Open Sesame!

Baiting and Luring...

The strategy for unlocking the GoldenEye Facility Cheat was turned upsidedown with an alternate method...

Not only is it possible to hit the Target Time by tricking one of the guards to unlock the Bottling Room door, but with some fine-tuning, it's even good enough to earn a record-setting performance.

Of course, speaking with Doak is a requirement to actually pass the mission on the higher difficulties - But actually using the Door Decoder on the door itself takes up precious time...

Having to pause the game, select the decoder, and wait a few more precious seconds for the door to open...

This "outside of the box" strategy involves proper timing. One of the guards on the other side can be "tricked" into opening the Bottling Room door for you.

Requires Bond to enter the biggest lab (of three, where Doak can sometimes be found). If Bond fires his gun while running into the far corner, it can be loud enough for the guard to hear through the walls.

It costs a bit of time, but if done right, that time is more than made up when you arrive at the Bottling Room door just as the guard is opening it.

While it seemed a bit ludicrous, it was definitely fun to play around with.

At first, it was pretty much just something to try on a botched run - After going all that way upstairs to not be rewarded with a Dr. Doak encounter.

It seemed like just a fun way to proceed with the mission, getting another round of practice with the Mines in the Bottling Room.

Seeing is believing. After watching a few videos, this method is undeniably here to stay.

Understandably, it took quite a long time to catch on as a solid strategy... Until someone actually set a World Record using this method. (The YouTube video is undeniably impressive... And dare I say that yet another second could possibly be saved in the Bottling Room - But placement of the two mines to destroy ten tanks is so crucial that it takes a second to ensure it's done perfectly. The person who eventually breaks this record will no doubt plant the mines while still running...)


After fooling around with this tactic on Secret Agent and pulling it off, definitely encouraged to eventually trying it as a 00 Agent.

The tradeoff is that it seems to require Bond to sacrifice yet another Remote Mine to deal with the increasing volume of guards that will inevitably catch up at this point...

Killing them all with a Remote Mine just as you enter the Bottling Room, so you can go to work without them shooting at you. This leaves just 2 Mines in the inventory for use on the tanks.

Impeccable placement of the Remote Mines in the Bottling Room (laid on the floor between the tanks, while Bond is looking directly downward) can have Bond destroying all ten tanks with just two bombs - Leaving three other Remote Mines to use on the legions of Russian Soldiers that will otherwise ruin your speedrun.

Definitely want to play around with this one some more.

With so many variations on technically finishing the Facility mission, what will they come up with next?

Also wondering how many N64 controllers have been worn out on this mission alone.
Definitely on the hunt for yet another official Nintendo 64 controller.

BUNKER 2: Speedrun

Blazing through the Bunker at "Ludicrous Speed"...

