It's been almost 30 years since GoldenEye 007 released on the N64, and 26 years since Perfect Dark, yet Rare's classic shooting games are still two of the most coveted titles for Nintendo's iconic machine. They ooze nostalgia, with a graphical style that makes all of us 90s kids feel incredibly excited, but they're also incredible games when it comes to storyline and mechanics too. They're two of the reasons why people are going so mad for the M64 and the A3D; their absence has left a void in our aging souls.
Ok, we had World Is Not Enough, but we needed more. We needed a GoldenEye revival that didn't modernise it like the Wii (much love to Simon Phipps' work on that project), but one that championed the old graphics, the old style, the old feel. That's where Agent 64: Spies Never Die comes in, a game that's been advertised as 'coming' for years now, but has finally arrived this August and is available to play right now on Steam.
This is a shooting game that channels the spirit of those Rare classics, complete with squared-off heads and hands. It's not a ROM hack or a mod of those existing games; it's a brand new game with a new story made by developer Replicant D6. That's developer 'singular' - this is a solo dev making a game all by themselves, which is why it's been 4 years in the making.
Everything from the levels and soundtrack to the character sprites takes me back to Rare's heyday, with fantastic settings, perfect graphics, and character movement that makes it feel like you're playing a game that should be arriving on your doorstep in a cardboard box. The only difference is that, as it's a new game, there's no upscaling needed or messing around changing screen parameters to get a desired effect - it's ready to go on modern PCs straight out of the box. And the main character looks like he could be a retired version of 007 called back into action, suave and in charge!
Agent 64: Spies Never Die is currently on sale with 11% off, making the price $19.25/£17.47. And yes, it has online multiplayer for co-op and deathmatches, as well as remote play too. I'd love to see this get released as an N64 game by ModRetro too so I can play it with a controller that it feels like it was always meant for!
Head to Steam to find out more!
