Last week's arrival of GoldenEye 007 on Xbox and Xbox Game Pass was a fantastic surprise, and we've been having fun reliving some memories over the past few days with (slightly) enhanced visuals and a much improved control scheme.
However, the elephant in the room is that GoldenEye 007 on Xbox is sadly lacking online multiplayer capabilities, and another downside is that it can only run at 30FPS even on Xbox Series X.
So, why is this the case? The developer of the Xbox port, Code Mystics Inc., has been trying to answer a lot of questions over the past few days about various things, including these two topics. For starters, the lack of online multiplayer is apparently something the studio had nothing to do with, although they'd like to try working on it:
As for the restricted frame rate, this is said to be related to things breaking when testing 60FPS:
There have been various other interesting comments from the studio lately, including that the decision to not use a port of the Xbox 360 remaster version was made before the team was brought on board.
For some things though, they're remaining quiet:
"We've been extremely privileged Microsoft/Rare gave us the chance to participate in GoldenEye, and we've strived to clarify some things re: the experience and process. But beyond that, it's not our place."
Even despite some of the downsides, we still think it's definitely worth your time to download GoldenEye 007 on Xbox Game Pass and give it a try. The campaign is great with the new control scheme, and the classic split-screen multiplayer is still intact. If nothing else, just stick it on and bop along to that masterpiece of a menu theme...
How are you getting on with GoldenEye 007 on Xbox so far? Tell us down below.
Comments 48
What I don't understand is, they said it's part of the Rare Replay Collection, but in fact it's (so far) only available through Game Pass.
And the picture of the XBox version feels wrong, it's always a bit jaggy
Not our place...
Not our call...
The amount of blame-shifting Code Mystics is doing is terrible in this day and age.
And @Nintendo4Sonic if you check Rare Replay's store page, you'll find it's listed.
My hope is someday some developer or coder will develop some simple solution to bump games that do not work at 60 to 60+
I'm guessing there was some reason why they aren't allowed to modify the original code. That's all I can imagine.
Or the source code is no longer out there and emulation IS the only way to play this...
@ValentineMeikin I mean they may literally be constrained by whatever deal was made between MS, Rare and Nintendo. So it may not be in their control.
@awp69 These responses from Cody Mystics Inc. sound like excuses, they could have elaborated on the reason they weren't allowed. Whoever is blocking this is a coward. Someone is in control and they don't want the bad publicity. Quite pathetic really.
@ValentineMeikin I’m not sure what your place of employment is but do you take personal responsibility for decisions your boss makes?
I don’t see how you can call out these devs for doing exactly the job they were hired to do?
@uptownsoul This port is horrible for potential future business.
It's not a good look to put the port out like this. Makes you wonder why they even bothered in the end. Now we only know this company for the flop this port was. You mean to tell me that companies will be flocking to Cody Mystic for future ports after this?
I’m fine with 30 frames it’s just the stutters my one x does that’s annoying. Should be super smooth. The n64 didn’t stutter like this. Although maybe it was just less noticeable as it was already at a lower frame rate
@iplaygamesnstuff I really don’t think it’s that bad
I smell bs the reason it is 30fps it had to be same as the switch version .Due to the messy licence agreement or Nintendo would throw a tantrum
@Baler Glad you enjoy it. The original plays better and has full functionality. I'd rather seek out the original than play the port. With all the games that have been upconverted for the Series S|X, this really falls to the bottom of the barrel for me.
@grumpypotato they are a game dev that specializes on emulation and ports. Most the things listed on their website are emulation of older games.
@uptownsoul Possibly another chance elsewhere, whoever kept them from doing a good port already threw them under the bus. I'd be doing whatever I could to save face from this if it wasn't my fault.
@iplaygamesnstuff I’ve got the original. It’s just nice to have a clear image on a hd tv but the frame rate is unfortunate
@Baler I agree with you. I still have my original cartridge and playing this port on my 4K TV with modern twin stick controls is far more fun in 2023 than through fuzzy composite cables on my N64 on my crt tv.
Would it have been nice to have a similar treatment that Perfect Dark got on 360? Sure, but when I sat down to play Goldeneye on Friday it was like ‘it’s Goldeneye, but with a clean image and better controls. Sorted.’ The fact I got it free as well (I have a digital copy of Rare Replay) and a just the cherry on top.
@Nintendo4Sonic I also thought Rare Replay would be updated to include a page for Goldeneye. Seems like it was miscommunicated.
@Benjamin yeah, I thought it would appear in the timeline in the collection. That being said, seeing a Goldeneye icon on my Xbox in 2023 is kind of mind blowing!
Seemed alright to me and I've been playing on Xbox Series X.
Better than nothing, but still perplexed as to why the XB360 version wasn’t tweaked for release on Series consoles.
