Secrets You Completely Missed In N64's Goldeneye 007
Fans of the James Bond franchise will have to wait until 2021 to see the super-spy's next big screen adventure, No Time To Die. With that in mind, now seems like the perfect time to revisit what is arguably the most beloved James Bond video game adaptation, GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64. This game followed the plot of the 1995 film of the same name, which saw Pierce Brosnan's James Bond battling against his former partner, the treacherous Alec Trevelyan.
Upon GoldenEye 007's release, the game was seen as something of a revelation. It garnered nearly universal acclaim from critics and is still enjoyed by gamers to this day. There may not have been any new James Bond video games in quite some time, but GoldenEye still stands as the gold standard (pun fully intended) when it comes to bringing Ian Fleming's secret agent to life.
Even with the game's massive popularity, there are plenty of things hidden in GoldenEye 007 that even the most hardcore fans may not have discovered. So grab your gadgets and get moving; it's time to uncover some of GoldenEye 007's coolest secrets.
Deadly cutscenes
One of the greatest cliches in spy fiction is the fact that the bad guys will insist on standing around, explaining their plan and bragging about their genius. The James Bond games are no different, but GoldenEye 007 gives players the opportunity to turn the tables mid-cutscene. There are actually a few different ways to do this.
In the first method, you have to figure out where various characters will be standing when cutscenes are triggered. Simply place a timed mine in those spots. When the cutscene in question begins, you can detonate the mine and kill the character while they're yammering on. Sure, this may result in a failed mission if you kill the wrong person, but it's supremely satisfying. The best time to do this would be after defeating Baron Samedi in the game's "Egyptian" bonus level. The final cutscene reveals the voodo priest to still be alive and cackling, but a quick explosive will take care of him.
Another way of accomplishing this trick is to map the game's control scheme so that the firing button is on the controller plugged into the second slot. This will let you shoot at NPCs during a cutscene.
The "secret" island
Ever since GoldenEye 007 was first released, observant gamers have been puzzled by the existence of foreboding island off the coast of the first level of the game, "Dam." Rumors abounded for years, with some people believing the island led to a secret level, or some kind of gadget that was just out of Bond's reach.
It was years before some clever players managed to use a GameShark to move James over to this mysterious island. However, what they found there was less than life-altering. As explained by YouTube channel Det Erest, a "No Clipping" cheat code lets gamers get to the island without the aid of a boat or a plane. Infiltrating the island doesn't seem like it's worth the hassle, though. As can be seen in Det Erest's video, the island is entirely empty. There is a turret placement with no apparent function, but that's about it.
In an archived interview with MundoRare (via Kotaku), members of the development team explained that there were plans to do more with the island, but these never came to fruition. Still, the island stands as an interesting curiosity for fans who have long wondered about its purpose.