New Footage Of Cancelled ‘GoldenEye 007’ XBLA Remaster Discovered

When Microsoft purchased Rare in 2002, the Twycross-based developer retained many of its Nintendo-centric IPs and repurposed them for the Xbox format. Most recently, Xbox One gamers were treated to polished versions of many Rare classics as part of the Rare Replay collection. Before that the critically acclaimed first person Nintendo 64 shooter Perfect Dark was treated to a HD remake for Xbox 360; and earlier still Conker’s Bad Fur Day found its way the the original Xbox. Due to licensing issues, the game many people wanted to see given a new lick of HD paint – GoldenEye 007 – has never been seen on newer systems and the only real way to play the 1997 movie tie-in is by either using original N64 hardware or through PC emulation. New footage has emerged however, of a ‘work in progress’ HD remake of Bond’s Nintendo-based adventure that was destined for Xbox Live; and it boasts some interesting features.

The video, as posted to the Assembler Games forum by user PixlButts and created by YouTuber Rare Thief, is titled ’30 Minutes of GoldenEye 007 XBLA Gameplay,’ and does indeed show large portions of the updated game. Using the video as a reference, most of the original N64 game appears to be intact, with many familiar levels, weapons and sound effects carried over. An ESRB notice at the start of the video also hints at the possiblity of online multiplayer modes. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this new footage though, is the toggle which would have allowed Xbox 360 owners the ability to switch between ‘original’ and ‘remastered’ visual modes at will, in a fashion similar to that employed by Halo Combat Evolved: Anniversary. Whether this build will ever find its way into the hands of gamers remains to be seen, so for now we’ll just have to make do with the impressive footage.