GOODBYE, MR. ACTIVISION? - Activision Might not Return for Another Bond Game

After the tremendous fail of 007 LEGENDS, that led to the close of developer Eurocom, Activision, the video game enterprise in charge of the James Bond videogames since 2008, could not return for another Bond video game.

Artwork for Activision's
GOLDENEYE 007 RELOADED.

Their Bond videogames QUANTUM OF SOLACE, BLOOD STONE and 007 LEGENDS were deleted from Steam and official site online catalog, which means they could have ended up their 007 contract originally due to end in 2014.

Thanks to James Bond Brasil for the alert.

GOLDENEYE: SOURCE - The True Ressurection for Rare's Game?

To be honest, I've never cared about GOLDENEYE: SOURCE. I've played some of COUNTER STRIKE or HALF LIFE in my early youth days, but this HALF LIFE 2 mod based on the Nintendo 64 1997 game never took my attention. It seemed so... unofficial.

It took about five years and possesing a decent computer to see what was this about. GOLDENEYE 007 developed by Rareware for the N64 console system was truly the bomb. It is, still, the best Bond videogame ever. Why? Well, just try to shoot down your friends in NIGHTFIRE - you'll get a "mission failed" disclaimer and that's it. Do it in GOLDENEYE 007, and you'll be able to play for fun (even when your mission is still failed). Oh, and make sure to test the power of Grenade and Rocket Launchers in any other Bond game. I'm quite sure you'll know what I mean.

Well, let's go back to the "source". 

What is, exactly, GOLDENEYE: SOURCE?

It is a "mod" for HALF LIFE 2, that means, is a modification of the original game that recreates some of the most beautiful single player and multiplayer levels like Runway, Cradle, Bunker, Control and Facility, and some creative designers also offer for free download classic Bond maps inspired in the Casino Royale from the 2006 film and Scaramanga's Fun House from THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.

The characters have also been adapted to classic GOLDENEYE multiplayer characters like Bond, Mishkin, Ourumov, Trevelyan as well as some previous 007 film villains like Jaws, Baron Samedi, Oddjob and May Day, tough the likeness of Bond doesn't quite resemble Pierce Brosnan. And we also have, of course, remixes of the original Graeme Norgate and Grant Kirkhope soundtrack for the 1997 game - it's all there, including the beloved weapons PP7, Klobb, KF7 Soviet, Golden Gun. Plus the gunbarrel sequence (only in 4.1 versions or higher) and the blood death screen animation (still, you can toggle it off).

How do we get this? It's easy. All you got to do first is downloading Steam, a Valve game service. Download it, install it and create an account. Then you can download and install the GOLDENEYE: SOURCE itself (check out the download section in the official site). After the installation, just run the game and, depending your connection, you'll have to wait some hours to download the SDK Base 2007, which will help you to run the game without HALF LIFE 2. After SDK Base 2007 is installed, just open the game, and that's it.

It's hard to connect into the multiple online servers, but versions higher to 4.2 contain AI Bots to help you exchange some shoots.

Even with the lack of an idillic single player campaign, I'd strongly recommend this game for true fans of the N64 original game. It's its true sucessor, much more than Activision's 2010 remake.

Follow GOLDENEYE: SOURCE on Twitter @goldeneyesource

Nicolás Suszczyk

Editor, THE GOLDENEYE DOSSIER

GOLDENEYE 007 (N64) PROMO VIDEO

A relic! Here's a promo video covering GOLDENEYE 007 for Nintendo 64. Enjoy!

TRIVIA FACTS ABOUT THE WORLD OF GOLDENEYE - Part 2

In part two of our Trivia Facts About The World of GoldenEye section, we look back at some unknown trivia facts about the 1997 Nintendo 64 videogame GOLDENEYE 007, based on the 1995 film and developed by Rareware.

WARNING: IT MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS

• GOLDENEYE 007 was originally intended to be a Super Nintendo release to tie-in with the film’s release date of November 1995. The original idea was an on-rails shooter in the style of VIRTUA COP.





Render featuring a gunbarrel sequence


• GOLDENEYE 007 was the first Bond game for the Nintendo 64 console system, and it also was the first 007 videogame to feature a simultaneous 4-Player Multiplayer mode.

• Many tendencies from this game were set as standards in future 007 videogames, as the blood-drip death screen, which can also be seen in TOMORROW NEVER DIES, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (both N64 and PS1 versions), NIGHTFIRE, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, QUANTUM OF SOLACE, BLOOD STONE and, of course, the 2010 remake of GOLDENEYE 007.

• The guns in the game were renamed from the originals, maybe for copyright reasons: Bond’s Walther PPK became the PP7, the Kalashnikov 47 became the KF7 Soviet, the M16 Assault Rifle became the AR33, the H&K MP5 became the Deutche MP5, and Ouromov’s reglamentary Makarov handgun became a DD44 Dostovei, which is actually a Tokarev.

