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Beloved Nintendo 64 shooter Golden Eye 007 makes a speedy return. The classic secret agent simulator will be available to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members from January 27.
The influential title set the bar for multiplayer shooters and helped define a generation of FPS experiences. However, developer Rare has enriched the old war horse with some quality of life improvements, including smoother frame rates and higher resolution graphics. While also available on Xbox, the Nintendo Switch version includes one exclusive online multiplayer mode – a welcome addition to the Golden Eye experience.
To play this modern iteration of iconic FPS, you’ll need a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. Nintendo offers a variety pricing options on its website (opens in new tab)including a free trial worth checking out if you want to dip your toe in Golden Eye 007 without paying cash in advance.
A Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription also gives you access to a range of Nintendo 64 classics, including Super Mario 64 and Zelda Ocarina of Time as well as bonus content for Animal Crossing New Horizons and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
You only live twice
The most interesting feature of the latest incarnation of Golden Eye 007 is the online multiplayer functionality. Rare’s FPS was responsible for my formative experiences with the genre. Growing up, lazy summer afternoons were filled with my siblings and I blasting each other to pieces in front of the TV.
Exclamations of joy and defeat were punctuated by grumpy accusations of “screen-watching” or yet another debate about the ethics of playing as Oddjob, whose shorter stature earned him a smaller hitbox. These were times before the advent of online play, when disagreements were instant, in-your-face, and, all in all, simpler.
Unfortunately, not everyone who picked up a Nintendo 64 controller could say the same thing. although Golden Eye features a fun single player campaign that allows you to drive Sean Bean crazy, the multiplayer was an important part of the experience. Being a kid living in the middle of nowhere, it was surprisingly hard to get three friends to come to my house. This meant that when my siblings were gone I had to settle for single player.
You can enjoy yourself thanks to the new online mode Golden Eye‘s fast paced PvP action without needing split screen friends to join you in Meatspace. It’s a nice touch and shows that Rare is not only keen on preserving a classic, but also making sure it remains playable and fun in a modern context.
That said, split-screen multiplayer is still a good option. Although it seems unlikely that this Golden Eye remaster becomes a staple like a Nintendo party game Mario Kart or Smash Brothersit’s great to know that, should you feel inclined, you and your friends can fire up the Switch, settle for split-screen, and battle it out like it’s 1997.