Okay, let’s talk about the watch in GoldenEye 007 on the N64. Man, that thing was cool.
Getting Started with the Watch
So, first thing I remember when firing up GoldenEye was how awesome it felt to be Bond. And a huge part of that was the gear, especially that watch. It wasn’t just for telling time, you know? It was like your main tool.
When you started a mission, you’d get your objectives. And how did you check them? You’d hit the Start button, and boom, Bond’s watch popped up on the screen. It was the main menu! Felt super slick back then. You could see your health, your armor, and of course, those mission goals.
Using the Watch in Missions
I remember fiddling with it all the time. On some levels, you needed it for specific things. Like, remember needing to use a gadget? You’d pause with the watch, go into your inventory screen – which was part of the watch interface – and select what you needed.
Take the Facility level, for example. You had objectives like using the Key Analyzer or the Door Decoder. How’d you do it?
- First, you had to find the item, like grabbing the GoldenEye Key from a table.
- Then, press Start to bring up the watch menu.
- Navigate over to your inventory or weapons section.
- Select the Key Analyzer or Door Decoder.
- Then you’d unpause, aim at the thing you needed to use it on (like a console or a locked door), and press the fire button.
It felt pretty involved, like you were actually interacting with the tech. On harder difficulties, like Secret Agent or 00 Agent, getting those items, like finding Dr. Doak for the decoder, was crucial. Then you’d go through the same watch menu process to actually use it.
More Than Just Gadgets
The watch wasn’t just for gadgets, though. It had that laser! Holding the aim button and then the fire button activated it. Cutting through locks or whatever – it was slow, but man, it felt cool. Sneaking around, using the laser watch… pure Bond stuff.
And honestly, just pausing the game felt neat because it brought up the watch interface. It made the whole menu system feel part of the game world, not just some overlay. Checking objectives, switching weapons, looking at your health, it all happened through that watch face. Simple idea, but really effective for making you feel like a secret agent.
Looking Back
It’s funny thinking about it now. Games have way fancier menus and interfaces. But that GoldenEye watch? It was iconic. Simple, functional, and totally nailed the spy vibe. Every time I pressed Start, it was a little moment of feeling like Bond checking his gear. Good times.
