Water Caverns Keycard Map...

Got Your Bearings, Jimbo!

One of the most disliked GoldenEye 007 levels is the 17th stage, the Water Caverns.

"Open the blast doors!"

Not only is the Caverns a relatively long & dark mission, but the guards are heavily armed (and armored).

Navigating through a set of locked security blast doors is something that usually snags me on every playthrough.

The collectable keycards are rather counter-intuitive.
Whenever you locate a guard with a key, his particular smart card doesn't seem to open the door that's nearby.

A quick reference map for the final portion of the Water Caverns, illustrating the locked doors, and where to find the corresponding keycards.

WATER CAVERNS
Color-coded Keycard Map
(final portion of the level)

The guards with cards have blue hats on their heads.

It's also possible that when a guard is killed, his keycard might fly well away from where his weapon lands. Especially in a big open room, sometimes this can prevent players from locating the card and exiting the level.

Guard in the Radio Room has no idea we're spying on him...

The guard carrying Keycard B is in the big open room with the Radio.

Guard with the blue hat has Keycard C.

Just outside the big Radio Room, is another guard who carries the crucial Keycard C.
Incidentally, that guard is easiest to pick off as you can snipe him from a distance.

The guard inside the room that has Keycard B can also be lured out of the room by shooting at the glass from outside.

 

Unlike the Scientists in the Facility or Silo, these labcoats aren't very keen on leaving their workstations.

Three objectives focus on blowing shit up.
Bottom line: Several computers to be destroyed - WITHOUT allowing the death of more than TWO Scientists in the explosions.

Janus has stockpiled for the Apocalypse, with fuel drums stacked on top of fuel drums...

On 00 Agent (highest difficulty), the player is required to use the radio to contact Jack Wade, which completes an Objective.

Guards in this area will tend to cause an explosion that destroys the radio, so proceed with caution.

"Close the blast doors!"

The AR33 Assault Rifle can actually shoot right through the blast doors.
Use this knowledge to put a few extra bullets into guards, as they won't open fire on you until the door is fully open.

The final stretch...

Save enough ammo with the Assault Rifle to help pick off the two drone guns in the final corridor.
Several Janus Special Forces are waiting for you there.

It's best to work quickly, because if you stick around the blast door area, you'll soon have to deal with infinitely spawning troops with RC-P90s and Shotguns.

ARCHIVES: Textbook Play

Even More GoldenEye Homework...

Examining the path of a particular guard in the Archives Mission.

Bond hits the books to better his odds in the Military Intelligence Archives

This patrolling sentry is a deciding variable that will make or break a successful speedrun.
The goal is to finish within the Target Time of 1:20 as a 00 Agent (hardest difficulty).

Have previously commented that Super Mario Bros 3 is like a Pinball machine...
GoldenEye 007 is more like a game of Poker.

Even if you play your cards right - The unpredictability of other characters will make the whole run a total bust.

It's possible to finish the mission without even seeing this problem guard...
At the same time, he could be in the worst possible place - And there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.


The patrolling guards in the Facility are predictable (can almost set Bond's watch by it).
Most of the Facility patrollers don't travel through doors...

Computer-controlled characters often get stuck behind doors in the Archives, turning in circles until the door closes... At which point, they try again.

If the guard in the Archives navigates his course properly, he should arrive at a particular spot at a certain point in time - This seldom happens. If things go well, you might not even see him.

Interestingly enough, he's the same guard who patrols during one of the opening Intro Cameras.
(The angle that shows an outdoor area with other guards stationed around)

This area is just down the hall from where Bond stops to meet Mishkin (to complete OBJECTIVE C)



Exploring with Bond Invisible (the very same Cheat that's unlocked in this level with a successful run).

Not quite background ambience or random character animation, exactly...

The Russian Soldier guard can even get stuck in the corner with Mishkin before Bond even arrives in the room.

Get there quick enough, and the guard might just be leaving the room with his back to you.

Sometimes Bond gets to the meeting room, and the far door is wide open - Indicating the guard has just left.




After hundreds of playthroughs of this mission, and I saw something I'd never seen before...

It's Ajar.
(Normally there's a door here)

After exiting the meeting room with Mishkin (obtaining the bloody safe key & flight recorder), I raced down the hall to find the last door wide open...

There really should be "Push" and "Pull" signs on these Archives doors...

The only logical explanation is that the patrolling guard must have just finished passing through it.
He must have been stuck turning in circles behind the door while the meeting was in progress.


On another playthrough, the guard happened to catch sight of me just as I was sneaking by the basement bookcases... He technically passes through there for just a brief moment, as he travels from a hallway to enter the "big room".




Being harassed by other guards: Just as the patroller can cause problems, Bond might have a couple other guards that follow downstairs while the important meeting with Mishkin is underway.

Very few of them will manage to track you that far... But a couple of them might (occasionally even one of the black-coated guards who was holding Natalya).





On a separate but related note, all the GoldenEye speedrunning experts will use the additional strategy of looking down at the ground as they run and strafe...

Bond's always curious if the curtains match the carpet...

Apparently this speeds up the framerate, as the game is required to load fewer textures.
The Archives is an excellent mission to practice this technique.
Fewer guards to deal with, and straight, easy tiles and lines on the floors to follow.

While I definitely need more practice to be effective with this method, it's undeniably a time-saver that can shed a few additional seconds.

Making The Rounds...

Sneaking around with the "Bond Invisible" Cheat in the Facility.
There's often a Scientist that gets caught in the crossfire on the first floor.

Decided to follow this Scientist while Invisible, just to see what he's up to...

This guy walks around, looking busy - without doing any actual work.
He must be the Supervisor.

