After being announced and leaving gamers waiting on the edge of their seats, Goldeneye 007 finally returned to Nintendo Switch (via Nintendo Switch Online) and Xbox consoles this past weekend. And it has certainly left a lot of nostalgic feelings shaken and stirred. It’s good to see this classic back in action, something we never thought we’d see given the many rights involved with the characters and such. But, alas, Nintendo and Microsoft pulled off a miracle, and now people get to experience this again – either with local multiplayer or, on the Switch, online.
So how does it fare? Let’s take a look at each particular version and measure things up.

Nintendo Switch
First off, the Switch version is obviously going to be a favorite to some, because it exclusively has online play. We’re not sure how that happened, likely a deal between Microsoft and Nintendo to get the game made and shared. But whatever.
Anyway, the online play works really well, at least with the matches we played. It can take a little bit to get connected in some cases, but overall we’re impressed by how well it measures up. Of course, if you want local play, that’s available as well.

However, you might want to adjust the controls. When we first started, they seemed a bit weird, leaning more towards playing with the classic Nintendo 64 controller than your typical Switch pad. You can do some reconfiguring, thank goodness, but we’re not sure why Rare didn’t go with a more traditional option right off the bat, like Xbox has.
As for the rest of the game, it looks like its classic N64 self; and while that’s not as smooth as the Xbox version, it’s still going to be enough to please fans of the game. So, yes, by all means, dig in.

Xbox Series S/X
On the other hand, you have the Xbox version. And it’s a beaut. Even on the older Xbox One, Goldeneye 007 looks excellent, with beautiful visuals that make the most of the classic N64 engine. But there’s an even smoother frame rate on Xbox Series S/X, so if you’ve got that hardware, you’ll absolutely get a kick out of how good exploding furniture looks. (It’s still the N64 engine, though, so don’t sweat that.)

The gameplay also feels better, thanks to the default control scheme that doesn’t get all weird like the Switch version. Playing with an Xbox pad just feels better overall, aside from the classic N64 controller. And what’s more, you can adjust however you see fit in the pause menu, which, yes, still uses your watch.
As for multiplayer, it’s fine. There’s no online option, but the local multiplayer is outstanding and a lot of fun. What’s more, you can unlock some pretty cool Achievements here.
Finally, we did mention that if you have Xbox Game Pass or the digital copy of Rare Replay, the game is free, correct? Nothing wrong with free.

A Golden Release
While some may think this game hasn’t aged well compared to other shooters, there’s no denying that it’s absolutely awesome to see this classic again. Goldeneye 007 is a treat on both consoles, even if both versions have their own individual perks to choose from. No matter what you go with, however, you’ll find hours of enjoyment here across the awesome campaign and stacked multiplayer. Now come down this hallways where we have some proximity mines waiting…

The Bottom Line:
It may not have features like contemporary shooters, but Goldeneye 007 will hit you with retro goodness from every angle. Bring your friends.