BUNKER 2, AGENT: SPEEDRUN (2X THROWING KNIVES)  [Clearing Bunker 2 within the Target Time of 1:30]  AGENT FIELD REPORT: Completing the second Severnaya Bunker mission in 1:30 unlocks the 2X Throwing Knives Cheat. Simple enough that it's possibly one of the first Cheats that many players will unlock. There's no stopping James Bond (I don't know why this guard even tries). Competitive speedrunners have managed to finish the mission in 20 seconds - Which is downnright amazing. Gotta watch the YouTube video to believe it. It all hinges on a smooth escape from the jail cell. Gotta spring Natalya before leaving - And then dash through the rest of the mission. Some players can even perform a glitch to escape the jail cell without using the Watch Magnet Attract... "Piggy Back Ride" (Incidentally, the guard in the distance carries KEYCARD B - Which isn't overly useful Agent difficulty) Outside the detention area, the first set of sliding doors are locked - But one can "piggyback" through by being quick enough to follow a patrolling guard. Gotta be fast to get there before the door closes. Another patroller will be along shortly... But to snag a speedy time, you want through that door ASAP. The distant guard might even see you and (eventually) open the door - But those seconds count. Just a few bursts of fire, and a few "clean kills". Gotta collect just enough ammo to finish this mission. It's nice to tag them all with a perfect headshot... But sometimes going so fast that it's easy to miss. It's more important to get to the destination quickly - These guys will never catch up. Guy "guarding" the CCTV tape will open the door a few seconds after he hears gunfire. Time it so he opens the door for you. A few quick bursts to eliminate the necessary guards - But not too loud or things won't end well... Time to shoot in and out... Drive-By Movie... After several clean kills on a mad dash for the CCTV tape, it's time to obtain the correct keycard to escape... Time to Play It Loud... The trick is to fire the KF7 Soviet to attract the attention of one of the patrolling guards (with 2X Klobbbs) who carries KEYCARD A (which unlocks the glass doors towards the exit). If you've been fast, by the time you reach the round shaft room, any shots fired will cause the patrolling guard to run towards your previous location. The patrolling Keycard guard is identifiable by the sight (and sound) of the 2X Klobbs that he carries. He also has a different hat. (There are a few patrolling guards that match this description) Can sometimes encounter the guard right outside the doors when you return to the main hallway... But running through him from behind before he has a chance to react is ideal. It all happens so fast, but you develop a "feel" for where he should be based on how quick you've been. The map offers a visual on the best route - And where the guard will be walking. That little stretch between the doors and the stairs is where you'd like to be ambushing him. The map illustrates where that crucial guard is to start the mission. He's on a set course, and will pass through a set of doors between the 15-20 second mark... Once he's beyond the doors, he won't be back around for another 40 seconds or so. Seems like a VERY short distance - But he's walking, and Bond is running (or strafing) full out. Make enough noise, and he'll abandon his patrol to go searching for you. Ideally, Bond collects the CCTV Tape and goes out the far door - Just in time to shoot him in the back as he's running towards that previous hallway (where you just came from). Going through the set of rooms (in either direction) will confuse the guards - And get them running the wrong way. Takes a bit of experimenting on WHEN to fire those random bursts of gunfire. Get him chasing a bit too soon, and he'll "double back" too far (to where you were several seconds ago). Too much gunfire and you'll also alert an undesirable number of guards... The ideal spot to lure the guard with the Keycard is before the stairs - Ambushing him and taking his keycard on the fly.  KEYCARD A: The target is the guard who carries "KEYCARD A". Look at that keycard fly! Keycard in hand, it's time to bolt for the exit. Grab that keycard and run! Now it's really time to kick it into high gear... Getting blasted down the stairs as bullets hit Bond in the back... Plenty of health to spare on Agent difficulty. Flying through the Main Control Room without any objectives to complete there. Natalya will even skip the step of checking the computer terminal and follow you out. At the exit, and the bullets still pushing Bond forward. Getting shot in the back several times can actually shave a couple seconds off your time. Whenever you've finished the mission as quickly as possible, a major variable that can yet again save valuable seconds of   time... Completely smashing that target time, this is a rather enjoyable speedrun. The fact that it takes less than a minute is encouraging because there's little invested if you mess something up and have to restart. Surely the developers never imagined that people would be playing this game a quarter century later - Or that someone would finish Bunker 2 in just 20 seconds.

Bunker 2 Mission - KEYCARD A

MARKED MAN
Altered the intro camera to take a look at our guard.

GoldenEye Homework...

Studying the Bunker 2 mission to learn exactly what's going on.

Wanted to figure out the timing of the guard carrying KEYCARD A, to find the optimal point to intercept him and get his access key.

Also altered the intro text to clearly mark this guy...
Obtaining his card is the quickest way out of the building.

Various playthrus, therefore the guard's face is different.
When the mission starts, the guard begins in the dark "maze" near the drone guns. He begins his patrol, soon walking into the brightly-lit hallway...

Looking down the hall... At the very end are the stairs leading to the "big Control Room".
Ideally, Bond will ambush this guy somewhere in this short stretch, just second later...

More exploration with the Bond Invisible Cheat turned ON.
Can see exactly where the guard with Keycard A makes his turn away from the main hallway - And why it's so important to get him running at just the right moment.

Bond Invisible.
Playing "Super-Spy": Doing some reconnaissance before playing the mission...

During the speedrun, Bond will be exiting the door (visible in the left of the frame). Get the guard to abandon his route and come looking for you, instead of the other way around...

Once he gets past the next set of doors, it can be difficult to make enough noise (without rousing too many other guards).

Alert him too soon and he'll run back towards the start of the mission, which is even worse.

For more on the guard who carries Keycard A (including an overhead map with his route), see Blog Post: Bunker 2: Speedrun



Luring this guard to the proper spot is pretty much essential to setting a fast time...

The GoldenEye World Record for the Bunker 2 mission on Agent currently stands at 20 seconds!
Less than twenty players in the world have accomplished this feat.