Just for fun, I decided to give the walking Scientist a more prominent role.

The Scientist patrolling the level intro in place of the guard.

A Russian Soldier guard normally appears on one of the level intro cameras...
Instead, the Scientist takes his place. Basically switched the two characters around.

You Must Learn Control...

More GoldenEye Homework

Protecting Natalya in the Janus Control Center is a hectic battle.
Enemies will run to designated spots, so it helps to know where they open fire.

(For a refresher on the entire Control level, see MISSION WALKTHRU: Janus Control Center)

Modified the ROM to station a guard at each one of these preset locations.
It's a lot easier to study the battlefield without the chaos.

OBJECTIVE A: Protect Natalya
Guards stand around and swat flies while Natalya stares blankly at the screen.

Each guard will randomly be programmed to attack James Bond, or to go after Natalya.
Because Natalya is basically a sitting duck, it's much worse if they choose her as their target.

Overlooking the Control Room
To hell with motivational posters in the workplace. Bring in the armed guards!

Guards early in the level are relatively predictable, so take aim and save your ammunition for this fight...
That way you can go absolutely hog wild and shoot anything that moves.

Once the alarm goes off, Jungle Commandos will spawn and run towards the Control Room.
The guards will generally stand in one of six basic spots and begin firing.

After running down the stairs, the game will send a guard to one of three spots on that side of the room.

All six guards lined up and ready to take Natalya out...
Fortunately we don't have to deal with all of them at once.

Once the alarm sounds during actual gameplay, guards can be spotted as they run in either direction as they come off the middle stairs...

Can even take some of these guards before they even make it downstairs...

Guards are eliminated on the "spiral stairs".
Getting preoccupied with one side of the room, another guard is bound to sneak up and attack Natalya.

Of course, these are just the guards that you see coming...

Light this guy up with all you've got.
He's wearing body armor, so aim high and don't stop shooting until he drops.

With the sound of broken glass, snipers will appear on either side, immediately opening fire on Natalya.
If she's already taken damage, they might finish her off before Bond can take aim and drop the guy.



Keep Natalya alive long enough, and she'll complete the crucial computer objective.

OBJECTIVE B: COMPLETED

The battle might be over - But Natalya can still get shot in those final seconds, so take no chances and keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for guards that didn't get the memo.


Once she makes it safely back to the lift, OBJECTIVE A: COMPLETED flashes on the screen.

Bond Gets Ghosted...

If for some reason you feel like exploring and decide to follow her, she actually does return to the lift. The character will fade away and disappear, just like Ourumov in the Facility or Valentin in the Streets.



(For a refresher on the entire Control level, see MISSION WALKTHRU: Janus Control Center)

00 Agent Facility in 1:54 - ZERO DAMAGE!

I AM INVINCIBLE! (And Apparently Bulletproof)

Managed to do the unthinkable.
Cleared the 00 Agent Facility in GoldenEye 007 without taking so much as a scratch.
Still with perfect health, finishing within the Target Time.

 

Absolutely incredible. Couldn't believe it.
How on earth was this even possible?

Whoa.
"I'm not the one. I'm just a regular guy."

 

No Damage Clear

Wasn't even consciously aware that my health was full.
Knew I had done well, but it wasn't until pausing to access the Door Decoder that I realized my health meter was fully intact.

 

Perfect Bond Indeed...

With practice, I've been able to make it upstairs to the lab in excellent health.
On this particular run, Doak was in the side lab. No good for setting a new personal best time, but still needing some practice in the Bottling Room, I'm always up for it.

Half of Everything is Luck...

Ducked in to start the conversation with Dr. Doak and one of the Russian Soldiers pulls a grenade in the hallway.

Wipes out all of his comrades (without more than 2 Non-Military Personnel).
(Have FAILED the mission many times because of guards killing Scientists!)

Suddenly surrounded by silence, I proceed to waltz right out like I own the place.
Doesn't even feel like it really happened.
Somehow, it made me put down the controller, walk away and reflect...

Like something out of Pulp Fiction...
Sam Jackson wonders how the hell he didn't get shot and killed by those motherfuckers.

 

Other Factors:

It was on console, not the ROM.
Recently started using the technique of a tiny piece of paper on the screen to aim while running.
Nailed a few crucial guards with perfect headshots using the Silenced PP7.

Had just hit new best times for the Facility on Agent, Secret Agent, and 00 Agent.
Hit a new personal record for 00 Agent Facility just hours earlier.

Without a doubt, I've never been this good at GoldenEye before. Hadn't played in ten years.
After three months of practice, definitely in the zone.

Of course I'm nowhere near as good as the best players in the world.
Still, it's an unforgettable GoldenEye moment that I was lucky enough to achieve.

 

Took a break after several dozen runs in the afternoon. Picked it up in the evening, and it happened several attempts in. Had also gone for a nice long relaxing nature walk before dark.

Also cranked down the music - Which I still enjoy, and somehow am not sick of yet...
But it is a bit of a distraction, and I'd rather be in tune with the SFX.

And finally, just switched up to a (slightly) better N64 controller.

 

Also realized that it was on my original GoldenEye 007 game cart - So worn out that it won't load if fully inserted. Definitely has sentimental value.






For the actual strategy pages, see Blog Posts:
"Speedrun For Invincible" and "Earning Invincible - It's Infuriating!".

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.

A very quick map illustrating Bond's route towards the Bottling Room, with an "X" marking the guard who ultimately opens the door:

FACILITY
Partial Map
(Upstairs Lab Areas & Bottling Room)

Objective B is to locate Dr. Doak

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.