Is GoldenEye 007 Coming to Nintendo Switch?

GoldenEye 007 has been unbanned in Germany, hinting at a possible re-release on the way.

With the recent release of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, subscribers have gained access to a number of classic Nintendo 64 games. Such offerings includeThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Tennis. More games have been confirmed for the service, appearing sometime in the future, such as The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Banjo-Kazooie, and Pokemon Snap. Of course, a number of obvious choices for the collection have been noticeably missing from the line-up so far, one of which being the well-loved James Bond shooter, GoldenEye 007.

GoldenEye 007, which first released back in 1997, was a staple for many young gamers. It was a game that introduced a lot of us to the world of first-person shooters, a genre which previously had only excelled on PC. While we might be looking back at the game through nostalgia-tinted glasses, many expected Goldeneye 007 to be a guaranteed addition to the Expansion Pack service. So, where is it?

Is GoldenEye 007 Coming to Nintendo Switch?

GoldenEye's recent unbanning in Germany seems to have sparked rumors that the game could be making its way to the Nintendo Switch. Since its initial release in the late-90s, GoldenEye 007 has been banned in Germany and added to the country's "media harmful to young persons" list. Now, roughly 24 years later, the game has been removed from the list. But why does this matter?

Well, the European Nintendo eShop is based in Germany. Any game that is to be sold to the European market has to pass the checks in Germany, and therefore not be on the "media harmful to young persons" list. This is the same reason why, no matter where you are in Europe, you currently can't download Dying Light from the eShop. The game is banned in Germany. A report from VGC stated that, while GoldenEye's removal from the list was set to happen automatically after 25 years, it seems that ban was overturned due to a request.

With the request granted, and the European eShop (and thus the Nintendo Switch Online service) being based in Germany, it seems likely at this point that the game could be making its way to the Expansion Pack soon. It would be extremely coincidental if not.

It's worth noting, though, that no dates have been given for GoldenEye 007's possible arrival to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. Until Nintendo gives an official confirmation, we'll just have to sit tight.