in my games. I will take funky AI and suspect level geometry over a map filled with a laundry list of things to checkmark any day.

@Scummbuddy Microsoft owns Rare. They can do whatever they want with it. I get that licensing is involved, but MS has $.

Can’t play for another 10 days as I’m away from home…..damn, looking forward to trying this out as the N64 version consumed a lot of my life before I got old and grey!

Disappointing to hear only 30fps but the warning signs were there when the blurb mentioned “smoother” frame rate, not 60.

Maybe the tech heads can work their magic and make this a candidate for FPS boost at a later date.

@Mrzoomer Yeah, agreed with you on that! There is so much bloat (sometimes mandatory, and that's the worst kind of bloat) in games these days. I prefer to dwelve in the old days, where games where fun, tight and focused. I love Goldeneye 007 even in this imperfect and janky way.

@Kaloudz Haha, the cool kids with their VR games and new IPs. I am feeling like a grumpy man that thinks "Where have all the good times gone?" (with The Kinks song in my mind, lol).

@Kaloudz I have had my fair share of "old man yells at clouds" moments haha. I felt really old a few weeks ago when I was showing a younger cousin the original Doom. He thought there was something wrong with the controller because he couldn't look up and down to aim 😛

Those of us that played and gasped at the N64 original ... let's be frank and honest - it's s**t in 2023 !
And that's the troof .

Played through the campaign on Agent difficulty on the Switch last night and this morning. Just tried a few levels on Xbox and thought it felt better on Switch, although it did require a little button remapping

One of the best shooters in shooter history. Yes it's outdated but still great.

@HarmanSmith Any top picks of yesteryear that are your go to retro games to enjoy? I always like hearing what other people play as it can sometimes introduce me to games I have never heard of. Last year I dove into the world of the Sega Master System after getting an Analogue SG. I'm in Canada so a lot of the games I had to import from Europe but I am having an absolute blast!

@Kaloudz That is hilarious! I am becoming a parent in May so I am looking forward to some eventual dad/daughter gaming. I remember as a kid sitting on my dad's lap in the computer chair while he played Doom and Serious Sam (with the blood setting turned to flowers). Great memories 😀

@Feffster It's strange, because the original N64 version was unlocked, and could hit 60fps in a few specific scenarios. (Of course, any Xbox system would be able to effortlessly maintain 60fps with no dips!) This version actually had a 30fps cap added.

Really hoping they patch this, as there's currently no reason for me to play this one over the other options (seeing as I have the original).

@Kaloudz Thanks! My wife and I are super excited 😀 Yeah I tried Serious Sam 4 and it didn't quite click with me. Nice! Duke and Hexen are great games.

@Mrzoomer I don't know if all these are retro, but on the top of my head:

Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (I think it was released for the SNES and it's on Steam and GOG), a shooter/platformer with Donald Duck as protagonist. It is very simple, but it was colourful, dynamic, and it had great music.

Also I loved the Tiny Toons games (of the NES era I think) and the Robocop games (there was a crossover one with Terminator, methinks - I would love to see these ones on the new cartridges that the retro market releases from time to time for the retro consoles).

On the more modern ones, I would say Soul Reaver 1&2 (classics!), Killer7 (obviously, with my profile pic showing it), the old Castlevanias (I play IV every now and then), and even two lost "gems" of the N64 era - Body Harvest and Hybrid Heaven.

BTW, I would love if Konami and Nintendo bring back Castlevania 64 and the aforementioned Hybrid Heaven on their NSO service. Good memories, good formative games of the 3D era

By the way, congrats! ☺️

Maybe we should request a 60fps update on Twitter or whatever? Is this emulation or a port? Officially it's a "faithful recreation". That sounds like a new port, doesn't it? Even if it's emulation, they can still do 60fps.

@HarmanSmith @Kaloudz I'm very glad that my two buddies here and many others are enjoying the game! I am, too 😁.

Number one on the FPS Boost wish list.

Now that you mention it, I remember that if you look at the sky in the original version and spin the frame rate is around 60fps. Best place to try this is Cradle because there are no polygons above your head. Cradle is also where the frame rate can tank into the 10s if you are shooting enemies forward...

@HarmanSmith Cool! There are a few of those I will have to check out. Soul Reaver is a classic and I hope we see a revival of the series soon. I actually just picked up a copy of Hybrid Heaven for the 64 over Christmas. I haven't played much but the combat is super interesting!

@Banjo- It would be very nice if they add this one to the FPS Boost program.

