Last fall, it was announced that the classic 1997 N64 first-person shooter GoldenEye 007 would be coming to both Xbox and Switch in 2023. Today is the long-awaited day, as one of the most beloved and influential games of its time is now available on both platforms. While these versions are both largely faithful renditions of the seminal console FPS, major differences exist in ways that don’t immediately come across as the clearly superior version. I’ve played a decent amount of both versions to see which one I prefer to play in 2023.
Back up
When GoldenEye 007 launched in the late 90s, I played it obsessively both solo and with friends for months upon months. During that time, I’ve accomplished all the Agent 00 difficulty missions, unlocked all the cheats, and played hundreds (if not thousands) of multiplayer games with friends. As with all my favorite games, I eventually fell off and moved on to newer releases, but my fondness and nostalgia for GoldenEye 007 always remained.
Years later, when I was in college, I distinctly remember going to a friend’s room and turning on the N64 to my favorite games like Super Smash Bros., Star Fox 64, and of course, GoldenEye 007. GoldenEye stuck out to me as the poorest aging game of the lot, mostly Thanks to some the shooter genre has progressed with newer franchises like Halo, Call of Duty and the recently released Black. At that moment I wrote off GoldenEye 007 as a hugely influential game that will never feel as good as it once did because of the huge advancements in its genre since its release. That’s the mindset I went into my gaming sessions with these new releases of GoldenEye 007.
differences
When these GoldenEye 007 ports were announced, we learned that the Nintendo Switch Online version would be more of a straight port of the Nintendo 64 original. However, the Xbox version received a bit of modernization in the form of native 4K 16:9 resolution, a consistent refresh rate, achievement support, and most importantly, Dual analog stick controls. Meanwhile, the Switch version doesn’t bring any built-in improvements to the FPS title, but through the Nintendo Switch Online feature set, you can play online multiplayer and use save modes (if you choose) to help with those pesky tasks.
Xbox version
As announced, the Xbox version brings a number of advancements to make GoldenEye 007 play better than ever. The game runs smoothly for the most part and looks great at full widescreen resolution (though I did notice some frame rate drops every now and then). The biggest selling point for me is how well the Xbox version plays, thanks to the modern control scheme that uses both analog sticks, much like any modern shooter.
It cannot be overstated how much being able to aim and turn with the right stick while moving with the left stick makes this 25 year old title feel a lot less old. I’m really blown away by how good GoldenEye feels on Xbox. Using the modern control scheme, I was able to get through the first few levels in 00 Agent, even unlocking my first cheat (interestingly enough, the Xbox version retains the “DK Mode” name, despite the not-so-subtle reference to Donkey Kong owning Nintendo). The Xbox version is the one I’ll be running when I’m looking to dig into GoldenEye 007’s single player.
Change version
Jumping onto the Switch version, I immediately felt the strain of using the classic single-stick controls and full-screen controls (thankfully, there’s a widescreen option in the in-game menu on Bond’s watch). To get full impressions, I started using a standard Switch Pro controller, which doesn’t translate well for any Nintendo 64 games. GoldenEye 007 is no different. Playing this game on a standard Switch controller feels downright awful, thanks to the default button mapping – aiming and moving with the left stick feels counterintuitive, and the trigger/shoulder buttons feel further back than they should. Fortunately, a Reddit user Cuesport77 provided instructions for custom button mapping to achieve a more modern control scheme on the Switch.
Short of doing the remapping, your best bet to play the Nintendo Switch Online version of GoldenEye 007 (or, really, any N64 game in the catalog) is Purchase one of the hard to get Nintendo 64 controllers for the Switch. I was lucky enough to snag one in a rare restock window last year, and after spending some time using it in GoldenEye 007, I’m even more glad I did. Yes, the game still feels very dated, but this is the absolute way to experience this version if you don’t want to remap all the controls. Even when playing with the N64 Switch controller, I still had awkward moments of inaccuracy, like the video below.
Of course, the biggest selling point for the Switch version is that you can enjoy the game’s split multiplayer through the Nintendo Switch Online functionality. This feature is not specific to GoldenEye 007, but is perhaps the best use case. After playing a few missions on Switch, I jumped into online multiplayer. Multiplayer is still as frenetic and fun as it was in 1997, and Nintendo Switch Online’s multiplayer capabilities handle the reigning action nicely. While playing 1v1 online, I experienced no noticeable latency, allowing the mode that really made GoldenEye 007 such a legendary title from the late 90s to fully shine. I’m more excited about the easy way to play GoldenEye 007 online.
Summary
In the end, deciding which version you spend your time with should come down to what’s more important to you. If you’re like me, the dual-analog stick controls alone make the Xbox version the superior release, but the online multiplayer capabilities of the Nintendo Switch Online can’t be overlooked – especially if your friends you used to play with now live on opposite sides of the country. Fortunately, both versions are included in each platform’s subscription service at no extra charge, so depending on your situation, you may not have to worry about which one to choose.
GoldenEye 007 is available today on both Xbox (available via Rare Replay and Xbox Game Pass) and Switch (available via Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack).