The Making of GoldenEye 007 (N64) | Documentary

This documentary offers a glimpse into the making of one of my all-time favourite games; a game that revolutionised first-person shooters, and defined the Nintendo 64 - GoldenEye 007.
Join me as we look into the birth and development of the game, and hear some inside information from several of its developers.
0:00 Intro
3:00 Team
15:05 Concept
19:00 Bond licence
22:25 Reference material
26:58 Hardware & Software
34:16 Level design
39:05 Character design & Motion capture
46:27 Missions & AI
56:15 Cut content
57:50 Gadgets
1:00:47 Soundtrack
1:13:53 Controls
1:17:39 Multiplayer
1:24:47 Playtesting
1:27:43 Cheats
1:29:48 Release & Success
1:38:05 Legacy
1:40:01 Credits
A huge thank you to:
David Doak
/ drdoak
Mark Edmonds
www.mobygames.com/developer/s...
Karl Hilton
www.mobygames.com/developer/k...
Brett Jones
brett-jones-art.co.uk/
Grant Kirkhope
/ grantkirkhope
Graeme Norgate
/ norgans
Gameplay footage (16:9) from:
The Mr. X Podcast
/ @themrxpodcast
Gameplay footage (4:3) from:
World of Longplays (played by Darius320)
/ @worldoflongplays
Multiplayer footage from:
InstantClassicGames
/ @instantclassicgames
Shinobi ̄\[T]/ ̄
/ @westendshinobi
XBLA footage from:
Graslu00
/ @graslu00
Special Thanks to:
Matt Farrell
Essex Retro Gamer
/ channel
#GoldenEye #N64 #Rare #007 #Nintendo

[@onaretrotip]

Hope you all enjoy this one. All six interviews will be uploaded in full (with video) in the coming weeks to the playlist below. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmiWiqh3mq2pg8U

[@SuperFriendBFG]

Oh man, hearing Mr. Doak talk about people who say GE or PD don't hold up made me wince. Even before the Project Bean leak, I had already replayed both GoldenEye and Perfect Dark using an Emulator along with a Mouse & Keyboard plugin. The controls felt really tight, and this is coming from someone who grew up on Quake games. It's a cryin' shame that GoldenEye XBLA will likely never see an official re-release, almost seen as a pariah by the right's owners.

[@onaretrotip]

@@SuperFriendBFG I know, right. I loved that he said that, because I still play it all the time and find myself constantly defending it.

[@kingtofive5]

Hola , por que no pones disponibles subtítulos en español ???

[@onaretrotip]

@@kingtofive5 Están disponibles. Puede seleccionar la traducción automática en los subtítulos.

[@kingtofive5]

@@onaretrotip mmmmm voy a buscar , muchas gracias

[@andyl5297]

To any of the Rare team involved in this game that are reading this, thank you. Thank you so much of hours of entertainment. You're all purely legends.

[@onaretrotip]

👍

[@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24]

I was chief designer of the levels and models and script and write the story and animations. I did about 60% of the game myself.

[@dutch7564]

@@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24 of course you did Bobby

[@chivalrous_chevy1163]

Randy Boyer, is that you? It's me, Martin Mark, remember how we designed some of the levels together, especially later in the game?

[@wadeokaysguitar]

@@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24 your other comments on this video prove otherwise.

[@gbresaleking]

Kids these days will never know how much fun a bunch of friends split screening goldeneye can truly have

[@onaretrotip]

Sad but true.

[@Chadhogan111]

Yes, multiplayer died after this game. Sad.

[@King_Hippo_69]

I'm a thirteen year old, and goldeneye is my favorite game. Me and my mom play the multiplayer together

[@sleepydragonzarinthal3533]

@@Chadhogan111 never played Halo? Left4Dead? There were lots of couch games after Goldeneye, not sure how many were on Nintendo, other than Smash Bros etc

[@ElasticSparrow]

Not as much fun as Perfect Dark

[@patmalloy3569]

"There was a pressure to deliver, but not of budget or time. But to deliver a good game first." We need that again today

[@onaretrotip]

100%. At least it's returned to a degree with the indie scene.

[@this_mfr]

Hideo Kojima had the exact same philosophy with Metal Gear and was literally fired for it. People have accepted low quality and paid for it. Supply and demand. If people would simply stop buying trash, they'd stop making it. It's the consumer's fault.

[@patmalloy3569]

@@this_mfr I believe it

[@onaretrotip]

@@this_mfr Absolutely. This is why people need to stop pre-ordering games.

[@RedGreenLugar]

​@@onaretrotipI know I stopped. After Battlefield 3 I have yet to pre order another game, literally returned the game same day I picked up and went back to Bad Company 2

[@tubacody]

This should be considered the definitive word on the history of GoldenEye. I’ll be rewatching for years to come. Well Done, man!!

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you so much, Calvin. Very kind.

[@duncanmclellan]

Absolutely. This is a labour of love and it’s apparent that hundreds of hours were invested in pulling it off. The contributors were also aware they must’ve been partaking in something substantial! Great work. Thanks.

[@onaretrotip]

@@duncanmclellan Thank you very much.

[@WickedRaccoon16_61]

Well said this is very well made you maid quite the documentary. As someone who was born in 91 i lived the goldeneye and nintendo 64 years iv always whanted to know the making of and this video answerd it quite well thnk you

[@onaretrotip]

@@WickedRaccoon16_61 My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@imforealz8617]

Young people will never understand how important and how pivotal this game was for defining and shaping first person shooters. This is the GOAT without question. So many hours played with friends on split screen, sleep overs, bets, etc. the memories are engrained in me and many of my longtime friends even 25 years later. This is an amazing piece of work

[@onaretrotip]

I think young people take a lot for granted when it comes to video games. Good times back then though! Thank you.

[@chriskelly509]

I remember playing with 4 players and using a separate TV and blocking out half the screen with paper... 😆

[@ChibabaDave]

Had a few of my younger colleagues round for beers during lockdown and had the n64 out and gave them a shot. It was interesting that only 10 years difference existed between us but theyd never heard of or appreciated goldeneye.

[@beanwithbacon]

Quake enters the chat. Quake did everything GE did and A LOT more over a year before GE did it. All Goldeney did was jade multiple generations of gamers into thinking that FPS games could work at all with a controller forever fucking over design in the genre. Controllers DRAMATICALLY hinder FPS game design.

[@ShinkuGouki]

A masterpiece. Man,I'm getting old...

[@dickieradd]

I'm 36. To this day, it is the best FPS in history. The physics, the auto aim, the loud gun sounds, the unique level layouts, the soundtrack, the ruthlessness of those baby blue turrets on the ceiling. Best experience of my life and I wish they'd remaster it in full

[@onaretrotip]

Totally agree. A proper remaster would be nice. Love the cancelled XBOX 360 version; been playing that a lot.

[@tommyjones1357]

Yup. Best game ever made. While all the preps were playing their fancy new Xboxes with that Halo garbage, my friends and I played N64.

[@Rubbe87]

Try the leaked canceled remaster.

[@Allplussomeminus]

33 here. I always remember being unsettled by blood soaking through their clothes on multiplayer... And the blood didn't leave upon respawning. It added a brutal intensity to the gameplay.

[@AG-ld6rv]

You've got to buy some newer games if you think this is the greatest FPS of all time. For some reason, people often list outdated games in their top 10 of all time. The question is best game -- not "game I enjoyed most growing up" or "Game I have the most nostalgia for" or "Game that impacted video games the most" or "Game that was superior to all games in its genre back in the day and maybe a little bit in the future" or any other question. I'd rather play a 5/10 modern shooter over Golden Eye any day.

[@Z_RLBXY]

I cant believe they actually made a movie about this game. What a time to be alive!

[@onaretrotip]

LOL

[@Kain_Highwind_]

No, the game was released one year after the movie itself! 🤣

[@LeonSheeter]

Yeah... lol ... like .. Woah Hey check out this video game.. wow this is a really cool area here .. Oh so that's what the character looks like that you play as? Dude we should like totally gather our resources & time & effort & just start filming an entire movie based off of THIS video game! How about Pierce Brosnan? He looks just like this video game's main character!!

[@Z_RLBXY]

@@LeonSheeter Sometimes I wonder if they used Pierce Brosnan and Sean Bean as inspiration for the characters. Great casting eye for whoever cast the cast.

[@LeonSheeter]

@@Z_RLBXY I wonder that too... but uhh.. Oh, while I'm at it.. What the F--- kinda "making of" video is this?? I thought it would show the whole Rareware team sitting around like "There, now we have proximity mines all coded, How are you doing over there, Dr. Doak? good"

[@astroguster5522]

I still remember walking up to the counter at Toys R Us with a bag full of quarters and singles to get my $70 copy of GoldenEye complete with rumble pack. This project is beyond just being a game.

[@onaretrotip]

Ah, good times.

[@Sov92]

This game was $70?

[@samuelreddick4083]

@@Sov92 yes

[@Sov92]

@@samuelreddick4083 That is mind blowing for the time but worth EVERY penny. It makes me even more grateful I had the chance to grow up with this fine game.

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

@@Sov92 It was quite common back then for people to go to their local Blockbuster and rent the console and the game on weekends to play all nighters instead of buying such an expensive game and console… me and my roommates used to do that in the late 90s when I was in college. I never played the campaign pf this game - only match after endless match of the multiplayer. It was so addicting!!

[@HeavyProfessor]

This documentary is an astounding achievement. And GoldenEye 007 didn't just change gaming. It changed millions of lives and created permanent childhood memories for an entire generation.

[@onaretrotip]

Absolutely!

[@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24]

Games are a negative distraction for childs and should be banned.

[@NintenDub]

@@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24 agreed.all who play should be out to death. I'll bet you play games so

[@KhemZombi3]

@bobby ray of the family smith you should be banned. Also, it is "children," not childs.

[@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24]

@@NintenDub I'm far too busy being a productive member of society to play child games.

[@wadeokaysguitar]

I’m still playing this on the 64 that I got Christmas morning when I was 5. My wife doesn’t play, but I’ve caught her humming some of the music around the house 😂 the music is her favorite part.

[@onaretrotip]

Hahaha brilliant!

[@ItsVictoriaG]

I got my N64 for Christmas when I was 7 and foolishly traded it in for a GameCube. One of my biggest regrets!

[@wadeokaysguitar]

I allowed my mom to sell my games in a garage sale a long time ago, but told her not to give up the console. Very glad I was smart enough to mention that part.

[@cemsengul16]

@@ItsVictoriaG My N64 was stolen, I know how you feel.

[@SilentHotdog28]

@@wadeokaysguitar I sold my games except for Goldeneye, couldn't let go of it.

[@llamajuice]

We all grew up with our dads watching WW2 documentaries endlessly. Our kids will grow up with us watching old video game documentaries.

[@onaretrotip]

Wow, I absolutely love this comment. So true.

[@SuperHns]

facts although I think is important even to show kids from now the docu's about ww2

[@llamajuice]

@@SuperHns Nah fam. Show them the documentary about the making of Medal of Honor or something.

[@SuperHns]

@@llamajuice my grandparents almost didn't make it so my kid is going to know the history is important we teach history so it hopefully won't be repeating

[@SuperHns]

@@llamajuice that too.

[@RemnantCult]

I love the fact that the dev team was made up of mostly greenhorns who never made a game before. Honestly, as a programmer myself, that's inspirational.

[@onaretrotip]

It's great isn't it!

[@RetroRogue.]

@Micozane Woods A person who is inexperienced.

[@ShinkuGouki]

They created a masterpiece

[@sleepydragonzarinthal3533]

there is a certain magic to a working on a project that has no "right way" to complete

[@AkamiChannel]

Same

[@jerrym1218]

David Doak will forever be a living legend in my eyes. “Dr. Doak”

[@onaretrotip]

Absolutely.

[@clockworkNate]

I HATE DOAK!!!!!! And Goldeneye now because of him!!! Which is weird because I used to love it before playing this recent port and trying to get 00 agent facility time 2:05 😂

[@jerrym1218]

@@clockworkNate lol 😂

[@Jdockery007]

Time to leave Dr. Doak

[@dragomilosevic4823]

Thats my family name. I didn't know it was common enough

[@emo_drummer_9398]

Nothing beats being sat there with four of your mates on a 14" television all with grenade launchers in the Temple. No phone constantly buzzing with all that Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat nonsense. Wish I could go back to that time. I remember unboxing my N64 on Christmas day (with Goldeneye) and my dear Dad helping me to set it up. A bottled, treasured feeling. Thanks for a great documentary! Much appreciated!

[@onaretrotip]

Good times indeed :) Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@WarReport.]

n64 was a special time

[@michaelb9537]

Just turn off notifications and get smaller tv.

[@robmerritt1982]

This is exactly what me n friends would do! When me n my friends graduated school we played this n Tony Hawks pro skater almost every single night! But on goldeneye it was always the funniest with grenade launchers only! Especially those long shots u jus get lucky on once n a while. 😂 man the nostalgia is real with this one!

[@surfdigby]

Even better is when your parents go away for the weekend, so you set the N64 up on the big TV downstairs. You load up Goldeneye, and tape bedsheets to the TV so that you can divide the screen up and block the other players from looking at your screen. Playing multiplayer Goldeneye as a genuine stealth game (turn the radar off for extra fun) is amazing. The only downside is having to explain to your parents what those sticky marks on top of the TV are.

[@IgnisPhoenix]

The death animations and reactions from the enemies being shot are the best ive seen in a shooter.

[@onaretrotip]

Yeah, they're awesome. And Duncan Botwood acted them all out!

[@SyrupCanuck]

Great part of the game for sure

[@ShinkuGouki]

And that was a looooong time ago

[@AllergicFungus]

Huh? It's unrealistic. Are you high?

[@kabluey_louie1718]

My friends and I would laugh our asses off watching the enemy ai die. For a bunch of 11 yr olds, that was funny 🤣

[@jmaynez2332]

Thank you to the Rare team for contributing such a massive amount to my childhood.

[@onaretrotip]

👌

[@SMjerZgirl]

This game was so much fun, a prominent part of my childhood. Deathmatch especially when we had sleepovers

[@onaretrotip]

Good times.

[@HI-pi1er]

Miss those times !

[@ShinkuGouki]

The Golden Gun 😍😍😍

[@sekrad]

I still play it to this day, in fact I recently attended a Goldeneye tournament at a brewery. Hadn’t booted it up in years, but didn’t take long to get back into the groove. Thank you to everyone who worked on this. Many happy memories. Best video game ever!

[@onaretrotip]

Awesome. I won a GoldenEye tournament about 7 years ago at an expo. I was so chuffed! LOL

[@GeekyCandi]

RARE...you are responsible for a majority of my best childhood memories with my siblings. Thank you for creating something that brought people together in an innovative way.

[@onaretrotip]

👏

[@wezite1983]

I used to live a 15 minute drive away from Twycross when I was a child. If the 10 year old me knew that my favourite games like DKC, Killer Instinct and Goldeneye 64 were made in my city, my mind would've been blown.

[@onaretrotip]

🤯

[@mayamanign]

As someone who used to work in the industry and was deeply involved in distribution at the time this game was released, I can't really emphasize how important this game was. Before there was a Halo there was GoldenEye. Well done, I think I'll subscribe.

[@onaretrotip]

Yes, I've found that people really understate its impact because it's "just another FPS on console". But at the time, FPS on console really wasn't a thing. Hugely influential. Thank you!

[@DarrenMcCowan280470]

An incredible piece of work Pete. Since the games release, we’ve all heard and read much more diluted versions of the development history via individual interviews and lesser scale documentaries but to have the ambition and dedication to pull something of this magnitude together should be applauded. You should be extremely proud of what you’ve achieved here. Many thanks.

[@onaretrotip]

Ah, thank you so much, Darren. I found that too - there doesn't seem to be a making of GoldenEye video with the developers in that's all-encompassing. It's all dotted around in pieces. Really glad you enjoyed it!

[@Drelam]

This is one of, if not the best making of a video game documentary I've ever seen.

[@onaretrotip]

Wow, thank you so much! 😭

[@user-tl4fi6oy8d]

One of the most brilliant, talented group of people to ever develop a game, certainly one of the greatest games ever made. During high school I spent many a weekend playing multiplayer with my 2 closest friends, often going to bed at 6 am Saturday or Sunday morning. Sometimes we even had a fourth if my other good friend was over. Those times rank among the finest gaming moments of my life. I can't believe it's been 25 years. Thank you for this incredible documentary.

[@onaretrotip]

Good times indeed. I'm sure so many of us have similar fond memories of playing this with friends. Thank you, it was my pleasure!

[@aarongray3573]

Oh yeah, sleepovers were next level amazing once Goldeneye came out.

[@FuzedBox]

No one was looking forward to this game. I ignored it in Nintendo Power and other magazines. Then one evening the commercial for it played on TV and said it was launching the next day. My whole family was blown away by what we saw and my dad stated "we're going to buy that first thing tomorrow". We woke up early and picked it up at K-Mart. We were that store's first sale of it. I played the first few levels, and started running around the neighborhood, cartridge in hand to show it off to everyone else. Virtually the whole block immediately ran out to buy their own copies after tasting it. What a time, and what a cultural zeitgeist of a game. Block parties and sleepovers were so special back then.

[@onaretrotip]

Yeah, film licensed games were not something people ever expected to be good.

[@RMBII91]

The algorithm finally blessed me 9 months later, what an excellent documentary of an all time great revolutionary game. You hear little tidbits of this over the years, but this is so concise and it's intriguing hearing all aspects of development and how it all came together perfectly. I love the story of the multiplayer development. I wonder if they knew how truly special of a game they had when they had those moments and how millions of people would share that feeling. It was good to hear at E3 how receptive people were over it especially with doubts over your own game. Possibly my favorite movie and game combination ever, I can't think of anything that tops it.

