Nightdive Studios Was Apparently "Close" To Reviving GoldenEye 007

My gut feeling is now the Queen has been laid to rest, they will announce September’s N64 release at the end of the week… and I suspect it will be Goldeneye
The reason is it keeps it close to the anniversary date.
I think the ‘coming soon’ was put in place as they weren’t sure when Queen related things would be finalized so didn’t want to go ‘Out Monday’ only for it to fall on the same day. These things have to be edited ahead of time sometimes you have to use the placeholder in the live event

Oh, and unless a deal was done to prevent it, I reckon the remaster will come out later. Like get people hooked on the OG version and then go BAM! You like that, you should get this.

I’d definitely love a remaster from Nightdive including gyro aiming. All their FPS remasters have been perfect, so they would have been ideal for this one too. Now if only they could do Dark Forces I and II…

Still kind of unreal to see this finally hitting the Switch. I mean, I don't think I'll personally be playing it that much, but it's still cool.

@Knightrider1 I really doubt it will release on Switch first. I just about can guarantee a simultaneous release.

@Atariboy Oh, it will be simultaneous release for N64 version on Switch and Gamepass, but depending on the deal the remaster may be Xbox only or both if it does happen later down the line.

Remaster drops with SwitchPro/2 next year along with BOTW2. Nintendo will then be able to get in on the 4K love. #YouNeverKnow

Nightdive would have gone above and beyond too. We've probably ended up with two worse versions because of some Nintendo corporate protectionism. This is sad news.

Looking forward to diving back into this, especially with some multiplayer hilarity. I can only hope though we can match make with certain game options? Such as ‘Licence to kill’ (I think that’s what it was called) so it’s a couple shots and dead.

I don’t mean to burst the enthusiasm bubble for people looking forward to this game but is everyone aware how this game used the controller? I’ve played this recently on a N64 and I completely forgot that this game used the C buttons to aim!

There was only one joystick, just think of that. I couldn’t believe I was ever any good at the game. So is there going to be a whole new dual joystick button map? If not be prepared of the insane learning curve and stickiness of aiming with buttons.

Either way I’m not knocking the game, it’s a stone cold classic which inspired so many and I had many many happy hours playing this is a nipper.

@CaptChaos I played the game in what we called "Turok Style" move using C buttons and look around using the analoge stick.

But when i try that now (on a emulator) after many hours of other shooters on modern controllers my brain hurts. I don't think its gonna be a great experience for alot of people.

The controls just are to old fasion for modern gamers.

@BerendJan It’s funny, I have this for a Retroid Pocket and it took me a moment but got back into it but once I did I found it easy.
I guess it might depend on if coming at the game having never played the controls or have some memory.

@Knightrider1 you know there are non-anglo saxon countries out there who don't really care about the queen, do you? (but 007 has a british link, i 'll give you that..)

Would have been interesting for me, shame really. However, finally we get to see it come back again and hopefully with a modern control set up! Although I mastered it in 1997 it will seem alien to me now!! Hopefully we will have a choice of the retro and modern control setup depending on what game pad you use??!!

Nightdive are fantastic and I would have loved to see Goldeneye given the Nightdive treatment, they did an excellent job of the Quake remaster and port to Switch and I'm really hoping they port their Blood remaster to switch as well. They even give games I thought nobody else knew about like Powerslave Exhumed a new lease on life.

@romanista I am British born, but live in New Zealand, which is a Commonwealth country, however I am very anti-Royal. I get some people are pro-Royal so I was just being respectful of those people who are genuinely mourning.

@BerendJan ah yeah that surely must have been something me and my friends did, I do recall twiddling with the controller options a lot many years ago, as the game has that nifty little 3D Modelled controller menu.

hmm yeah I do think many have overlooked the control system, it will be a frustrating hurdle for most if there’s no new modern set up. As you mention, to the point of ‘I can’t play it like this’.

What makes you guys think that the Switch is ever getting the remaster? I think it's pretty clear that what Switch is getting is the emulated N64 original running via the Switch Online N64 emulator.

It's Xbox One and Series X/S getting the remaster. So there's little reason to hope for that ever appearing on the Switch. But on the bright side, presumably as a compromise to even things out somewhat between the two, online multiplayer is going to be a Switch exclusive.

And that's a pretty big deal right there for many (Although since I'd just be playing it locally anyways, I'll stick with the remaster I'll get for free via Rare Replay).

I wish the switch version would be the updated one. Still, playing the n64 one with the n64 controller will be nice.

And night dive needs to get turok 3 out!

@Knightrider1 I like the way you think! Especially to get the remaster. I was thinking maybe rare could release the whole rare replay on the switch plus goldeneye sometime down the road.