Oh man, those times when the frame rate hit the 10s and 20s, it felt like if you were playing in slow mo! Even with that, it was beautiful in its own kind of way.

And now, with a (mostly stable, I think) 30fps it feels sooo good. I have never emulated it but with 60fps I will be a blast, that's for certain!

It doesn't stand alongside the Banjo and Perfect Dark remasters and it wasn't added to Rare Replay. BUT, getting it at all is better than not and for free (with Rare Replay) is amazing.

@Mrzoomer Hybrid Heaven? Cool man! I think I played that one before Goldeneye (it was cheaper, because it was relatively unknown). And this along with Castlevania 64 were my first 3D games. I still remember how I went "wow"! Those games looked "super realistic" for me (at the time of course). I felt like playing a movie, lol. Those were the days...

Ignore the naysayers; as a veteran of the original game from back in the day this version plays better than ever. The modern control scheme on the Xbox drags it kicking and screaming into the present. I’ve briefly tried the Switch version with the original control layout and it would clearly benefit from an actual N64 controller. The Xbox version played brilliantly with twin thumb sticks. Could they have improved the graphics like the excellent Perfect Dark update on 360? Sure but honestly Goldeneye doesn’t need it. Its graphics are part of its charm.

There have been some superb remakes in recent years, that capture the spirit of the original and push the games forward into the present day, along with a feeling of ‘this is how it looked in our heads back then’ e.g. Resident Evil 2. Goldeneye on Xbox looks exactly like it did (upscaled of course) but it now FEELS like it did back in the day, with a far better, much more accessible control scheme. Good game? Yes. Best shooter ever? Of course not. Still fun 26 years on? Definitely.

@Gamecuber I'm a gaming vet since the mid 70's and you're totally wrong about this.

It doesn't stand up to modern games at all. In video game terms, it's a dinosaur.

It was once a brilliant game that those of us of a certain vintage loved.
Those days are gone now.

Awesome game

anybody else getting motion sickness after 5 min? never had this problem playing it on my n64 back in the day. is there anything i can change in the settings so it isn't so bad? feel horrible....

I am 12 years old again and I’m loving it!

big bond fan and big gaming fan. I soo wanted to play this back in the day but i just could NOT get used to that dam n64 controller...it was the wierdest thing id EVER seen and used. I was a stalwart keyboard and mouse PC gamer back then though. Spent a crazy amount of time on it today on my XSX and had way loads more fun than i thought i would! Now i'm gonna show my kids split screen....

@hypnotoad you’re correct; it doesn’t hold up to modern games and yes, by modern standards it is indeed ancient. Yet it is still tremendous fun, the updated controls improve it over the N64 original and it plays at least as well as it ever did.

I started gaming in the 80s so was there at the dawn of FPS games (as I’m sure you were) and taken on its own merits it’s a decent experience.

I’m sure the nostalgia I have for it does factor into how much fun I’m having but if I’m brutally honest I was always more impressed with Perfect Dark back in the day.

It’s a matter of opinion of course, it was just my 2 cents. I’ve just seen a few negative comments that don’t seem to take into account the age of the game not the tweaks that have been made to make it accessible to a modern audience.

Played on One X last night, constant stuttering when moving through the map and even freezes for half a second every time you switch weapons. Not having this game in 60FPS sucks, but if it can't even achieve a smooth 30 the game is basically unplayable for me.

@Gamecuber You know what they say ... nostalgia ain't what it used to be...

@BBB Believe you me, it hasn't aged well.

@hypnotoad pretty sure the rose-tinted spectacles used to be better too!😁

What nostalgia? Do you think that we don't notice the square heads? 🤣 Fans are rightfully complaining about technical issues like the frame rate and wobbly textures and comparing it to the Xbox version of Perfect Dark by 4J Studios. Code Mystics didn't do a great work but I'm hoping that the will patch it if for some reason we can't get the Xbox 360 remaster made by Rare. Try to beat the game in 007 Agent Mode and unlock the achievements. Goldeneye 007 still is one of the best shooters but if you play the first level and quit you haven't seen a thing!

@Banjo- I’m on the penultimate level and haven’t noticed any slowdown or wobbles. There are some graphical issues that remain from the original, but they are a bit more noticeable now with the upscaling.

Now if only I could stop Natalya dying. I don’t remember it being this frustrating back in the 90s!

