Posted in: Games, Video Games | Tagged: goldeneye, N64

Decades Later, Goldeneye Devs Admit Using Oddjob is Cheating

Published Thu, 23 Aug 2018 21:45:22 -0500

Did you ever yell at one of your friends on the couch for using Oddjob in Goldeneye multiplayer on the N64 because he was too short to hit? Everyone loved to scream about how using the character was a cheat in the game, despite the fact that the developers put him in there as an unlockable character. Well, according to some former Rare development team members, they absolutely agree, using Oddjob is cheating.

MEL Magazine recently put together an article called "An Oral History of 'GoldenEye 007' on the N64", which goes over the game's entire history and is well worth a read if you love the game. In it, the developers talk about everything under the sun from the way maps were built to naming the Klobb to using Oddjob in gameplay. Here's a snippet from the article that might entice you to go check it out in full. Seriously, it's a wonderful read, nothing but praise from us about how in-depth it goes into an iconic '90s game.

Hilton: We all thought it was kind of cheating when we were play-testing with Oddjob [due to his short stature, the auto-aim of the weapons goes above his head], but it was too much fun to take out and there was no impetus from any of us to change it. It's clearly become part of the culture and folklore of the game — I noticed playing GoldenEye as Oddjob was mentioned in Ready Player One, so ultimately, I think it's fine.

Edmonds: It's definitely cheating to play as Oddjob! But that can just add to the fun when you're all sitting there next to each other and berating/poking/hitting the person who chooses him. Personally I like to pick Jaws [who originally appeared in 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me] and then beat the person with Oddjob just to show them! We could have put something in to stop this blatant cheating, but why not just let players decide on their own rules?

Mitchell K.: Oddjob is cheating: He is banned. That said, I have only played with a caliber of people who would never consider choosing him, so it has never been an issue.

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