World Records often stand for a few years before they are broken...
In April of 2021, Speedrunner Carl-Magnus Wall managed to set a few new benchmarks in a short timreframe.

With three new records in the span of a week, Wall bested his own time by a single second each time.
(Going from 23 seconds, 22 seconds, 21 seconds, and ultimately hitting 20 seconds on April 27, 2021)

Evolution of the Bunker 2 World Records:
https://wrs.the-elite.net/goldeneye/recordlevel.php?level=9

Bunker Busters...

Bunker 2 on Agent difficulty is a fun, fast-paced mission.
Save the girl, grab the tape, swipe a key - And get the hell out of there.

Absolutely had to watch the video to see how someone could complete GoldenEye's Bunker 2 in 20 seconds... (The 9th stage of the game)

Exploiting a "glitch" to clip through the jail cell door (saving valuable seconds instead of using the Watch Magnet to obtain the key).

Thought I knew all of the game's little tricks...
Was previously unaware that a player could force their way out the door.

Apparently the method involves "strafing while aiming".
Also unsure exactly when that trick was discovered...

(Definitely waste a good five seconds selecting the watch magnet and grabbing the key)

A total of sixteen players share the GoldenEye World Record for a 16 second speedrun through Bunker 2
(first set by Carl-Magnus Wall in 2021).

Every few years, someone seems to set a new, previously unfathomable time...
Clearing the level in 15 seconds seems downright impossible - But someone's bound to do it someday.

Back in 1998, the GoldenEye World Record for Bunker 2 was 34 seconds (held by Glen McDiarmid).
It was reduced to 27 seconds (by Patrick Wessels).
https://wrs.the-elite.net/goldeneye/recordlevel.php?level=9
The GoldenEye and Perfect Dark World Record Database

Normally, speedrunners will keep besting one another by a second or two.
The fact that the quickest time jumps 7 whole seconds - I'm going to speculate that's when the glitch was first exploited.

As for the glitch itself - Still can't pull it off, and many players can't.




After escaping from the jail cell with Natalya, one of the patrolling guards has the key to escape - Unlike the random Dr. Doak variable in the Facility, this guard is on a set path. Depending how you play the game will dictate where you encounter the Klobb-wielding key carrier.

Definitely don't wanna backtrack on a speedrun.

The crucial guard who carries Keycard A.
Make just enough noise and he'll abandon his patrol - So you can ambush him in the hallway.

The guard will run towards where the shots were fired. After collecting the CCTV Tape, you can cleverly duck into the middle room and intercept him. Once that crucial KEYCARD A  is collected, there's no need to stay - Strafe for that exit as quickly as possible, hopefully with a few bullets pushing you forward.

(May also encounter the guard with Keycard B, normally found patrolling near the start of the level. KEYCARD B grants access to documents required only on higher difficulty levels)



My own best time for the Bunker stands at 37 seconds on console (45 seconds on the PC ROM).

It's quite a thing to finish with your fastest time ever... Being simultaneously satisfied - AND well aware of the segments of that particular run where you could have saved even more time.

In the 2 seconds it takes to fly across the room while strafing, this guard is often too busy swatting flies
(or scratching his ass) to even muster a shot.

(It's been a long, boring shift)

ANOTHER FUN CHALLENGE:  Attempting to complete BOTH Bunker missions (Bunker 1 & Bunker 2) with a combined time of less than a minute. Still gotta save three seconds somewhere, off either mission...

Been trying to reduce the time by a second or two every day... Few weeks ago, was 20 seconds away from the goal. Now down to the last few seconds, and it's getting really tight - Need a bit of luck - In Bunker 1, Sometimes the Special Forces guys totally block the door, other times they scatter.

Also gonna have to get shot in the back several times to save those couple seconds...

Let There Be Guards...

Whenever Bond finishes a mission, the game automatically "removes all guards from level" before the cutscene kicks in. (So the guards won't still be randomly attacking our hero as he exits in style)

Was curious to see what it looked like if all guards were NOT removed from the level.
Here in Bunker 1, deleted that one small instruction (ROM Modification).


In the Facility, Ourumov's troops keep firing away as Bond calmly makes his exit.

Calm and collected, Bond doesn't even flinch as he get shots...
(Fortunately, the bullet missed all vital organs)

Barely a Flesh Wound...

"OWW! Got shot by a Klobb - It almost broke the skin!"

  As the game's weakest gun, the Klobb offers about as much stopping power as a BB gun.

