One More Hit: GoldenEye 007
With some real-life espionage, you can play Rare's unreleased remaster of the N64 classic.
Back in 1997, games based on movies were notoriously suckful. So when the James Bond game GoldenEye 007 bungee-jumped onto the Nintendo 64, gamers really weren’t expecting much
Along with being a licensed game, there was also another blaring alarm warning off potential players; the GoldenEye movie had left cinemas two long years ago. If developers Rare had been hoping to cash in on all the positive James Bond hype, they’d failed that mission.
But, there was still more. The game was built by a rookie team, and first-person shooters weren’t yet established on consoles. GoldenEye 007 should have bombed. Instead, it soared, becoming the third highest-selling game on the N64. Topped only by Nintendo’s moustached maestro himself with Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64.
Despite GoldenEye 007’s success, when revisited on the original cartridge in 2025, it has not aged gracefully. Like other 3D games of the fifth-gen era, the game looks less Bond Girl and more… M.
For those who want to relive former glories, and we all do, you’re probably wondering the best way to get one more hit of GoldenEye 007? Pixel Fix has got you covered. Strap up some body armour and let’s look back at why GoldenEye 007 killed it in the ‘90s, and how, after a little real-life espionage of your own, you can play Rare’s unreleased remaster, for free, right now.
Why was it so special?
Mate, it’s only the most important first-person shooter ever made. GoldenEye 007 is a blueprint for many elements we take for granted in modern FPS games, like zoomable weapons, level mission objectives and stealth tactics.
In recent years, some young-buck gamers were outspoken about GoldenEye 007 and how they don’t “get it”. They can’t understand what the big deal is. Well, no one orders Martinis at the bar anymore, but that doesn’t mean they won’t get you smashed. What works, still works regardless of changing modern tastes.
GoldenEye 007 represents a classic brand of FPS, back when there was a purity to the genre. Before it became all aim-bots and headset slurs. What these young doubters have proved is that GoldenEye 007 is a “You had to be there” game. They pick on the controls because they’re accustomed to the two-stick FPS standard, but back then, the N64 controller was a fascinating design and GoldenEye 007’s controls felt new and exciting, especially when accentuated with a rumble pack.
GoldenEye 007 arrived when gaming was advancing rapidly and gamers were adaptable. There was less analysis and overthinking. You played, you enjoyed, you improved and eventually, you kicked a little ass.
GoldenEye 007 was also responsible for moving first-person shooters away from PC gaming nerds, with their dungeon crawlers and awkward go-get-a-chair desk setups, and into the lounge room consoles and couches of the people.
With its 18 story-based levels, aligning with the film’s plot, it brought the two mediums together in a fresh way. The objectives weren’t always clear, which only added to its mystique, and the soundtrack and sound effects were catchy and suspenseful. Indeed, the game’s iconic Pause Menu music has now become a popular meme for being a stone-cold classic jam that goes way harder than mere Pause Menu music ever needs to go.
There was also scope for differing strategies, some opting for run and gun while others would torture spectating friends with a slow stealth approach. And who could forget the blood curtain descending the screen every time you died? Things got emotional.
While single-player GoldenEye 007 is a good shout, for many it was the local multiplayer capability that gave it GOAT status. Using the N64’s four controller ports and a 4-way split screen, Deathmatch mode is one of the most iconic multiplayer experiences in gaming history. Despite the violence, it functioned as a party game where you’d slap your mate to death on screen, while he sat beside you. There was a wealth of set-up options for Deathmatch, so much so that different gaming groups had their own rule sets and culture for battles. There were also cheat codes to punch in if you were a real bunch of animals.
What’s with the remastered version?
If you’ve got a half-decent PC and an internet connection, you could be brandishing a PP7 silenced about 20 mins from now. It’s all because of the GoldenEye 007 XBLA game file and its unlikely path from development to your PC.
Back in 2007, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original game, developer Rare was busy putting its loving touch on an official GoldenEye 007 remaster for the Xbox 360. It was set to be proper rad. And then the project hit the heavy headwinds of rights issues.
Between Microsoft, Nintendo and James Bond franchise owners MGM, there were too many dicks on the dance floor and they couldn’t sort it out. The suits shut the remaster project down. Those in the know place the blame heavily on Nintendo.
However, in a twist of fate, a near-complete Beta version of the remastered game file was put up on the Xbox developer sandbox site PartnerNet. This was where new games were staged and tested before retail release. The remastered GoldenEye 007 game file was mistakenly posted on PartnerNet for only around one hour before being pulled down. But that was all the time needed for some dead-set legend with their own DevKit console to download the file.
What happened then is unknown, but it’s possible our hero freaked out and went to wind, as for over a decade, the GoldenEye 007 remaster trail went cold.
