One of the best N64 games gets some TLC thanks to a university student

Arguably One of the best games in 1997 was Golden Eye for the N64. It was superbly built, featured ground breaking graphics for the time and had a plot line that made you feel like you were really James Bond. Also Paintball guns.

The game had it all, guns, girls, multiplayer (split screen of course - this was 1997), and lots and lots of polygons (again for the time). But that was 19 years ago (feel old yet?).

Sheffield University (UK) Student Jude Wilson re-created one of the levels using the Unreal 4 engine as part of some course work. What I personally love about Unreal 4, is not only is it an amazing, highly versatile engine but the good people of Epic Games actually opened up the software so it is 100% free to use until your product starts getting decent amounts of revenue. This is a smart move from Epic. Not only does it mean that really talented people at the start of their careers like Jude get to play with the full version of the engine, but it also means the Universities of the world are more likely to engage with that engine for teaching than others... making the next generation of game makers familiar with the product, making them more revenue when their games do go big.

TL;DR - Epic are a great company. Unreal is cool

Moving on.

Jude decided to recreate the Facility level from the game. Entirely from scratch and watching the YouTube video (below) hits you right in the feels. For me, it brings back great memories as a kid hanging out with my buddy who could afford a N64 (bastard) and staying up until way 'past bedtime' playing the game. Obviously with indu\strial quantities of candy, Sprite and Doritos. So right in the feels. He even included part of the sound track.

The remake includes other nostalgic touches including props from the Golden Eye movie, has realistic textures (including what appears to be reflections on tiled areas) and excellent lighting effects.

Video

One can only hope that Rare are watching and think about rebooting this great game into the HD world with modern day consoles. Since Rare are now a Microsoft subsidiary if it was to happen it would most likely come out (first) on the XB1, but i'm OK with that. So long as they dont screw it up. So please remake it? please? guys?

Jude, I salute you!

Image Credit: Jude Wilson