[@onaretrotip]

Finally the algorithm comes good! LOL Thank you, really pleased you enjoyed it.

[@justenbeashel]

Same! Thanks algorithm, finally

[@johnny5805]

I've watched so many Goldeneye 'making of's' on KZbin that I really didn't think there was anything new to learn. I was wrong. Yours is the best one. It's definitive. Well worth the 101 minutes - which incidentally, must have taken you an ice age to make !

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you so much, that's really kind of you to say. And yes, it took a very long time, but worth it!

[@vacatedarchitecture]

To say this team went above and beyond with this game is a great understatement. So many clever features. Great music. Groundbreaking concepts. Truly cutting edge for it’s time and still a blast to play to this day.

[@onaretrotip]

100%!

[@ericjohnson3332]

An aspect of this game that I dont think gets enough attention is the music. The music produced by Graeme and Grant in this game makes them a couple of the most genius composers ever. Each mission (except Jungle) has a unique theme that adds a distinct atmosphere that disappears in the event that it is turned off. The fact that each song is also a derivative of the Bond theme song makes it even more genius. Theres no other game that has even remotely replicated this feat before or since. Halo for example, does have some great atmospheric music that enhances the game, but it is nowhere as impactful or as distinct as GE. This game truly is one of a kind.

[@onaretrotip]

Couldn't agree more! That's why I had to dedicate a good chunk of the video to the music.

[@PlayMadness]

The choice to omit music entirely from Jungle after so many levels accompanied by intense, driving electronic and rock music was genius. It turns a relatively ordinary, linear corridor shooting level into a tense crawl through the underbrush, never sure if the next tree is hiding a soldier who will cut off a third or more of your health.

[@panamadaddy]

All of these guys will always be remembered for this legendary game, im thankful for these group of guys

[@onaretrotip]

I am too!

[@ShinkuGouki]

We're going to be the old geezers soon 😂😂😂

[@zacfromArkansas]

It’s hard to put into words how completely this game captured my imagination as a 12 year old. I still remember vividly the first time I played the Dam level and came to the locked gate. I was so confused. “There’s no way I can shoot this lock, right?” When I shot it and it popped off I knew this game was something special. The single greatest gaming experience I’ve ever had.

[@onaretrotip]

Yes! It's a shame that a lot of people only experienced the multiplayer, because the single-player missions were absolutely brilliant, and the way the levels and missions were designed was very clever.

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

@@onaretrotip Someone said that Nintendo re-released this game on their Switch? Is that true? My ex-boyfriend gave me his used Switch, but I have yet to fire it up even though there is quite a few games I would like to play on it. I used to play Goldeneye 007 damn near every weekend for a while there with my college roommate and her boyfriend back in ‘97 (we’d rent the console and game from Blockbuster). It was addicting af! We would play so bloody much in those Friday and Saturday overnighters that during the few hours of sleep I got, I’d dream and dream that I was still playing the game, frantically running through corridor after corridor lol. I was way too busy with my studies to play the game’s campaign (when you put yourself through college, you don’t fuck around much so you don’t fuck it up) - therefore all we’d do is play non-stop multiplayer for the precious little time we were renting the console. I would definitely be interested in seeing what the campaign is like, so that would be super cool if it really is available on the Switch! P.S. This video was such a good reminder of those memories, so thanks for that! I often think about how special gaming used to be when I started on the Atari as a kid in the 80s, then on to Nintendo, and then my friend getting an XBOX with Halo on it in the early 2000s... gaming was extra special back then because it was so focused on friends and family playing _TOGETHER_ *in the same physical room,* where you can see each other’s expressions and laughter in person. Sure, once in awhile a game will include couch co-op campaigns these days, but it’s extremely rare. So much of our social interactions have been reduced with the advent of internet multiplayer - *it’s just not the same.* Moreover, they can even isolate you from having a normal healthy IRL social life - being quite deceptive in that way. Like MMORPGS have done to countless folks (World of Warcraft was infamous for that, for example). You’re playing with people, but only _KIND OF._ You know? Sorry for my tangent there.

[@onaretrotip]

@anti-ethniccleansing465 Yes, it's now on Switch and XBOX. Shame it's just the original on am emulator, as the cancelled 360 remaster is so good. I've not tried the Switch yet, but been playing it on XBOX and there are some annoying graphical glitches. Prefer playing it on my N64 and CRT to be honest, but it's good that more people can experience it.

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

@@onaretrotip Wow you’re a quick responder (for a YT creator)! ;) Thx for the reply! I think you might have responded while I was still editing it with my long tangent haha, so idk if you saw it all after I finished. Anyways, how were you able to play a cancelled remaster? Doesn’t “cancelled” imply that it was never released? I had to get rid of my luxurious beast 2001 Sony Trinitron 32” tv last year, even though it was in mint condition. Broke my heart because it was going to be torn apart by a recycler (it didn’t deserve that 😢), and not to a different home to be appreciated by a gamer. I watched 911 go down live on it when it was brand new. But I desperately needed the space in my little shoebox apartment before an apartment inspection was about to happen on short notice. So, there’s no chance of me experiencing the glory of this game properly again, but that’s very cool you can! :) It sucks to hear that the game has such issues on XBOX (and I’m sure it will on Switch being that it’s on an emulator), but I guess it’s better than nothing indeed. Thanks again for the info! P.S. Do you mind if I ask what platform you are writing me to from? I am just curious because there is a “465“ added to my username when you addressed me and it is a text-based tag instead of a link. I have been starting to see that from some commenters, and I don’t get it. I also just noticed that YT didn’t put a golden star next to your reply notification, which it used to do when a creator responds. That sucks. : /

[@onaretrotip]

@anti-ethniccleansing465 A lot of cancelled games get leaked, as was the case with the 360 GoldenEye remaster. I have a modded JTag 360 so I downloaded it on to that. Very good! Um, not sure, but I know KZbin recently changed how it displays tags on comments.

[@TheTruth01234]

So glad we get to play this again on our Xbox and or switch. This game will always be favorite and what a great story. They are legends forever. The retirement home in 2060 is going to be all goldeneye land parties.

