GoldenEye N64 revival more unlikely than ever
If, like this kid, you owned a Nintendo 64 back in the late-’90s, it’s likely that one cartridge was plugged into the console more than most: GoldenEye 007.
And quite right, too. This James Bond shooter was a masterpiece of its time, a brilliant and imaginative first-person shooter with a four-player mode that was streets ahead of anything else on other home consoles of the time. My friends and I sunk hundreds of hours into that awe-inspiring multiplayer, and loved every second.
Ever since Microsoft purchased GoldenEye developers Rare in 2002, gamers have clamored for a remake, speaking in nostalgic, hushed tones about how GoldenEye would make its triumphant return on Xbox Live Arcade. Rumors of a re-release with added bells and whistles really heated up last year, only for Microsoft to state that it lacked the rights to publish the game on XBLA.
From today, chances of a remake really do seem slim. After one fan raised the subject in a Q&A on its official website, Rare’s reply seemed fairly emphatic:
“That was some time ago, my friend. Fate was against us that day. Destiny conspired to raise the hurdles even as we attempted to clear them, resulting in unpleasant groinal injury. I suspect we’re long past the stage where an agreement was on the cards, but you never know. Stranger things have happened… somewhere… probably.”
Cue much howling on game forums.
But you know what? I’m actually GLAD GoldenEye isn’t being dolled up and shoved out on stage for one last hurrah. This old dame needs to be respectfully retired.
I remember the title with real fondness, but if it was re-released in 2009, even with spangly high-def visuals and online multiplayer, it would be a travesty. Since 1997, the first-person shooter genre has moved forward at an alarming pace – in terms of technology and new ideas – and I’m certain GoldenEye would feel quaint by today’s standards. I have no doubt that the title broke exciting new ground twelve years ago, but since then its ideas have been reused time and again, not to mention massively refined.
Re-releasing the game a dozen years after its release would only serve to show its wrinkles when compared to modern shooters. And frankly, the last thing anybody should want is for memories of those wondrous 1997 evenings to be marred.