@BerendJan @CaptChaos There was a customization option I used to do with the PSP games that could play on the Vita that had the “turok” style move with face buttons and aim with the analog. Basically you could map the face button movement to the right analog stick, however that was still backwards (move with right stick, aim with left). But then I’d go into the system settings where you could do even more customization and then swap the sticks as well. Then I’d have left stick movement and right stick aiming.

I haven’t played any n 64 games on the switch but depending on customization options and if the switch remapping works like the vita, would could possibly do the same thing. Have the c buttons be the left stick and the right stick be the traditional n64 analog.

Goldeneye also actually has dual analog controls but you need two n64 controllers to do it. So maybe they have something planned with controls that will enable this into the single controller?

EDIT: Good news. I just checked and the right analog stick is mapped to the c buttons when playing n 64 games. AND the switch allows you to swap the analog sticks in the custom button mapping on the system settings. So in game we’d just need to select the old “turok” C stick movement, then go to system settings and swap the analog sticks. Then we’d be moving with the left and aiming with the right. Hopefully it feels somewhat natural/modern.

I wish you could see an animation when you reload guns rather than disappearing off screen x

@CaptChaos There's a relatively simple way to give this modern controls on Switch. You just have to change some settings in-game and on your Nintendo Switch profile. The only caveat is that movement will only be in 8 directions, but analog aiming will feel pretty much entirely modern.

@AG_Awesome There is also a way to give it completely modern controls. The only issue is that this method is only compatible with dual joycons and not in handheld mode. It's also convoluted as all hell and probably not worth the trouble over just using 8 way movement. Also, Turok controls is just setting 1.2.

Yes. After Powerslave they can do whatever they want.

I don't know why people don't just play the Timesplitters games! They're the sequels to Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, made by the same people who made those, and contains all the fun gameplay except MORE of it, like having a 16-character with you and 15 bots playing capture the flag or whatever, and you change all the weapons to REMOTE MINES ONLY! It's the most chaotic and hilarious and absolutely brilliant thing I've ever played, to this day. Games like overwatch can't hold a candle to the chaos that the Timesplitters games have you. And they have level creators where you can make the craziest levels to play in, it's so much fun. Also they are on the next generation of consoles after the n64 (so the ps2/gamecube etc) and have modern FPS controls for a controller, instead of the frankly god awful controls that goldeneye had (have you tried to play it recently? Those controls are so weird and so bad).

But yeah in Timesplitters, even the pause menu is just a copy of the goldeneye pause menu. Cos it's a true sequel. Also it's just completely nuts, the kind of missions you go on, the enemies you fight. Like there's a bunch of enemies that are just hands. Giant naked hands the height of an adult man. With guns. Why? Nobody knows... It's much like the whacky zany stuff in perfect dark, just turned up to 11. And of course the settings are all incredibly varied because you travel to different centuries in a time machine. I love it.

And the Timesplitters games run perfectly in dolphin, even with my old and bad PC that would have been state of the art 10 years ago, but today not so much. So try them, people.

Because the Timesplitters games are everything that Goldeneye and Perfect Dark were, just better. They have that exact same engine and gameplay but with better graphics, way more bots you can have in a deathmatch or capture the flag etc, and has modern FPS controls

And yeah they have LEVEL BUILDERS! It's unbelievably fun to design your own levels and make them ridiculous and then drop into it and fight loads of bots/friends in this weird place you created. Once I just made one giant long hallway, that was it. One team's base is at one end, the other team's is at the other end. There was no cover to hide behind. Weapon spawn points where everywhere covering the whole floor. Never seen such chaos before. I died so many times. Its great

Another bummer, I was so expecting a remaster that I could purchase. All NSO games can burn in hell- which they will one day when the service seizes to exist. Nintendo must give the consumers a choice to buy those games along with enabling them bundles. Can’t understand why we can have both at modern ages?!!!!

@Atariboy It's Xbox getting the remaster? I had no idea the remaster was officially announced, let alone that we'd gotten news of it's exclusive availability. Thanks for the heads up!

@Knightrider1 I'm hoping the Xbox 360 Remaster releases later as they are not calling these versions a remaster at all, and just GoldenEye 007 on both releases even though the Xbox version has some minor improvements.

I assume they could release the remaster as a full priced boxed game as this is technically only entering subscription services and digital via the purchase of Rare Replay on Xbox.

Possibly as a deal we see Rare Replay on Switch and GoldenEye Remaster on both Switch and Xbox with online and the extra multiplayer levels.

@Atariboy The remaster we are talking about is the Xbox 360 version that is 90% complete, these versions are not considered a remaster even though some people are saying they are.

Switch is the N64 ROM with the software doing online via NSO still split screen.