[@onaretrotip]

Hahaha I hope so!

[@Makaveli1258]

Very well done. The fact that they were able to make the most iconic first person shooter of all time with so many limitations is mind blowing. Oh and that pause music 🤯

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you! Yes, it's amazing what they achieved. Got to love the pause menu music.

[@justinqualls4964]

It was also great that Nintendo wasn't going all micro on them like most of the big publishers do nowadays. Sony coming down on Hello Games for NMS after they already told them it was going to take longer than they wanted it to being a good example. Or EA blowing out Mass Effect Andromeda, and Dragon Age 2 because "MONEY NOW"

[@mattd6085]

In a way the limitations are what made it so good. They had to cut all the shit out to make it fit

[@bw905]

Feature-length film!? damn, im gonna need to get some snacks for this one.

[@onaretrotip]

For sure. And a nice drink. Hope you enjoy it!

[@ScradleyCS]

the animation for goldeneye is so underrated its crazy

[@onaretrotip]

Yeah the mo-cap is spot on.

[@therev1902]

The multiplayer functionality is amazing, when you can see another player can see you…. Then the fear and panic. One of the best games ever.

[@onaretrotip]

So good.

[@Brismo7]

i remember the day of picking this game up for the first time in a mom and pop's video rental store for $1 a day, and setting it back on the shelf and my uncle telling me, lets rent it. And we did. and it was glorious. Crazy how that memory of that moment was sealed in my mind.

[@onaretrotip]

Amazing the little things we remember.

[@a55a55inx]

I never owned an N64 (I had a Playstation), but I kept hearing people rave about Goldeneye as a kid, and I was always curious about it. It's now on Xbox Gamepass and I played it for the first time and I really enjoy it. I can see why so many people loved it at the time.

[@onaretrotip]

Yes, it was pretty special.

[@edwinontiveros8701]

This and perfect dark were what made me miss many homeworks back in the day, I was obsessed with Stealthing, Speedrunning and trying to find new ways to clear the levels, find glitches and exploits and mix and match the different built-in cheat codes as well as the punch-in codes. Then when I got my first PC and installed the Goldeneye setup editor and became enthralled creating my own missions; spent entire days learning the INS and outs of the editor and dreamed of playing patched roms on my console. Such a great teenage.

[@onaretrotip]

That's awesome! Good times :)

[@nightfallalicorn4246]

What I enjoy about GoldenEye N64 is the amount of freedom and extras features that adds more life to the game. I could write a huge list out. However, the documentary has actually pointed out of lot of them. I can also add: being able to shoot enemy hats off, enemies dropping an inactive grenade if the player defeats the enemy before they activate them, what-if scenarios say the player destroys a console that Natalya is suppose to use and gives alternative dialogue, secret doors to find, etc. The player can go back and fourth through levels or take alternative routes if they're struggling in a certain section. In GoldenEye Reloaded, it was a corridor driven story game with little freedom. Like the player will only experience mostly the same things. I used to like messing around in Dam, Facility, Runway, Surface, Bunker 1 & 2, Silo, Frigate, Archives, Train, Control, Caverns, Cradle, Aztec and Egypt. I think I noticed that enemies have an odd spawn system at the start Facility and Bunker 2 were if the player hasn't explored a certain part of the level and makes a lot of weapon noise. It will spawn 3 times more enemies. This is without the alarm going off when the player is seen on camera. Overall. They made an amazing game. I just wish I could play it on PC though.

[@Diwasho]

Ironic how a game that started as an on-rail shooter ended up having more freedom and non-linearity in its level design than many games that start as freely controlled shooters. It's cool that the detached hats practically never despawn and remain present until the end of the level. I've seen the dropped inactive grenades too, sadly you can't pick them up for yourself but you CAN shoot them and they'll explode.

[@onaretrotip]

That's it; it was the freedom the player was given that took it up a notch. The way the levels were designed first, before the objectives, really made it brilliant (almost accidentally).

[@cleebe6905]

This was by far one of the best games I experienced in my childhood up there with FFVII. I still remember countless afternoons playing multiplayer splitscreen of this marvel of a game with my friends.

[@onaretrotip]

Good times :)

[@videovagrancy8526]

To this day - one of the greatest FPS games ever made. I was in the 7th grade when this came out. And EVERYONE was playing it. Guys, Girls, every cliq, and group. It brought people together. You had needs playing the game with jocks, cheerleaders with music kids, and so on. This game was a FORCE OF NATURE when it came out. What a time to be a kid. I have so many amazing memories thanks to this game. Goldeneye 007 - one of the greatest FPS games ever made. Still one of thr main reasons why people seek out N64 consoles.

[@onaretrotip]

Don't know what age 7th grade is, but I was 16 at the time and experienced the same. It was everywhere!

[@yankees29]

I remember when I was a dating this girl in the mid 2000’s she bought me a 64 console and Bond for us. It was great looking back. I had 64 before her but I think my brother traded it for an upgrade of some kind.

[@jordan2735]

This game will forever be a core memory of my childhood. My friends and I played this game non stop in the early 2000’s

[@onaretrotip]

Me too! :)

[@hugorussell1486]

I remember watching an advert for the game on tv when I was a kid in 97 and I was blown away. My mum ordered it but we had to wait months for it to be sent to us because of the demand. I remember so excitedly checking our post box every morning for weeks desperately hoping it had arrived and when it finally did one day being the most happy lad in the world.

[@onaretrotip]

Ah man, that must have been even better after the excruciating wait!

[@hugorussell1486]

@@onaretrotip thank you for your reply mate. Such a good video and channel, thank you for the content. Re yes it was even better than me and my brother expected. I remember watching the animation / graphics of the guards being shot and not ever seeing anything like it before!

[@TimeIsOfThe3ssence]

This is so well put together. The amount of hours my friends and I put into the multiplayer after school is unreal. I would know exactly where everyone was who needs a UAV when you can screen cheat! 4 player split screen on a 14inch TV, I even managed to get it running on a black and white radio tv tuner that had a 5inch screen. Good times

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you very much! Haha yes, good times. I've been playing it loads recently on a 9" CRT as the picture looks great.