• In the first mission, the Dam, the guard that can be seen opening the gates at the opening cinematic, won’t attack us until he reaches his route, even if he sees us. Using the ‘Turbo Mode’ cheat we can get to him.

• In the same level, there’s an island where Bond was supposed to visit in order to accomplish an objective. Fans who got to the island using the GameShark tools claim there’s a gun and a body armor there, besides the desactivated gun turret that can be seen using Sniper Rifle.

• According to the film, Alec Trevelyan face scars are produced by the Facility explotions. Still, in the second mission of this game (based on that scene), we can not only see the scars, but also a wedding ring on his hand.

• The Facility scenario has appeared not only in the Multiplayer mode of other Bond games like GOLDENEYE ROGUE AGENT, but in Rare games like PERFECT DARK and PERFECT DARK ZERO. In GOLDENEYE 007, the level also features the Bond silohuette with a ban signal, maybe as an in joke from the Rare team.

• One of the scientists in the level keeps the Keycard A, which can open every door in the Facility. Players can wait him in the toilet to force him to drop this keycard. There’s a scientist called Dr. Doak in the game, which is a double agent we have to contact in the Secret Agent and 00 Agent difficulty settings. The character was named after David Doak, a member of the Rare team.

• David Doak was not the only developer who got his name and face on the game. Ken Lobb, ex member of Nintendo of America, lent not only his face to the soldiers, civilians and scientists, but the name to one of the weapons: the Klobb. Other workers such as Greame Norgate and Grant Kirkhope can also be seen ‘playing’ characters in the game.

• We can remember that 006 kills a scientist at the beginning of the film. Still, in the Facility and in some other missions we have clears orders of prevent scientist/civilian casualties. In fact, if we harm scientists in the Facility level, some of them defend themselves with grenades and DD44 guns.

• The dialogue changes in this level when you meet Trevelyan. If you get to the bottling room harmless, Bond will say “It was too easy (getting here), Alec”. Otherwise, he’ll say “It was a bit tricky” or “I almost got killed getting here.” If we shoot him, he’ll attack us claiming: “So, the golden boy is a traitor, how ironic”. If we kill him, he’ll say: “Why, James?”





Render featuring the tank chase. The vehicle
features in two missions: Runway and Streets.


• Also, original stills of this level showed, just like in the film, more gas tanks than the ten we find in the bottling room.

• In the Runway level, inspired in Bond’s escape from the Facility, Bond can get a tank to reach the place, instead of the bike used in the film. The bike was designed and a miniature model can be seen in a table on the next level, Surface. However, in the Wii remake of the game, Bond rides a bike just like in the film and tries to catch the plane in mid-air.

• In the Bunker 1 level, blowing up the hanging TVs in the control room with remote mines will cause bullets and rockets freeze in the air. In this level, we meet Boris for the first time. Even when he is a civilian and shouldn’t be killed, we won’t fail the mission if we kill him (except in the Secret Agent and 00 Agent modes before he turns expendable).

• Original images of the Silo level showed Bond taking and elevator and shooting enemies with an AR33. Finally, we don’t get that gun nor that elevator in this level.

• In the same level, Bond is ambushed by Ouromov. If we shoot him (or if we kill him with the Golden Gun), he’ll escape and throw a briefcase. Still, this belonged to a lost objective from the level.

Bond infiltrates the Severnaya Bunker, a place he didn't
visited in the original film.

• According to Moneypenny’s briefing for the Frigate mission, Xenia Onatopp may be aboard, just like in the film. Still, there’s no trace of her in the final game. Also, the pilot she shoots in the film is a character available in the Multiplayer mode. The helicopter aboard the frigate was renamed “Pirate” instead of “Tiger”.

• In the Bunker 2 level, we can get Throwing Knives by using the Magnet Watch on a grating on the floor. In the same level, we are asked to recover a CCTV VideoTape, which features the poster artwork for the 1995 film.

• In the Statue Park level, we finally find out Alec Trevelyan is Janus. To meet him, we have to reach the Lenin statue. If we’re carring a gun, he’ll ask us to put it away. If we go unarmed, he’ll say: “No gun 007? MI6 must have been readjusting budgets.” We can also kill Trevelyan if we use a Sniper Rifle or if we shoot him with the Golden Gun, but we’ll fail the mission since he hasn’t revealed himself.

• The Archives level features two hidden passages; one of them is hidden behind a big pile of four boxes. They’re also available in the Multiplayer mode.

• In the Streets level, where we ride the tank again, we were supposed to face Russian Police troops, just like in the film, but for unknown reasons they were dropped out and only available with the 64 characters cheat for Multiplayer.