@Gamecuber I haven't played this version as much yet and I'm glad to hear that. For me, the most challenging level back in the day was Control trying to keep Natalya alive! Is that the level you refer to? Her intelligence is not the best but it's worse in other levels where she stands right among the shots 😂.

@Banjo- yup, took me a few attempts but I got there in the end. Just done water caverns and onto Cradle. My controller batteries are nearly gone too (too much Gears of War this week).

Unlocked golden ppk on my first go on Cradle. Not bad for an old timer.

@Gamecuber Good, good. I'm replaying Maiden of Black Water to get all the ghosts, files, etc. I started before the release date of Goldeneye 007 was announced. After totally completing this, I'll try to 100% Goldeneye 007. Gamecube was/is a wonderful console, in between 😁.

I played this for the first time since my childhood last week at a video game museum here in Australia. It was so strange to realise the difference between my memories of this game and how it looks and feels now. I was surprised I was still good at it, and best my three mates a few times in a row.

Might have to give this a go on Game Pass

@iplaygamesnstuff Not sure if it is that simple. Rare developed the game but were commissioned by Nintendo who held the 007 license at the time.

I wonder if this is just a one 'n done or if this could lead to an actual remake like the scrapped XBLA one. You green light the 1-1 version on Xbox AND Switch, but now that Nintendo has something too, and Microsoft 'n them are on much better terms in current year, you get a ground-up remake done, then port a weaker, portable version of that to the Switch.

@Bucky I think it was that Rare Developed it, Nintendo Published it, & at the time Activision held the game license. So they had Rare obviously but needed the approval of the other 2.

@iplaygamesnstuff Sorry, not without Nintendo's say so in this case.

Wish this has 60 fps, I hope microsoft/rare update it to 60 fps sometime in the future.

Made it up to Statue last night, had a good time. Amazing how well I remember some of the levels. Alot of memories flooding back. Il be playing some more campaign later and enjoying the nostalgia

My friends and I rocked this 98 to 04, got together tonight to play it again and it was like a time warp. This was the ultimate couch co-op game for us and is still a blast playing with 3 friends today.

Old rules still applied, if you picked oddjob the other 3 get to gang up and 4th place does a shot. The same friend that lost all the time all those years ago still lost tonight, it was great.

@booker_steve I’m glad you’ve pointed this out as nobody else seems to remember. I prefer the old control scheme as this game wasn’t really designed around looking up & down quickly anyway.

@Plonky I have a couple of workarounds but nothing perfect.

Either change to control style 1.1 and play like the old days. or I have a customer layout which is the new style but the d-pad strafes. at least with this on it works if you can just nudge D when running. The proof in the pudding will be the harder cheats like facility and archives.

@Scummbuddy sorry it's a licensing thing with . MGM. Rare is owned by Microsoft. Nintendo doesn't get a say Stop harassing me.

Alright, Sure it’s not going to have graphics like today’s FPS. Probably to do with the fact it came out 25 years ago lol. But it’s still fun to play and modern controls makes it so much better. Picture looks far clearer and smoother. Also it’s still a challenge on 00 Agent after all these years. Don’t understand the complaints to be honest.

@iplaygamesnstuff Nintendo gets a stake because they were the original publisher. Look it up. Don't just assume things.

@iplaygamesnstuff They do though. If you Publish a game you own a part of the rights to it. That's why Bloodborne is a Sony-exclusive & all Bayonetta games except the first are Nintendo-exclusives - they Published them and therefore have the right to say if it does or doesn't come to anything else.

I'm up to the 4th mission on it now and I've been really enjoying it!

There is literally no reason at all this shouldn't be 60fps, as the original has an unlocked framerate and can be played at 60 emulated.

Absolutely bizarre. I was really looking forward to this, but I guess I'll just stick to playing it emulated.

@Kaloudz Great 😊.

@Raffles I agree. I think it's because of the developer of this version, Code Mystics. Every N64 game on Rare Replay but this runs flawlessly.

@shoeses @Scummbuddy @iplaygamesnstuff Yes, Nintendo was the publisher but their publishing rights expired in 2017. Nintendo has no control over the Xbox version and Nintendo needed permission from the IP holders and the developer (Rare) to release Goldeneye 007 on Nintendo Online.

@Banjo- If Rare does indeed own the game assets and game code and not Nintendo..
and if Nintendo lost publishing rights at the 20 year mark... Then I'm done defending this release. There must be something more that we're missing because there would be no reason why we would get this version and not the remaster that was essentially done years ago. Why would the Xbox version be hampered to not have online multiplayer but Nintendo does? There must be something else here in play.

