Goldeneye 007 is the game every proper N64 fan wants to see running in slick hi-res on the Wii's Virtual Console, but with all the licensing issues, can it ever happen?

Can any of Rare's own franchises appear on the VC? It's the question that we all want to know, so one avid rare fan took the next step by posting on a Q&A page on Rareware's website. And here's Rare's response in full:

"This is where we finally edge into territory that could see Scribes neutron bombed from management level. The only Rare-developed title on Virtual Console right now is the original Donkey Kong Country, and unofficially there's a strong likelihood that its sequels will follow.

Advertisement:
"But the Donkey Kong series of games is a Nintendo-owned franchise starring an established Nintendo character, whereas something like Banjo isn't (and even Diddy Kong Racing is less clear-cut), so it's nowhere near as easy to call.

"Especially when you also consider the existence of Xbox Live Arcade. So right now, the best answer we can offer (for either download service) is 'it's possible'. I like your sausage casserole mix, by the way."

Random sausage casserole reference aside, that's the state of play, so we can continue to dream.

Elsewhere on the Q&A page Rare's representative spoke more specifically about Goldeneye, explaining that it's "caught up in a convoluted web of rights", but that this "doesn't mean it won't happen, just that a lot of people with a lot of different perspectives are involved."

Who do we have to kidnap to make it happen, Rare? Just name names.