However, 13 years later in February 2021, the Beta remaster of GoldenEye 007, which many doubted even existed, was leaked online with the file name GoldenEye 007 XBLA, kickstarting a feeding frenzy of emulator use.
Perhaps it was that same legend who made it available? Or we could be dealing with a second legend who somehow acquired it. Whatever the case, the remastered GoldenEye 007 appeared as a gift from the retro gaming gods, and it’d be disrespectful not to make the most of it.
A couple of years later, in 2023, Xbox Live and Nintendo Switch Online offered rival versions to play on their systems. Both are simpler re-releases rather than Rare’s leaked remaster. While they have been brought up to a higher resolution, they still run at 30fps and are more of a spit-and-polish instead of the bare-metal rebuild like the 007 XBLA file. The full remaster has updated textures, assets and various enhancements to play in 720p at a stable 60fps. It’s the real deal.
So why didn’t Xbox and Nintendo put aside their differences and use Rare’s leaked remaster from 2008? It’s a complicated and long story, but those in the know again blame Nintendo.
Enough history, how do I play remastered GoldenEye now?
You don’t have to be Dr Doak to get the Goldeneye 007 XBLA remaster going on your PC, or even Boris, especially if you’ve dabbled in the dark arts of emulation before.
You’ll need to find an appropriate source to download the Xbox 360 emulator Xenia and a few files with odd extension names. Google is your friend here, and YouTube is an even better friend. There are multiple articles and vids on how to get the remaster going. The game file is only 701MB, tiny by modern gaming standards, and because it’s fresh from 2008 you won’t require a high-powered PC to run it.
What’s it like playing remastered GoldenEye?
For those nostalgic about the N64 original, it’s absolute magic. Get the sniper rifle going again on the first Dam level, and it all comes flooding back. The upgraded textures and assets look great, but not too great, which is spot on. 2008 was the right era to rework the game. A remaster, with all available resources, in 2025, could move GoldenEye 007 too far from its origins and make it resemble COD with Bond.
During play, you can see how far the graphics have advanced from the N64 version by pressing the R shoulder button to toggle between remastered and the original graphics. Don’t think you’re an old-school purist capable of resisting the new aesthetic upgrades. Believe me, you’ll struggle. Visually, the step up is immense.
The controls have also advanced, making use of the modern twin thumb-sticks standard. You can play with skill immediately, it’s a seamless joining of old on-screen with new in your hands. I played through with an Xbox One controller, which makes sense, and it worked flawlessly.
The leaked remaster is considered to be around 90% complete, there are apparently a few guards and objects missing for eagle-eyed GoldenEye 007 aficionados to smugly notice. But most players would never know. Generally, the game is smooth, precise and more immersive than on N64, which was considered highly immersive for the time.
Before you think the remaster might be too sharp, smart and advanced from the original. It’s not, and remains beautifully buggy in parts, particularly around doorways with guards getting stuck in doors and appearing half out of them. Natalya ‘Death-Wish’ Simonova still runs in front of you when you’re about to shoot. But who can stay mad at a character that can sustain three enemy shots to the head but is killed by one of yours to the hand?
Many will just want a quick nostalgic blast on GoldenEye 007, and for that, the remaster is perfect. You can bludgeon your way through on Agent level, and reach the end credits in under 8 hours of gaming time. To push on and unlock both bonus levels, the game must be completed on Secret Agent difficulty and 007 difficulty, which is no joke. You may find yourself going down this road even if you don’t plan to, such is the allure of GoldenEye 007.
Multiplayer is also fully operational on the remaster, offering the same quality-of-life upgrades as single-player. There are two multiplayer options, local and system link. If you’re running an emulator-driven PC connected to a TV, it’s a path to serious nostalgia. Four-controller, Deathmatch with the crew is glorious local multiplayer action from the 1990’s. Order pizza, drink Mountain Dew and smoke Lucky Strikes. Who knows how you used to roll?
System link mode does offer a way to play with buddies online, but you might have to be Boris to work that out. It’s also possible to play GoldenEye XBLA on a modded Xbox 360, but that’s beyond my clearance level. Most of us just want to shoot some henchmen, maybe run a few over in the tank. Standard stuff.
Who would have thought back in ’97 when GoldenEye 007 shot onto our CRTs that 25 years later the best way to play it would be by dropping a stolen game ROM into a sketchy emulator. But in a way, it’s behaviour that celebrates the era of the original and honours the work and love developers Rare put into GoldenEye 007 on both builds. So play with a clear conscience and a quick trigger finger and remember, as Bond, you have a licence to kill.
I have such fond me memories of playing this on the 64, particularly multiplayer mode! I was excited to see it appear on Nintendo Online, then disappointed by how terrible the controls are! 😅 The leak might be worth checking out...
Had no idea that this remaster ever finally leaked! Love the breakdown, sir, I felt like I was 12 years old all over again, playing 007 all night with friends.