@Scummbuddy I agree, it's a mystery why they didn't release the Xbox 360 version which is much better. This emulated version is a lazy effort by Code Mystics because the other Rare Replay N64 emulations developed by Rare run flawlessly. It's not just the lack of online but the frame rate, the sound quality, the textures placement and other technical issues. Even Digital Foundry has posted about it:

Comparing these directly, there’s definitely some weirdness going on with the new releases.

The Goldeneye 007 world champion Graslu00 that knows the original version perfectly has also complained about the sound quality and other technical issues of the Xbox version:

Some quick thoughts after 100%'ing GoldenEye Xbox:

• Disappointing 30FPS lock.
• Some graphical issues. Visible seams. Wrongly rendered textures.
• Performance issues.
• Controls are "OK".

@Banjo- In that case, does that mean in theory Microsoft can get the rights to go back to doing a full on remaster much easier?

Am I nuts?

Am I missing something or is everyone Inc the article writer soft core 007 players???

Or Am I the only purist here?.

The pop out feature is missing🤷🏼‍♂️

You know the flick strafe when holding zoom that was not only unique but meant you could be a gun slinger & dodge bullets.

Dart out, headshot & back within a flick nanosecond.

When u aim you can't move so you body popped about. It made me a stone killer & made golden eye unique. If u didn't use this feature or even notice it's missing then I contest your not a golden eye guru.

Or am I missing it on the control options. If so please help because. Without that feature it's not unique & falls in with every other FPS.

Please tell me I'm wrong.

@shoeses Yes, if Microsoft get the IP rights holders' permission they can release the remaster. Nintendo stopped it back in the day according to some Rare developers but Nintendo's rights as the publisher of the original game expired in 2017, which is why we have Goldeneye on Xbox today. The question is if Microsoft asked or not about the remaster and if the IP owners said yes or no. If they allowed the Wii reimagining (later ported to other consoles) with different characters and levels, I don't know why they wouldn't agree with Rare's remaster. Rare's remaster was basically completed. It was rumoured that Pierce Brosnan could be the one saying don't use my face because I'm no longer James Bond but this week's release proves that he doesn't care because he hasn't said anything. It's a real mystery why Microsoft released this botched emulated version by Code Mystics. Will Rare's remaster be officially released? I hope so! It would be great to have it on Xbox and not just on a PC emulator.

@Banjo- Now I'm curious about other games held back by Publisher rights... though if they all take 20 years I guess I've got plenty of time to find out.

@shoeses Goldeneye is a difficult case because there are several owners of the James Bond IP plus the film rights owners plus the film producers plus the video games permissions and now Amazon owns half of the James Bond rights after acquiring MGM. Even the film was in development hell caused by legal problems between MGM and Danjaq. It's easy to see why Rare created Joanna Dark 😂.

In other video games cases the typical problems are expired musical rights or companies that have split or disappeared. Publishing rights are not a problem once they expire: Goldeneye 007, The Wonderful 101, Maiden of Black Water, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse... unless the publisher and IP owner come to a new agreement. For instance, Bayonetta is owned by Sega but Nintendo agreed with Sega to fund part of the development of the sequel. It is a decision of Sega and Nintendo to publish it and the third game for Nintendo platforms but that doesn't mean that they belong to Nintendo. Some Nintendo fans think that Nintendo owns Bayonetta but they don't, it's fully owned by Sega so, in the future, when these agreements have expired, it's possible that Bayonetta 2 and 3 are published for other consoles, in spite of Nintendo paying for the development and currently having publishing rights. It's the same mistake they make when discussing Fatal Frame/Project Zero, they used to say that Nintendo co-owns the brand but it's fully owned by Koei Tecmo. In both cases, the brands have never left Sega and Koei Tecmo's hands respectively and Nintendo just has or had the publishing rights. Another example is Diddy Kong Racing, some fans think that it belongs to Nintendo but it doesn't because Nintendo was given Diddy Kong and the rest of the characters that Rare created for the DK family because Nintendo owns DK but the rest of the characters are owned by Rare: Banjo, Conker and the rest of the crew. Diddy Kong Racing can only be re-released if Nintendo and Microsoft resolve to do it. Maybe a re-release for Nintendo Online if Nintendo agrees to release it for Xbox as well.

@hypnotoad you just sound like a sad, old codger. Take your negativity elsewhere. If you don't like it, don't play it. This is as basic as things will ever get for you.