The Nintendo Switch port of GoldenEye 007 will be receiving the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, which will make online multiplayer available. However, one of the most distinguishable sounds of the game will be absent in the Switch version. After nearly a quarter of a century since its initial release on the Nintendo 64, players on Nintendo and Xbox will be able to enjoy GoldenEye 007 on current generation systems.
For years, rumors of a GoldenEye 007 remaster or re-launch kept buzzing in the air, and the extension of the trademark added fuel to the fire. The speculation was finally put to rest when Microsoft and Nintendo declared the game’s triumphant return during the September 2022 Nintendo Direct. The Switch version was made accessible to Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers, and Xbox versions were available for Xbox Game Pass subscribers and Rare Replay owners. Microsoft revealed that unlike the Switch version, the Xbox versions of GoldenEye 007 do not possess online multiplayer support.
Those eager for the launch of GoldenEye 007 for Switch noticed the iconic “gong” sound was absent in a clip shared by Nintendo on Twitter. This specific track from the Q Watch is one of the most iconic sounds from GoldenEye 007, so its absence has left players of the original Nintendo 64 version wondering why.
Some gamers have voiced concern that the customary GoldenEye 007 gong sound may be absent due to the emulator settings for the Nintendo 64 titles on the Switch. There have been known technical difficulties with the Switch’s N64 emulator in the past with certain releases, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Mario Kart 64. Luckily, Nintendo regularly patches up the N64 emulator in order to boost the accuracy of assets, improve online latency in multiplayer, and repair any bugs that might occur. If any issues pop up in GoldenEye 007 , Nintendo should be able to address them through updates.
Those who are fond of GoldenEye 007 should hold off until the game is released on the Switch and any potential problems can be identified. Also, Nintendo’s editing out of the gong sound from the GoldenEye 007 clip is still a probability. After all, the company shared the clip to advertise Grant Kirkhope’s remarkable score for the game.
Nintendo has the opportunity to give a new generation of gamers the chance to experience the first-person shooter genre’s initial venture into multiplayer from the late 1990s with the release of GoldenEye 007 on the Switch. Not only does it support online multiplayer, but it also offers local play, making it perfect for hangouts. Nintendo should strive to make the GoldenEye 007 experience on the Switch as close to the original as possible while also aiming to meet modern standards in terms of performance when it comes to first-person shooters.
GoldenEye 007 is scheduled to be released on January 27 for the Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
