Cool Things to Try in GoldenEye 007, Post-100% Completion
Nobody does it better than Rare...
"This is the end of the game, but not the end of the fun." - Yoshi, Super Mario 64, 1996
1997's GoldenEye 007 for the N64 is one of my all-time favourite video games. While it's a pain in the ass to unlock 007 mode and all 23 cheats, doing so is well-worth the Herculean effort, as the game becomes the ultimate stress-reliever. If I'm having a shitty day or become too overwhelmed with anxiety, I boot up GoldenEye 007 on either my Switch or Xbox, activate every cheat, max out enemy stats on 007 mode, and have a blast gunning down baddies and blowing stuff up. While goofing around in this manner, I've learned some pretty cool things, which I thought I'd share below for anyone with 100% completion seeking to further extend the game's already limitless replayability. Enjoy!
Saving Agent Trevelyan
On Facility, you can "save" Trevelyan while rendezvousing with him. Head upstairs to the bottling room door, wait for Ourumov to open it, and then shoot him dead with the golden gun. Congratulations, you've just botched Trevelyan's plan to fake his own dea-...err, "saved" his life. He'll now remain in the bottling room, shooting guards until you complete the mission or kill him yourself. Doing so at this point doesn't cost you the mission, so Trevelyan's ultimate fate is completely in your hands.
Ourumov Only Lives Thrice
Under normal circumstances, Silo is scripted to conclude with Ourumov fleeing from you like the coward he is. However, you can prevent his escape by approaching him while invisible and shooting him dead, yet again, with the golden gun. Doing so rewards you with Ourumov's briefcase, a mysterious remnant from a long-scrapped mission objective.
Update: My Neocities neighbour, Tina Rosenthal (Badgraph1csghost), brought to my attention a cool alternative method to killing Ourumov in Silo without the invisibility cheat. In her own words, "you can also kill ourumov from the floor of the laboratory by luring his guards out with gunfire, which will open the door. you can use the KF7 like a carbine in manual aim, where you can just tap him in the head a lot. you'll get the case, the key, and his DD44! ofc i dont know if this still works on game pass/nso." I tested this out on both the Switch and Xbox ports of GoldenEye 007, and it indeed still works, though easier to pull off on Xbox due to the improved controls and draw distance. Thanks for the cool trick, Tina! 😊
Bomberman 64
There are a few missions in which you can blow certain characters, such as Natalya or Mishkin, to Kingdom come during cutscenes. Once you've completed all objectives in a mission, simply toss a few timed or proximity mines into the exit prior to stepping through it yourself. If thrown and timed correctly, the mines will detonate within range of the "supporting cast" rewarding you with some humorous "outtakes".
Catch Trevelyan If You Can
Under normal circumstances, Train and Control are scripted to conclude with Trevelyan narrowly escaping by slamming security shutters or elevator doors in your face. However, with turbo mode and a bit of luck, you can sometimes rush Trevelyan with just enough speed to reach him before he can slam the doors shut. Congratulations, you've just reached two areas Rare never intended you to see and can celebrate by shooting the now cornered Trevelyan dead with the golden gun.
Boris and Natash-...err, Natalya
On Control, demonstrating that Boris isn't "invincible" pisses off Natalya enough to cost you the mission. However, what Natalya doesn't know won't hurt her. Simply turn right upon entering the room in which you encounter Boris, proceed to the dead end, and blow up the tinted bulletproof window to your left with a mine, grenade, rocket, or shell. Make your way upstairs and through the blast doors to Natalya. Congratulations, you're now free to debunk Boris' "invincibility" claim however you wish, without suffering Natalya's wrath.
The Final Problem
On Cradle, you can create an alternate ending in which, "James Bond will not return." while settling the score with Trevelyan on the tiny, suspended platform, plant a timed mine at his feet before leaping into the void. If Trevelyan is close enough to the edge of the platform and the mine detonates at the right moment, you'll be rewarded with a humorous cutscene of Trevelyan being blown off the platform and perishing alongside Bond in the abyss, à la Holmes and Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls.
The Gamer with the Golden Guns
For years, I thought Egyptian couldn't be completed with all 23 cheats activated, as I never could recover the golden gun or golden bullets in cheat mode. I assumed this was due to all guns and infinite ammo. However, as it turns out, simply equipping the golden gun in your inventory and firing off a couple shots allows you to pick up the mission's duplicates, thus completing the objective. I just realized this yesterday, proving that you can still learn new tricks from a 28-year-old N64 game. Pretty cool, huh?
Hope these tidbits provide you with some additional fun! Do you have any thoughts on this post? If so, feel free to reach out by leaving a comment, dropping me a line, or signing my guestbook to share your opinions on this or any other topic. Also, feel free to press the "like" button if you enjoyed this post, as "likes" help me gauge audience interest in the content I post. After all, I don't want to bore anyone, ha-ha. Until next time, love, peace, and chicken grease!
Posted in "Nerd Alert" on Sunday, July 6, 2025. Updated on Thursday, July 10, 2025.