Boom Box...

Destroyed by the GoldenEye blast?

Not sure that I've seen this one before...

Escaping from Bunker 1.
One of the guards must have pulled a grenade, because in the cinema scene, the alarm blows up!

Fun Run...

Bond bolts out of the Bunker...

Always found it fun to shave seconds off my best times in Mario Kart...
The levels in GoldenEye 007 also offer a wide variety for potential speedruns.

With the black-clad Janus Special Forces troops, the "Bunker 1" mission is more exciting than Runway.

Inspired to return to the Satellite Control Bunker (aka. Bunker 1, the game's fifth mission) after reading a few thoughts by Wouter Jansen (who set a good number of records for both GoldenEye and Perfect Dark back in the day).

Other missions around the 20-second mark include Runway, Frigate , Bunker 2 and Archives.
(Can barely mix up a vodka martini in that timeframe...)

Wouter Jansen also commented that it's required to take damage in order to set a world record...
It seems absurd at first - But Bond getting "pushed" by enemy bullets saves approximately .25 second (provided the hits send you in the direction you're heading).


His 17-second tear through Bunker 1 (Agent difficulty) in 2003 stood for a decade and a half.
(Others would tie the record... Eventually, Karl Jobst accomplished the feat of 16 seconds in 2018).

Photograph the screen and copy the GoldenEye Key...
For a seasoned veteran, the first Bunker is such a quick mission that it's like a lap around the racetrack.
But it's amazing what you can do to shed even more seconds of your best time.

While I'll never take my speedruns to the extreme, can always pick up a few tips and tricks to up your own game - And to get into the mindset of what it takes to go for the gold.

World Records
GoldenEye 007 - Bunker 1
16 seconds
(fifteen players sharing the record)

https://wrs.the-elite.net/goldeneye/rankings.php
https://wrs.the-elite.net/goldeneye/recordlevel.php?level=5

Not one bullet fired during the mission.
(MI6 is definitely cutting their budget these days)

Spontaneously picked up the controller and beat my previous best time by 2 whole seconds on the first attempt. Although I'm not a speedrunner, could maybe hit 22 seconds, eventually...

(Never thought I'd try to deliberately get shot in the back, but Bond flies down the stairs or hallway much quicker that way...)

My own best time for Bunker 1 on Agent is 25 seconds on the console (29 seconds on the ROM).
Relatively happy with it - But definitely room for improvement, considering the best players can finish the mission in practically half that time...

Will anyone ever hit 15 seconds???

Looking Back at The Bond Booklet...

GoldenEye 007 Instruction Manual
Page 16-17

A few favorite (and consecutive) pages from the GoldenEye 007 booklet that came with the game.
Of course, there's the Spyder (aka Klobb) listed in the WEAPONS section.

Terrorist armed with a Phantom

The 'Phantom' sub-machine gun being mentioned as "A terrorist favorite". Connect the dots, and the unused 'Terrorist' character would seem like it was designed for the Destroyer/Frigate mission.

Unused items that can be restored with a Cheat Device, Game Enhancer or Emulator.

Interesting how the "Bungee Equipment" is listed in the GADGETS section. In the finished game, there is no such item available. However, any GoldenEye fan with a Gameshark has undoubtedly seen the "BUNGEE" along with other unused item text like the "Piton Gun" and "Lock Exploder"

Micro Camera as seen in Bond's inventory.
Added to the Bunker via Emulator.

The instruction manual appears to list the "Camera" as "Micro Camera".
Whether or not this is a an oversight or merely a typo is debateable... But the "Micro Camera" is actually a completely separate (albeit unused) gadget and prop.

Micro Camera: There's no way to obtain this item in the finished version of the game, without modifying the setup with an enhancement device.

GAMESHARK CODE: Modify Pick-Up Object to Micro Camera

Dam: 811FA522 0030
Runway: 801D9258 0030

In either mission, kill the first guard and collect his gun.
Pause the game, and select the MICRO CAMERA from the inventory.

The Micro Camera gadget is fully functional (in the sense that you can fix it to the wall - And it's cool to look at). Infinite Ammo or Maximum Ammo are required in order to plant the devices.

Pickup Text also exists for the Micro Camera (The Bungee and Piton Gun as well).

Unused Gadget: Watch Magnet Repel.
(Modified Bond's inventory in Bunker 2)

Just a minor detail - The booklet lists the "Watch Magnet" but does not specifically indicate the function.

