Hello friends! Tim here with another deep dive into retro gaming trivia. Today, we’re dusting off our Walther PPK and stepping into the shadowy world of GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64. This classic title is packed with fascinating details, hidden content, and behind-the-scenes insights. So, sit back, relax, and let’s explore some intriguing facts from the third best-selling Nintendo 64 game of all time.

Hidden Gore and Graphic Content

Originally, GoldenEye 007 was intended to feature more graphic violence, including exploding corpses. However, the game’s director, Martin Hollis, decided this might be too intense, resulting in the toned-down version we know today.

Japan’s Alternate Weapon Unlocks

The Japanese version of the game replaced the hunting knife with a cheat code that gives Bond a rocket launcher and a sniper rifle. Interestingly, the sniper scope can still be used while firing the rocket launcher, making precision explosive attacks far easier.

The Dam Guard Glitch

Speed through the Dam level fast enough, and you’ll encounter a guard walking through the security gates. Since he’s on a preset path, he’ll completely ignore you until he reaches his destination — only then will he open fire.

The Mysterious Multiplayer Terrorist

While the Terrorist character is available in multiplayer mode, he’s mysteriously absent from the single-player campaign. The game manual lists the Phantom gun as a terrorist’s weapon of choice, which is only found on the Frigate level — the sole mission featuring hostages. This suggests the terrorist character was once intended as an enemy here but was ultimately cut from the campaign.

Hidden Music Inspirations

The “Frigate” level theme includes elements inspired by A View to a Kill by Duran Duran and We Care A Lot by Faith No More.

Level Design Secrets

Many GoldenEye levels were built without set objectives at first. Designers added mission goals, enemy placements, and Bond’s starting position afterward — explaining why some areas feel empty or underutilized.

Super Mario 64 Influence

The idea of adding multiple objectives per level came from the design philosophy behind Super Mario 64.

A Game Expected to Fail

In 2004, Martin Hollis revealed that GoldenEye 007 was expected to flop. It debuted poorly at E3, being a console FPS (then a risky genre), tied to a movie license, and launching two years after the GoldenEye film’s release. Fortunately, it became a massive hit, ranking third in N64 sales.

Multiplayer: The Surprising Afterthought

Programmer Steve Ellis developed the now-iconic multiplayer mode in just one month — as an afterthought! Rare’s management didn’t even know about it until the mode was finished and working.

Star Trek Easter Egg

An unfinished placeholder model in the game is actually a Borg cube from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Trevelyan’s Odd Behavior

Alec Trevelyan is right-handed in every mission except “Control.”

The Scrapped Casino Level

The Silo mission was originally intended to be a casino stage. Remnants like gold bars, tokens, and cash still exist in the game’s code.

From On-Rails to Full Control

GoldenEye 007 was initially designed as an on-rails shooter before shifting to full player control.

Bond’s Working Watch

Bond’s iconic watch keeps time in real-time, even when the game is paused.

Beta Sky Designs

The original Surface 1 beta version featured a white, cloudless sky to simulate snowfall. Similarly, the beta Statue level had a gray, foggy sky with different statue arrangements.

Glitchy Multiplayer Maps

The Statue and Cradle levels were initially multiplayer maps but were removed due to performance issues. They can still be accessed with a GameShark, albeit with heavy lag and glitches.

The Lost Motorbike

The Runway level was once set to feature a drivable motorbike like in the film. While this was scrapped, a life-sized bike model still exists in the game’s files, and a miniature version appears on a desk in the Surface level.

The Mystery of the Spyder Weapon

The game’s manual mentions a Soviet weapon called the Spyder, which doesn’t appear in the final release. The weapon was renamed the Klobb after Ken Lobb from Nintendo of America. Initially, the gun was going to be named the Skorpion, after the real-life VZ/61 Skorpion.

The Russian Guard with a PP7

In the first Bunker level, one Russian guard uniquely carries Bond’s PP7 sidearm — a strange choice since all other commandants wield DD44s.

Hidden Bond Actors

Timothy Dalton, Sean Connery, and Roger Moore are all hidden in the game’s code. These unused models can be accessed via cheat codes, though only in the menus. Licensing issues are believed to be the reason they were scrapped.

Rumble Pack Reload Trick

During development, reloading was planned to involve physically removing and reinserting the N64 Rumble Pack, mimicking magazine swapping — an ambitious feature that was ultimately scrapped.

And that’s a wrap, friends! I hope you enjoyed these fascinating GoldenEye 007 facts. Don’t forget to share this post with fellow Bond fans, leave a comment, and subscribe for more retro gaming insights. Until next time, happy gaming!