When GoldenEye 007 was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1997 it set the new standard for console first-person shooter games. The game remained the definitive title in the genre until the end of the fifth-generation thanks to its fun campaign and legendary multiplayer. Since the discontinuation of the N64 in 2002, GoldenEye 007 hasn't seen any ports and rereleases, although a canceled Xbox 360 port was developed and was recently leaked online.
GoldenEye would go on to just become a fond memory among fans, with the game still being a regular point of discussion as players hold out hope that it could eventually be released again. However, after many years, there is a sign of hope that GoldenEye could see a release on the Nintendo Switch as part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, which has made many N64 games playable via emulation including some with online multiplayer.
Since 1998, GoldenEye 007 has remained on the "banned" list in Germany, with the game being listed on the German federal agency Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien (Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons). GoldenEye was illegal to advertise and sell to minors due to its death scenes and perceived glorification of violence.
Recently one of Nintendo's European partners has requested that the game be removed from the list and the request has been accepted. This is incredibly interesting as the N64 has been discontinued for 19 years and the game hasn't seen any new copies sold since then, so Nintendo has no reason to care whether it is on the list or not unless it has plans for GoldenEye in the future.
It is difficult to say whether Nintendo is planning to bring GoldenEye to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service. It has always been assumed that the game wouldn't be ported due to expensive licensing fees as it uses the James Bond IP as well as the likenesses of the actors from the GoldenEye movie. Microsoft and Rare did create a remastered version of the original game which was intended to be released on the Xbox Live Arcade platform before being canceled shortly before release. The full game was leaked online earlier this year and is fully playable and can be finished, but the online multiplayer component isn't playable.
This shows that perhaps licensing isn't the reason that the game has never seen a rerelease over the years, but now with Nintendo heavily promoting the new Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service, now could be the time to bring back the classic N64 title. So far, games such as Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Mario Kart 64 are on the service, with F-Zero X, Banjo Kazooie, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and many more games set to come to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack over the next few months.
GoldenEye 007 is available exclusively on the Nintendo 64.
Source: Nintendo Everything