GoldenEye players are familiar with the "Watch Magnet Attract" (from the Bunker 2 and Archives missions) - An unused counterpart also exists within the memory...

The "Watch Magnet Repel" was yet another gadget that was designed for potential use - But never actually included in the finished game. Appears to be no ammunition or "charge" available to actually use the Repel function, however.

GoldenEye 007 Instruction Manual
Page 18-19

"Try and find these four villains!"

Players hunted for the other classic Bond villains Mayday and Oddjob, not satisfied to have found them (only) in Multiplayer Mode.

It seemed like a tease that we only fought Jaws and Baron Samedi in the main game...
Video game logic seemed to dictate that Oddjob and Mayday had to be there somewhere.

GoldenEye 007 Instruction Manual
Page 20-21

The image of the famous white tuxedo, along with another Bond suit missing from the final game.
Even the character screen on page 21 shows Sean Connery's select picture (faded just to the left of Boris).

Connery photo retrieved from the game's memory.

Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton, restored for Multiplayer in GoldenEye X.
A much better look at those suits seen briefly in the booklet.

GoldenEye fans rejoice as those former James Bond actors (once thought to have been lost forever) were pulled from the memory, and restored to the game with their respective tuxedos.

Just slight changes to the Multiplayer menu.
"Characters" and "Weapons" switching places.
"Handicap" was changed to "Health".
Also, the options for Control Style and Aim were added.

The background graphic for the Multiplayer folder which used to be "CLASSIFIED" now reads "CONFIDENTIAL".

More Rubbish...

The "Rarewhere: GoldenEye 007 Rumour Mill" offered a whole wave of answers for players that had become hooked on the game...

Found in an old binder, the original documents that were brought to my attention decades ago.

These scanned sheets full of HTML code aren't pretty - But they served as confirmation that there was definitely more to be seen in GoldenEye 007.

The questions are pretty much answered in the FAQ.
But there's something about the original answers, right from the source.

https://goldeneye64.blogspot.com/p/more-declassified-documents.html

(There's also a single page of an unused draft of a GoldenEye movie script around here somewhere...)

Citadel - The Obsession, The Fascination...

A plain white pillar stretches to the sky, in a big room full of obstacles.
A testing facility named Citadel was briefly used by the GoldenEye 007 team in 1997,
just months before the game's release.

Tucked inside every GoldenEye 007 game cartridge is an unfinished Multiplayer level called "Citadel".
Twenty five years ago, it seemed unfathomable to ever be playing around inside this fabled, "lost world".

A reference to 'CITADEL' was found in the game's memory, alongside the existing level names.
Remarkable at what's since happened, based off that one little clue.

"Early exploration" began with Gameshark codes, soon progressing to actually modifications of the ROM itself.

In 2004, Gameshark hacker Krijy provided the first known working codes for The Citadel.
(A wonderful explanation was written by SubDrag, with codes by Para and Wreck)

For those who may never actually get to experience the level, a quick explore of "Zoinkity's Citadel" within the GoldenEye Setup Editor. http://n64vault.com/ge-multi-levels:citadel


This isn't a playthrough of the Citadel level itself, merely drifting around it to take a look.

Outside the level, looking in...
Inaccessible via normal game play, a remnant of this rough, test map still remains inside the ROM.

Basically four large rooms, connected via hallways.
Even has an upper and lower level.

The Citadel itself has come a long way since it was unearthed.
A look back at the original level itself, with textures that don't line up.

Visible ammo boxes that have since been added to the level.

That crazy, angled stair/ramp in one of the rooms.

Each room has various obstacles for testing purposes.

Like finding the plans of an unfinished prototype (without all the working parts), GoldenEye enthusiasts have basically taken the blueprint and turned it into a playable level.

(Even one of Stephen King's works was rescued from the rubbish bin)

---

A few snapshots of the Citadel as depicted in GoldenEye X.
(ROM Modification with GoldenEye levels and characters playable in Perfect Dark)

Room full of obstacles.
The Citadel level has been given an Aztec theme.

Bond and Natalya, taking aim in the room full of "mini bunkers".
It's always fun to experiment (she can even climb on top).

Very big room with four pillars stretching to the sky.

Still so much to say about The Citadel that one page is barely a start...

A more complete "walkthru" for this Multiplayer Level exists at GoldenEyeForever.com:
http://www.goldeneyeforever.com/level files/citadel_multiplayer_temp.htm