[@franzpattison]

Hey it's not cheating when everyone has the same advantage. It's just another tool.

[@Hagmire]

haha it's impossible not to screen cheat my brother would always put it on license to kill mode so it was one shot kill because he could always get the first shot off lol

[@IRoYaILTY]

So many memories playing this game for hours and hours as a kid with my friends. Big head mode, paintball mod, tiny agents, etc. Then when your friends go home you could have a blast with the campaign. So much fun to be had with this game.

[@onaretrotip]

Me too. Great times :)

[@TheFreshlyRottenCritic]

It’s amazing that hiring people that love and respect the source material would be a seen as groundbreaking in today’s gaming industry. Much respect to the Rare team. You all made my childhood a little more special.

[@onaretrotip]

Having Brett on board with that collection really helped!

[@GingerNingerGames]

As someone who only played Goldeneye for the first time a few years ago, it does stand up, it holds up really well. Great video too.

[@onaretrotip]

Oh wow, nice! Yeah, I totally agree, it does hold up. Thank you! Glad you liked it.

[@joetrojan2568]

yeah hardly played when it came out as was busy with other priorities, looking to come back to play this properly in full for the 1st time in 2024

[@scottweber8348]

Fascinating how in modern terms, this was much more like making an indie game than AAA game development

[@onaretrotip]

Absolutely. Same can be said for a lot of '90s games. Shame that ethos has disappeared from gaming (aside from the indie scene).

[@AJR-zg2py]

Pretty much this. Goldeneye might as well have been a 3yr long jam session that just so happened to be funded by a big company and (mostly) left the team alone to their devices. Definitely benefited from the Nintendo philosophy of "a delayed game will eventually be good but a bad game will last forever." They could have pulled the plug on the game given how long it was taking... but a few people like Ken Lobb championed the small team and the rest is history.

[@fernaureason7150]

This game is so close to my heart and I loved hearing each and every one of their stories on how it all came together. Thank you to the team at Rare and Thank you onaretrotrip for putting this video together.

[@onaretrotip]

Very close to mine too, so it really was a pleasure getting to do this. Thank you!

[@SuperHonkyPodcast]

Paused the video as soon as I started it to say this! I'm 40 years old and have been a gamer my entire life. Goldeneye 64 absolutely took my life over back when I was 14 years of age. I remember being in 9th grade when I got the game for Christmas and would be so damn excited all day long at school to come home and hop on the game! I remember racing my other friends who also got it on Christmas to see who could beat the game first! I got so damn good at multiplayer on the game, that it would often times piss off some of the neighborhood friends that I was close with whenever I'd mop them up in the game! They'd often times cuss me out, unplug their controller they brought over, and would literally leave my house all pissed off just because they couldn't hang with me on Goldeneye 64! I used to love playing the CAVES map on multiplayer, forcing everyone to pick one of the army guys (because they wore camo) and would blend in with the walls and could hide easier on the CAVES map, and then we would purpose turn the brightness on the TV WAYYYY down in order to make it even harder to detect where people would be hiding. We'd then use only the Golden Gun and would play like this for hours! I got so good with the one shot kill mechanic and nobody in my neighborhood, or at my school could ever hang with me! Fast forward to 10 years after the game came out and I was in my early 20's getting into music production. I've sampled quite a bit from the legendary GE64 soundtrack and have made some incredibly dope songs by sampling music from the game! Basically I'm saying this. Goldeneye 64 was a huge part of my adolescence and it brings me incredible nostalgia and so much joy seeing something like this pop up in my KZbin recommendations!

[@onaretrotip]

That's awesome. Haha I can relate to being hated for being too good, as many people would get frustrated with me. I remember when my sister was at University, one of her flat mates was saying how amazing he was at GoldenEye. My sis says, "oh, Pete plays that", but I played it down how good I was. He was VERY confident. Ended up playing three matches, first to 20. I won 20-0, 20-1, 20-0. Then he wouldn't play anymore LMAO Your music using GE samples sounds interesting, got any links?

[@codezero7981]

the development history of this game is BY FAR one of the most interesting ones.

[@onaretrotip]

Couldn't agree more. It's a fairy tale story.

[@conorellis2958]

This was the bomb back in the day! I need to dig out my old N64 and give this a whirl

[@onaretrotip]

Hell yes!

[@whizzkid182]

I remember playing this game and been blown away by the graphics and movement, never thought it could get any better than this 😂

[@onaretrotip]

LMAO

[@rwentfordable]

I've come back for a second viewing a year later. Thank you.

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you so much, you're too kind! Glad it's still being enjoyed.

[@vxrdrummer]

The multiplayer with 4 kids around a 14 TV was incredible. We had so much fun playing that. I'm playing the game again on XBOX One as it went on to Gamepass. It's as good as ever.

[@onaretrotip]

Yes, I still love playing it on my N64, either multiplayer or solo. I have a 21" B&O CRT set up, so I can enjoy it as intended. Yet to play the XBOX or Switch versions, but I will soon, although I've been enjoying the cancelled XBOX 360 remaster, and that's very good.

[@GB-gi9by]

Absolutely brilliant, this and Mario Kart were the best years me and my mates ever had gaming. Such a nostalgia trip, thanks for posting the story behind it all!

[@onaretrotip]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching.

[@Unbiased321]

Playing Goldeneye with my friends was one of the best memories from my childhood, we played the multiplayer maps so much that we had to slide our own first person camera against the wall so that our friends couldn't see where we were going. Licence to kill, pistols GO!

[@onaretrotip]

Couldn't agree more.

[@charlieg6913]

The game they created earned these developers a rightful spot within the James Bond legacy and video gaming alike. They were fans of Bond and games and definitely did both justice. Legendary game with an incredible development story that couldn't happen nowadays. Awesome video. 👍

[@onaretrotip]

Yes, it's certainly a story you would never get these days, sadly. Thank you!

[@MattyStoked]

Such an incredible effort here, dude. Unbelievable that you got the whole gang. The insight into the process is fascinating. Another incredible service you've given the community!