Xbox is the N64 version with widescreen, dual stick controls and 4K with achievements and split screen multiplayer only.

The Xbox 360 version is not being used at all here...

Hopefully one day they will release it

@KevinP No remaster is announced Xbox is getting a updated 1997 version, 4K, Controls, widescreen and achievements.

But its still the N64 visuals.

@Znake Can buy Rare Replay to get the Xbox version.

Hopefully the Xbox 360 remaster gets released one day

@AG_Awesome it will be horrible sorry to say, FPS games don't work well on switch unless you use a pro controller.

I use my Xbox Elite and they are still not great.

@WhiteTrashGuy Would be nice to get the entire Rare Replay bundle on Switch 2/pro/Ultra/etc.

@D3M0N666 Horrible to you. Not to me 🤷‍♂️

@AG_Awesome Each to their own I guess, but the switch sticks are way too small and sensitive

@D3M0N666 Gotcha. Thanks for the info. Atari sounded super confident in his correction of everyone else, I thought he had learned info that I hadn't.

@RandomNerds
I've almost bought an X-Box to have it, lol! With PERFECT DARK in development it may just happen!

After the disaster that was Blade Runner, I'm kinda glad they didn't remaster it... then again, their other remasters have been fine.

@Knightrider1 on the Japanese Direct, the release date was showed to be 2023. SO I wouldn't get my hopes up.

I would buy an HD GoldenEye 007 if it was handle by NightDive Studio. Way better than the game getting the rental treatment via crap services like NSO, Xbox GamePass, PS Plus, Stadia, and Steam.

@Edu23XWiiU Didn’t know that. That seems odd to announce it now and wait 3 to possibly 15 months to release a game that is just running on an emulator
But if it said 2023 it’s 2023

@Knightrider1 Good points all around. I'm so excited for this game. I'll pick it up on Xbox for sure.

I don't understand why the Japanese Direct said GoldenEye was 2023, but the other territories said "Coming Soon".

1. Nintendo being Nintendo there isn't a definition for "Coming Soon", but I think most would interpret it as weeks rather than months.

2. We've had an N64 game release every month this year to date.

3. The Direct in other territories showed 3 games for 2022 along with GoldenEye "Coming Soon" with four months of the year left.

4. Ergo people have rightly or wrongly assumed four months remaining means four games thus GoldenEye must be one of them.

Seems pretty harsh of Nintendo to tease the game in this way if it ends up being 2023. Intentional or not, that's not a great release strategy.

I still think it's possible it will release in September and perhaps Japan will get it at a later date, for some reason?

Can anyone think of a reason why Japan would get GoldenEye at a later date?!

If they could get No one Lives Forever sorted out, I'd buy it without a second thought.

@D3M0N666 It's quite clear the Xbox iteration is a substantial revamp that amounts to a remaster.

Whether they dusted off that old Xbox 360 project and ported it to the Xbox One (or perhaps even emulated that old 360 code after bringing it to completion) or started fresh isn't being said. But it's quite clear when you connect various statements made by different MS/Rare employees that we can expect 60 fps, 4k, dual analog, reworked textures, etc. That's a remaster in my book.

Edit: Perhaps I've been giving them a bit too much credit. It sure doesn't look like reworked textures in these screenshots.

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2022/09/13/james-bond-returns-goldeneye-007-on-game-pass/

Not altogether unattractive looking, but nothing like how it looked on Xbox 360 where the textures were all replaced by new assets.

I can see where your statements are coming from now, D3M0N666.

@KevinP Was announced that same day.

The achievement list leaking for it in fact was the first concrete evidence that this deal was in the works quite a few months back.

The only clue we had previous to that was Nintendo applying to get the game removed off Germany's ban list a year or so early (It would've been automatically reviewed and likely cleared in 2023 now that Germany is less strict with violence in videogames, if I recall correctly the news articles here and elsewhere about it).

@nocdaes No idea why Japan is a later date... they did show a different game for Japan as well.

But it seems West is 2022 and Japan is 2023

@Atariboy I'm so upset it's not this version as I've been playing it on my RGH 360 with the community updates and it's incredible!

I know Nintendo originally didn't want Xbox to have a superior version...

But both consoles and PC could have the 360 version.

Hopefully it comes later as a full priced release!

@Serpenterror If you purchase Rare Replay on Xbox you get 007

@D3M0N666 So... Japan gets Harvest Moon in 2023, an additional game we do not get, so Nintendo compensate by giving us GoldenEye a few months ahead of Japan?

Nintendo really are impossible to predict...!!

Wait, Rare Replay? Are you telling me that on the Xbox it's possible to buy this and not have it tied to a subscription service?

Yes Rare Replay purchase includes 007 for free!

Petty sure its on sale now too