It’s rare when a videogame adaption of a film makes as much of an impact on gaming history as GoldenEye 007 did when it was released 25 years ago, this month.
Based on the MGM film GoldenEye (1995), GoldenEye 007 let players assume the character of British secret agent, James Bond, as then played by Pierce Brosnan.
Based on the MGM film GoldenEye (1995), GoldenEye 007 let players assume the character of British secret agent, James Bond, as then played by Pierce Brosnan. The game was released on the Nintendo 64, and claims the title of one of the first three-dimensional FPSs (First Person Shooters’) to debut on the home console.
The game featured stealth, elaborate cheat modes, and difficulty settings which could all massively affect play. All of which enhanced GoldenEye’s replayability. GoldenEye’s split-screen mode also helped establish the popularity of multiplayer videogames in the UK and abroad. Its success paved the way for modern FPS (First Person Shooter) games such as Call of Duty, Halo, and Destiny.
GoldenEye 007 was one of the first 3D FPS games made exclusively for the home console. Other important FPSs of the 1990s, such as Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and Duke Nukem 3D, actually debuted on PC, only appearing on consoles in a ‘ported’ fashion. GoldenEye 007 being made directly for the console meant its controls were much more accurate. The game was definitely made more satisfying because of this.
In the end, GoldenEye 007 actually proved to be more financially successful than the movie it was based on. It legitimized British game-making, showing the world just how fun games could be when played together.
There’s no better way to celebrate the game’s 25th anniversary than dusting off the old N64, booting up Goldeneye 007 and playing old school 4 player split screen!
There’s only one rule though.
You can’t pick Oddjob!
(The image right shows OddJob’s advantage over other players. Even the creator’s have admitted using Oddjob is cheating!)
Be sure to check out the recently released documentary – Golden Era. This excellent film charts the untold story of the creation of iconic first-person shooter GoldenEye 007, and its remarkable legacy.
To celebrate, we’ve teamed up with Altitude Film to give you a 20% discount on streaming the recently released film about the making of Goldeneye. Directed by Drew Roller, viewers will learn how a young and inexperienced team at UK development studio Rare were handed the James Bond licence, before making a game that would change the medium forever when it was released on Nintendo’s N64 console in 1997.
Click the link below and use the code NVM20-EGal1.
Golden Era – Watch Now