@Gamecuber exactly how I feel. Are some people spoiled do you think? I’m so happy about finally getting goldeneye in hd I’ve told everyone I know that used to play it! 😆 it makes me think about where gaming has gone too, I mean why isn’t there more games like it?
@Benjamin @Nintendo4Sonic when I searched the store for Goldeneye, it showed that I owned the game already
@TheRealPaperKut do you have a digital copy of Rare Replay? Goldeneye is a free download if you do.
I mean people are playing and enjoying it. Just seems like a missed opportunity. There was a bit of anticipation. But we knew these features weren't coming. I don't know this whole thing just makes me scratch my head. It was a great game, if someone hasn't played it there's a benefit there.
I'd say to make it happen but we have goldeneye 2.0 (perfect dark) with online support already. It'd be neat to have though.
I also thought like many others that this would appear within Rare Replay but that didn't bother me too much because I was so excited to finally have it on a modern platform. The game is awesome.
About the Xbox release, Code Mystics also posted that they were chosen because of their "emulation expertise" but the truth is that everybody but them thinks that this release is technically bad. The other Rare Replay N64 emulations developed by Rare play flawlessly. It's not just the lack of online (not their decision and not necessary) but the frame rate, the stutter, the frame pacing, the sound quality, the textures placement and other technical issues. Even Digital Foundry has posted about it:
Many others, including The Goldeneye 007 world champion Graslu00 that knows the original version perfectly, have complained about the sound quality and compression and other technical issues of the Xbox version:
In certain aspects, this botched release is worse than the original 1997 version and, as others have pointed out, the blame-shifting and self-glorification of Code Mystics are embarrassing and ridiculous.
I hope that they fix this let-down or, even better, that Rare's 2008 remaster is officially released.
Everyone seems to focus on the controls of xbox being better but don't focus on the fact original source code was indeed changed because there are features that the original code allowed via controls and that are in the switch version and even unreleased beta Xbox Live Arcade version that aren't in Xbox version example Aim lean and remote mine trigger without being on watch
@cornholio005 I believe you're 100% right! Good observation
@cornholio005 You might be onto something. The Switch version isn't overclocked, so it rarely hits 60fps. It could be overclocked for consistent performance, but that would make the guns fire too quickly. This firing bug is something Code Mystics could fix on Xbox, but it's not likely that anyone on Nintendo's side would do the same- and so, the Xbox version would be considerably better.
@Nintendo4Sonic It is part of the Rare Replay. I had it available for download immediately upon release because I have Rare Replay. It just showed up in my library.
@ZYDIO do you own Rare Replay digital or physical?
Me photos physical.
@Nintendo4Sonic I have the digital version, but I also have it installed. I wouldn't expect it to show up in someone's library if they have the physical copy and do not have it installed, because how would it know.
People have been using 60fps hacks for Goldeneye for like 20 years.
Bad excuses.
@Baler I thought I was imagining those stutters when I started playing, but they kept happening. Been mostly playing the Switch version in handheld which has been a blast.
@awp69 Don't forget the Bond right holders (Eon/MGM). I seem to remember that they were shocked by how violent Goldeneye was which is why they were more involved with the EA games to specify that there would be no blood and good guys could not fight each other in multiplayer.
It is a miracle really that we got anything.
No 60, no exist to me. They should've done a remake. It literally took me 3 minutes to get this on 4k on my own emulator...for free. But took these guys years? No 60fps and no full remakes of classic games means you don't get sales.
@grumpypotato exactly
@Baler The stutter drives me insane. I end up hung up on things in the environment. Still fun though
@Bucky does the switch version stutter?
It could be optimised to reduce dips below 30, they just didn't bother... Seriously, the game chugs along on XBSX.
@Baler I haven't noticed dips like the Xbox version when playing on the Switch. I had already played through the campaign in Switch before trying the Xbox version so the little stutters really surprised me.
Only minor inconvenience for the Switch was remapping controls for when I am not using an N64 controller, but have been having a blast after that was set which did not take much time and the remapped controls could be saved to make it easy to swap to later.
@Nintendo4Sonic Buy a digital copy of rare replay and you can download GoldenEye separately.
My Game Pass ended yet I can still play GoldenEye just fine.
Rare replay often goes on sale for 75% off.
@ZYDIO @EVIL-C
I own the disc version of the game.
Well if it's not working, it's a not a huge deal breaker.
@Bucky cool I might try it👍
@Nintendo4Sonic
It's not that it isn't working, it was never announced to work with the disc version, and I guess they're not going to do it?
To have GoldenEye for $7.50, I rebought Rare Replay digitally. It's more than worth it.
@Baler Hope you enjoy it. There are several posts about configuring the controls. In the system menu for remapping the controls, swap the control sticks, set ZL->ZR, L->ZL, A->R, and B->L. In the game select the Solitaire control option and turn off inverted looking.
@Bucky thanks
Uninstalled because no online multiplayer
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