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you so much, Matt!

[@LusRetroSource]

Yes! He did an amazing job.

[@CerbTheUnidog]

This was great. I love that you managed to get so many new interviews and details from the original team! If I could thumbs-up this more than once, I very much would!

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@cftvdata]

This is easily one of the best "homemade" documentaries I've ever seen on KZbin. Fantastic fucking work, man.

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you so much! Very kind.

[@SandSeven]

In 1997 one of the greatest games ever made dropped, and I was hooked for 100s of hours of gameplay. Goldeneye is back 27 years later and it hasn't missed a step. Yall are absolute legends and if it was up to me, I'd have the lot of you Knighted. Again many thanks for bringing this game alive again.

[@onaretrotip]

Agreed!

[@Scotty_AV]

I absolutely love the fact that when I was 12 we learnt this game from start to finish totally unaided. Working out how to complete objectives.

[@onaretrotip]

Same here! It was great working things out for ourselves. And as David Doak said, they wouldn't even tell you where to place things or where to go. A different time.

[@Scotty_AV]

@@onaretrotip yeah when Doak mentions that it took me right back. Aztec took a while to figure back then... Even working out things like using key analyzer and throwing the key, to attaching the covert modem on dam in the right place

[@onaretrotip]

@@Scotty_AV Been playing lots of GoldenEye this year, and damn Aztec is still really difficult.

[@Scotty_AV]

@@onaretrotip yep, I'm still not past it on agent. Although I'm trying to get the guard to open the glass. But they do a lot of damage and they're so fast.

[@PlayMadness]

Coming back to this after playing the Switch service release. Maybe it's the nostalgia talking, but with just a handful of control tweaks, Goldeneye holds up incredibly well. Such an incredible landmark game. Goldeneye walked so Halo could run!

[@onaretrotip]

Agreed!

[@ag806]

Same here, I changed some of the buttons around and it's the only thing I've played on switch since it released. So so good. Brings back so many memories.

[@VinePest]

People have said it in loads of different ways in the comments, it's hard to add anything, but this is truly a sensationally well made video on this amazing game.

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you so much, that's very kind. Means a lot that people enjoyed it.

[@theblubus]

This video is truly a work of art. Thank you so much for creating such a treasure!

[@onaretrotip]

Oh wow, thank you so much! Too kind. It was my pleasure :)

[@YunaCrawford]

Yes. Documentary of a legendary game

[@onaretrotip]

Sure is!

[@mavez6322]

One of the greatest games ever made, incredible achievement from a bunch of guys basically just winging it. With passion and drive you can accomplish anything!

[@onaretrotip]

You can indeed!

[@ninobruh408]

The amount of hours playing multiplayer with your friends and/or family are incalculable. The amount of pizza,wings,soda and other snacks consumed while playing can't be measured by any computer known to man. One of the greatest games ever made on one of the greatest gaming systems to exist.

[@onaretrotip]

Levelling up sleepovers across the globe.

[@twopinacoladas]

Great video! Thanks for the upload and very well done! An extra thanks the Goldeneye team members who participated! I'd love to see someone do comprehensive Perfect Dark and TimeSplitters making of documentaries like this with the team members. Video was awesome!

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it. Love Timesplitters too. David talks about it a bit in his interview, and several of the team talk about Perfect Dark. I'll be uploading the full interviews (with video) soon.

[@remute3584]

Seriously one of the best gaming documentaries here on KZbin ever made. Thanks for this!

[@onaretrotip]

Wow, that's high praise indeed! Thank you so much, Denis.

[@deanstevenson1649]

One of my all time favorites. 1000 house sunk into this in mulitplayer for sure. We built a wooden screen splitter, a big PLUS sign that fit against the screen, so there was no "cheating". two guys sit on the floor, two on stools. you can only see your corner. You could only tell where other players were when you heard them pick up weapons or ammo or armor! you could tell by the time between pickups where they were and with 3 pickups, which direction they were travelling in many cases. Veterans would deliberately just pause walking to disguise timing. So deep!!!!

[@onaretrotip]

Hahaha I love these stories of people making their own makeshift screen dividers.

[@isabellam1936]

This is so legendary. What an important part of history. I’m so glad it’s documented for all time.

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you very much!

[@LynxStarAuto]

Incredible documentary. So glad I found this gem. That era of gaming was different. When creativity and talent ruled studios, not the bean counters. To think that the majority of the team were not even game developers.

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you very much! Yes, those creative days are gone I'm afraid, in favour of money-centric motives.

[@dhoyft411]

This is absolutely fantastic! Goldeneye absolutely blew me away when I was 10 years old and still does to this day! This documentary gives me so much insight into exactly why in every department. Thank you, man!

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you! Really glad you enjoyed it.

[@Allplussomeminus]

This is the type of VG documentary I love. Tedious detail on how they made every single thing in the game. Thank you for uploading.

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you very much! My pleasure.

[@someguy325es]

Me and my brother pooled our birthdays together to get an N64 and goldeneye. So many great times playing this all through the night with my friends in middle and high school. Playing this game is honestly some of the fondest memories of my childhood.

[@onaretrotip]

That's awesome. I have many fond memories of playing it in the '90s too. What a game and what an era.

[@GarrettLoganGriffin]

The generation of children who grew up in the late 80s, throughout the 90s, into the wee 00s were part of the greatest generation in my opinion. Being a child in the 90s you were on the front lines of so many revolutionary things previous generations just didn’t have. I wouldn’t want to grow up in any other time. I think 1990-2010 is probably the peak of society. We peaked. It’s all been downhill since, save for some great games and music that have come along.

[@onaretrotip]

100%

[@BenjahPhotography]

Appreciate the Rare team for aiding in the creation of a memorable childhood. Still playing today.

[@onaretrotip]

Hear, hear!

[@Trent99]

I’m a autocad drafter in an entry level job, to hear that the creators were inexperienced although we’re given this opportunity is so inspiring. I never went for video game production because it seemed to be overstated a lot and so I was doubtful. Even though this was a very different time, it’s still pretty inspirational.

