So, Where Is GoldenEye 007 for Nintendo Switch (and Xbox)?
Last Updated on January 10, 2024
It has been almost two years of rumours and eventually announcements, but still GoldenEye 007 is yet to appear on Nintendo Switch or Xbox. Despite a trailer at last week’s Game Awards, the game is still to materialize in the Nintendo 64 app on Switch, and there is no sign of it on th Xbox Store.
A quick recap: the game was developed for re-release on Xbox 360 (via Xbox Live) back in 2008, but was eventually pulled for some reason. Replacing it was GoldenEye 007 for the Wii in 2010, a new version with bigger maps and Daniel Craig’s likeness replacing Pierce Brosnan’s, and the Xbox version was forgotten…
…until early 2021, when it appeared online. It was possible to run the lost GoldenEye on Xbox emulators on Windows, giving a flavour of both the original Nintendo 64 graphics and updated graphics for Xbox. The existence of the game surprised many, who had thought it either lost of simply inadequately developed when it was cancelled.
What followed was months of rumours about the game being re-released on Xbox – or was it Nintendo Switch, or even both – with promises of “next week” and “tomorrow!” which eventually subsided, before notching up considerably with confirmation that GoldenEye 007 was to be re-released.
Since then? Crickets. No sign of any GoldenEye game on Nintendo Switch.
The inference from the Nintendo Direct news was that GoldenEye 007 would be available during 2022. After all, the trailer above clearly states “coming soon.” Rewind to September 2022, and “coming soon” implies this year. “Coming 2023” would imply next year.
So, what the hell is going on? Where is GoldenEye 007? And why didn’t it appear in the Xbox Games Pass trailer?
You won’t be surprised to learn that we don’t know. No one knows. The Nintendo of America Twitter account has naturally ignored all demands for answers from everyone asking “where is GoldenEye?”
With just 16 days of 2022 left to go, GoldenEye 007 isn’t hiding in the N64 app on Nintendo Switch, no matter how many times I check. Unless it’s being held for a surprise Christmas Day drop, we’ll still be looking for the GoldenEye game on the Switch or Xbox well into 2023…
Gaming since 1984, retro gaming since 2004. Contributes to Linux Format magazine, TechRadar.com, and other publications.