• We have two ways of ending the Depot mission. One is to shoot both guards after opening the doors of Trevelyan’s train; the other is to enter without killing the guards. If we go for the second option, we’ll watch Bond killing the guards before straightening his tie in the cinematic.

• In the Train level, if we destroy the wooden crates, we’ll get a RCP-90 in Agent and Secret Agent, and a gun in 00 Agent. If we are quick enough and get to kill Ouromov, Xenia and Alec (quickly with the Gold PP7 and using the ‘Turbo Mode’ cheat), we’ll have the chance to get to the the end of the wagon. Still, there’s nothing interesting there. By hitting Xenia or Alec, the cowntdown for the bomb will start later.

• The RCP-90 gun, which we ‘officialy’ get in this level, was named after the graphic chip of the N64: RCP stands for Reality CoProcessor and 90 is the frecuency the CPU can reach (93.5 MhZ).

In GOLDENEYE 007, Bond has a 'closer' contact
with Boris Grishenko

• The same that happened in Facility and Statue Park occurs in the Control level: the dialogue variations. At the beginning of the mission, we have to take all enemies down so that Natalya can unlock the doors. If we succeed harmless, she’ll say: “James, you were wonderful.” If we lose some health, she’ll tell us: “James, you’re hurt.”

• In the same mission, if we blow up a computer where Natalya’s working at, she’ll tell us: “I’m going back to the lift, I might be there when you stop clowning around.” And our mission will be failed. The same happens if we kill Boris, since she isn’t angry with him as in the film.

• In the Caverns level, if we shoot some crates next to the radio we use to contact Jack Wade, we’ll get a double AR33.

• The Antenna Cradle level is the last mission of the film’s storyline. After we find Trevelyan, the fight can get longer and longer depending of how good our accuaracy is. Everytime he gets shot, he’ll say phrases based on the movie. If we stand next to the stairs for about ten seconds without entering the Console Control Room where he’s waiting us, he’ll kill himself with a grenade (a glitch) and our objective B will be complete. On the other hand, if he challenges us for a duel in the platform (just like in the film) and we kill him, we’ll get an animation of him falling down, before the classic cinematic of Bond clinging to the helicopter. The latter animation may change if we use the ‘Fast Animation’ or ‘Slow Animation’ cheats, where, depending on the case, Bond will jump before the helicopter gets to pick him up or the helicopter will leave without him.

• If we beat the storyline missions in the Secret Agent difficulty, we’ll unlock the Aztec Complex mission, inspired on the film MOONRAKER. In this level, we’ll have to battle Jaws (even when he turned on our side at the end of that film) in order to get a security card. However, there’s a complicated trick that allows us to get the door open avoiding Jaws: if we attract the guards before reaching the mainframe room and we hide somewhere, one guard will open that door.

• Just like in the MOONRAKER film, there were also female guards in this level, but they were dropped out of the level and left only for the Multiplayer Mode. At the second stage of the game, we’ll find a bridge that goes through a pit. If we fall down there, we’ll get on a corridor that will eventually lead us where Jaws is.

• The last level of the game is Egyptian, based on LIVE AND LET DIE and THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. This level can be unlocked by beating the game in the 00 Agent difficulty setting. Here, we have to recover the Golden Gun and confront Baron Samedi. At the end of the game, we’ll have a cinematic of him laughing, just like in the end of LIVE AND LET DIE. Still, changing the control settings to ‘Domino’ and using remote mines, we can blow him away (we can also do the same with Natalya in Bunker 2 and Archives).

GOLDENEYE 007 magazine ad. You can noticed
the white tuxedo clad Bond inspired by Sean Connery
that was removed from the game.

• Other Bond classic characters, May Day from A VIEW TO A KILL and Oddjob from GOLDFINGER, are available in the Multiplayer mode after you beat the game. Still, they are nowhere in the single player campaign.

• The Multiplayer mode originally featured an ‘All Bonds’ cheat, as it could be seen in many production stills of the game featuring a character with a white tuxedo (presumably based on Sean Connery). Still, for copyright reasons, this cheat was removed but discretely kept in PERFECT DARK.

Sources: MI6 Declassified Magazine #2 (February 2008), MundoRare.com

ANOTHER GOLDENEYE?

MI6-HQ.co.uk reports that Activision registered a series of domains, apparently titled "GoldenEye Reloaded"

goldeneye007gamereloaded.com
goldeneyereloadedgame.com
goldeneyereloaded007.com
goldeneye007reloaded.com

After releasing a remake of the 1997 game for the Wii, it is most likely that this domain could be a recreation of the original game, just like the cancelled GOLDENEYE 007 XBOX360 version.