[@onaretrotip]

Agreed! Great hearing that experience isn't everything when you're committed to doing the best you possibly can.

[@storm_pooper2490]

I remember when this came out and I was instantly hooked. I had never seen anything like it before and never will forget that theme song and setting traps with the mines. I own a N64 simply for this game mainly. Thank you to everyone involved in the creation of this masterpiece

[@onaretrotip]

Yeah my N64 is permanently hooked up, and I rarely play anything other than this. Unbelievably good.

[@Gottaculat]

This game was pretty much my childhood until Perfect Dark came out and took it to the next level.

[@onaretrotip]

Many hours/days spent on this in the '90s (and beyond).

[@SuperHns]

yeah true, although I was a PC gamer mainly and we got Quake 2 and Half Life and Unreal Tournament in 99. BUT I do say I enjoyed having tournaments of PD on the couch with friends playing PD endlessly

[@gamble777888]

I was already playing shooters on Dreamcast when Perfect Dark came out so it was a bit painful to go back to 64 bit graphics and that framerate so I never got into it, but yea Goldeneye was so fresh and exciting and loads of fun to play for hours on end back when it released.

[@evanwilliams9588]

Perfect Dark was the crème de la crème of FPS. I didn’t play a better one until Halo.

[@Jose_Pointero]

Wow, I thought you were being a bit cheeky with the "premiere" but you weren't joking. This was fantastic, keep up the great work!

[@onaretrotip]

LOL A premiere is a KZbin feature where everyone can chat in real-time while watching the video; I didn't mean it like a film premiere. Thank you, really pleased you enjoyed it!

[@Bangkokian1967]

Absolutely brilliant documentary Pete! So in depth and really enjoyable to hear from the actual developers mate!

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you so much, Ian.

[@mortenrognskog]

I was working with producing radio commercials at the time, and one if my projects was to make and distribute a radio commercial + competition for Nintendo where one could win an N64 packaged with Goldeneye. I was lent an N64 with Shadows Of The Empire when working on the project... Goldeneye was yet to be released. Was a hugely successful promo project. And about a year later I finally got to play through Goldeneye myself, and it's still my favorite first person shooter. What a brilliant game!

[@onaretrotip]

Nice. Thanks for sharing! A brilliant game indeed.

[@cybersamiches4028]

Insane to see the people that help create my childhood memories! Cant thank you enough!

[@onaretrotip]

Glad you enjoyed it! It was an absolute pleasure speaking with the people who made one of my favourite games.

[@devastator200]

One of the most informative YT game videos I ever had the great pleasure to watch. By far my favourite video. Really shows how humble and great the team at Rareware back then! Fantastic watch and an absolute Incredible effort. Thanks so much Pete! 🔥

[@onaretrotip]

Thanks, Luke! Kind words indeed. Yes, they're all incredibly humble, it's nice to see. Glad you enjoyed it mate.

[@crawdad]

What an incredible documentary and collection of interviews. Thank you for making this. Thank you for reaching out to the folks that made this game. Thank you to the Interviewees that participated in this documentary. Such wonderful insights into the fun, the challenges, the people, the work and ingenuity mindset that put together one of the greatest video games of all time. Every second of every word spoken in this had my full and complete attention and was just a blast to peek behind the curtains. From the development being done on an old English farm, to visiting the set of the film and snagging pictures with an old brick of a DSLR, to bringing someone into tack on multiplayer and getting two player split screen up in just a couple of hours, K.Lobb himself giving Blockbuster copies confidently throwing his weight behind a game and team he believed that strongly in. It made me happy to hear how success of goldeneye played out the way it did in terms of sales. Enjoy your place in history men, you fucking deserved it. You out your passion and love into that game and we all got to benefit from it. Kudos.

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you so much! Really glad you enjoyed it.

[@hygri]

Wow. THE definitive Goldeneye documentary, and the separate interviews are absolutely spot on. Well done, this is epic!! And, to all the folks on the Goldeneye team at Rare and the supporters at Nintendo, thank you.

[@evanhanley6437]

Absolutely loved watching this documentary. Well done Pete! You outdid yourself!

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you very much! Thanks for watching.

[@evanwilliams9588]

This is epic. This game was a huge part of my childhood so I’m so happy that you put so much time and love into making this documentary. Well done!

[@onaretrotip]

My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@eonreeves4324]

this really was THE game when it released. Absolutely stands out in my mind as groundbreaking game play. I remember being blown away at how well the game played like the movie capturing so many details.

[@onaretrotip]

Yeah, it was just a force of nature at the time. It was everywhere!

[@funbagstu]

Truly a fantastic game that I still dip into, twenty five years later. Well done to all involved with the game and this documentary. First class.

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you! Glad you liked it.

[@xehP]

This documentary is truly legendary, so much stuff I didn’t know about, especially how the music was engineered! Seriously, great work, I couldn’t imagine how overwhelming this was to edit.

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, editing it together was a logistical nightmare, but a lot of fun LOL.

[@ChurchBoy0487]

I've been doing allot of research in regards to SGI hardware. Finally the YT algorithm knocked it out the park! What an amazing docummentary! A Perfect Dark documentary would complete my life. I feel these 2 games are conduits of the FPS paradigm shift.

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you, glad you liked it. I've been toying with doing a video on SGI hardware.

[@kal9001]

Rare made the 5 most influential games of my childhood... DK Country, 007, Perfect Dark, Diddy Kong Racing, Banjo & Kazzoie.

[@onaretrotip]

Legends.

[@isaacgraham5727]

It’s mind-boggling how much more the multiplayer of this got played by my friends and myself in middle school (98-00) than literally every other video game in existence at the time. I recall a number of games were played with these settings: Stack, Pistols, License to Kill.

[@onaretrotip]

Soooo many hours.

[@SaviorAssassin1996]

Great documentary. The team were masters at making first person shooters. The magic carried on to Perfect Dark and the TimeSplitters games.

[@onaretrotip]

Thank you! They certainly were. Can't wait to see what Free Radical do with the new Timesplitters game.