More than a decade after its official cancellation, remaster of James Bond-themed video game "GoldenEye 007" leaked online. Rare, the game's developer, worked on the remaster of the 1997 game of the same name back in 2008.
YouTube personality and streamer Graslu00 posted a two-hour video of the leaked software. Although fans are desperate to see them, some of the clips that have been going around the internet have been taken down by the devs.
Unfortunately, Rare canceled the original remaster due to copyright issues. An old report from 1Up notices that the game was near completion, but the issue stroke among numbers of right-holders of the franchise. These holders included Nintendo, Microsoft, Eon Productions, and all the actors whose likenesses were featured in the game.
Overwhelming Welcome
For David Doak, the game's designer, the fact that fans are still craving for such old-game content brought him so much excitement. While the cancellation was devastating, it was fun to see the game "out in the wild."
"It is always heart-warming to see that the original game is still so fondly remembered and has obviously brought joy to so many people over almost 25 years since release," said the designer, as reported by the BBC.
Doak's in-game character, Dr. Doak, had been removed from the original remaster game but modders with the leaked software put him back in. He's a double-agent scientist in a chemical weapon facility, and becomes a close sidekick to Bond and helps him moving further with his mission. Later in the game, Dr. Doak leaves the facility before Bond releases the nerve gas.
Is it playable? Should you be able to find a copy of the ROM and configure an Xbox 360 emulator, like Xenia, then the answer is yes. Or, you may still tune in to Digital Foundry's live stream here to see what Rare could have offered a decade ago for 007 fans.
Old-Time Hit
"GoldenEye 007" was released in 1997 exclusively in Nintendo 64 systems. The game was a hit back in the days, having amassed several end-year awards including the BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Games Award and four others from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
"GoldenEye 007" was ahead of its time. The game has been constantly hailed as one of the most important pieces of works in the gaming industry for its realistic-looking style, stealth element, and atmospheric single-player missions.
Unfortunately, Eon Productions, as the main holder of the James Bond franchise, wasn't happy with the characters' portrayals in the game. It backfired at Rare because Eon soon gave the license for future 007 games to its competitor, Activision.
It's been forever since we saw an official James Bond game, as the franchise had been on years of hiatus. But last year, IO Interactive, devs of Hitman, announced a brand new James Bond video game titled "Project 007" in collaboration with MGM and Eon.
