2000
Perfect Dark
"The Messi of FPSs: sublime graphics, gameplay, longevity, multiplayer. Goldeneye was tough to follow but the freedom of originality allowed Rare to let their creativity loose: Co-op mode; superb array of weapons; using Miyamoto's face (!) are some of my favourites. So why do I prefer Goldeneye? To me, it reinvented FPSs; Perfect Dark took it to level two and therefore had less revolutionary impact."
9/10 - Steven Smith 64
User Reviews (10)
"Most content-heavy local multiplayer FPS ever produced, to this day, and all on 32 megabytes. A phenomenal work that was well worth the wait and did not deserve to be forgotten for Halo a little over a year later. Conker's may be prettier at times but this is the most graphically intense game of the entire 5th generation of consoles and well-deserving of that."
10/10 - JetForceSetGrind 64
"+features multiplayer bots +plenty of arenas and Challenges +multiplayer has lots of customization +laptop gun +co-op mode +campaign has environmental variety +target range -campaign not as charming as Goldeneye -framerate stutters a lot at certain parts -no option to use Goldeneye weapons in deathmatch -removed Game Boy Camera option from final product -small resolution for split-screen makes it difficult to see faraway in multiplayer"
9/10 - VGScrapbook 64
"How do you top perfection? I did not envy the shoes of RARE on the job to deliver a "Perfect" sequel to "Golden Eye" but they did it. More content, more ambition, even more multi-player antics! The frame rate go single digits when things explode but all in all, a very solid game. Mandatory for anyone with a N64 out there. Caution: Laptop gun."
10/10 - Shiryu 64
"64 words to describe why Perfect Dark is the best game of all time? This game pushed the N64 to it's limit. It looks better than any other N64 game, and still holds up even today. The game has a tonne of content, and both the single and multiplayer is infinitely replayable. Do you have an N64? Do you like fun? Well, buy it!"
10/10 - SyntheticPerson 64
"I have so much fun with this game. A friend use to always bring it over and we played non-stop. This was what I always wanted GoldenEye to have in it with the bots on split-screen. I love how you could control their actions and what they could do. The game is great and just simply fun that I play it all the time."
10/10 - JamesTheHitman 64
"How do you top a game like Goldeneye? Besides the obvious upgrade in graphics the difficulty for Rare was to make an entirely new character set in a believable game world that would be able to trump being James Bond. And boy did they ever! They tweaked the almost perfect multiplayer even further, added great music and a solid story. DEFINITE must-buy for N64..."
10/10 - ThanosReXXX 64
"What Rare started with Goldeneye, they perfected with Perfect Dark. This game is just brimming with more content than it's predecessor. More levels to play through, more challenges, more mini-games, more multiplayer options, more weapons - the list goes on and that's without mentioning the impeccable design and gameplay that well and truly makes this game a master-class in first person shooters. Bravo, Rare, Bravo!"
10/10 - GreenGaming 64
"A revolutionary FPS that pushed the system to the edge and beyond. RARE put everything out there with this one with all the weapons (which all had secondary functions), modes, maps, and options, that went far beyond GoldenEye's template. Though the frame-rate is still a little rough today, everything else stands tall as some of the best material in the genre. Don't miss this!"
10/10 - SparkOfSpirit 64
"This game is definitely one of my most favorite shooters out there. To me Perfect Dark pushed the N64 to it's limits.The graphics, the voice acting, the weapons, the story, everything about this game was great and I still enjoy this game to this date. Fancy a classic shooter? Want to have hours of fun with friends in multiplayer?Then this game is for you."
10/10 - Arkay 64
"This game took everything about Goldeneye and managed the impossible – it IMPROVED it. Tongue-in-cheek humour, fantastic controls (for the time), excellent level design, clever weaponry, insane level of content, tremendous multiplayer, and hidden cheese. There's little that can compare to a game like this today, and it's sad that Rare aren't what they once were. At least we can take solace in this masterpiece."
10/10 - AlexOlney 64
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Comments 38
Less impact, but to me a vastly superior game.
Incredible game, best FPS of all time!
The level of customization is mind blowing, I can't believe after all these years I haven't seen something in the same level. Rare was amazing back in the day.
You should've went with the sub title like this Perfect!!! The best game on the N64 and the most fun I had on the system. It did so many things right that you could ignore any flaws it might of had.
Btw, Perfect Dark took it to level 10!!
Went out and bought an extra N64, expansion pak and copy of PD just to always have it ready to go in my den. Still is a blast to play.
@soma
Yeah it's a travesty. How Nintendo ever let Rare be bought by Microsoft, and not snatching them up for themselves, is beyond comprehension. Imagine how many more awesome games that could have been created for GameCube, Wii, Wii-U, DS, 3DS! Not to mention all the classics missing on the VC: Wizards & Warriors, RC Pro-Am, Battletoads, Banjo-Kazooie, Killer Instinct, Blast Corp, Jet Force Gemini, Perfect Dark, Conker....
I guess I will be odd man in saying I was not impressed with Perfect Dark 64. Granted I played the port of it years later on the Xbox. It just didn't seem to be on the level as other games released around the same time like Deus Ex.
@Darknyht Do you mean the Xbox360 version on disc, or the high-res downloadable remake? If you mean the first I would agree, because even though it obviously had better graphics than the N64 version, the gameplay wasn't anywhere NEAR as good as the original. Don't know what went wrong there, but something definitely did...
Love this game, probaby the most hours I've put into a game. I still play it to this day!
What an amazing game. Long, replayable, varied, inventive, superb graphics and sound AND FUN likr no one else.
Plus that multiplayer. Mindblowing.
@Darknyht If you mean PD Zero, that game was awful. if you mean the XBLA rerelease, well.... that was ok. The controls let it down though (by being terrible).
I love the N64 perfect Dark so much. I like to speedrun the main game, and variations (enemy rockets!), so I have sunk in countless hours over the years. I love the game so much I have a Skedar tattooed on my leg
Perfect Dark forever.
Would have been very disappointed with less than 9. This game was off the charts for the N64 in 2000. Heck, it was better than Halo 1 1/2 years later I think. Just switch to the c-Buttons for moving like W, A, S, D on a keyboard.
And to think it was supposed to come out in Q4 1998...PERFECT example of why delayed games are a very GOOD thing for consumers.
Joanna Dark = Rareware and Nintendo 64's Samus Aran
Didn't like it much when I played it way back when, haven't touched it since. GoldenEye is the only N64 FPS I need, anyway.
Nothing about the music? That was awesome, too!
@TheRealThanos The remake of Perfect Dark was the reason I finally bought a 360. It wasn't as great as the original but still good enough to own.
@Nico07, why wasn't the remake better than the original? It improved the textures, framerate, resolution, added polygons to the first level buildings, and added online multiplayer. What did it lose in the transition?
the controls @VGScrapbook
@VGScrapbook control.
Miss Joanna, I miss her so, and my old job @the Carrington Institute....
II'm gonna have to break out my N64 n some buddies to play this!!!!
Was just saying to my mate the other day that i reckon Perfect Dark is the best FPS still to this day, then Goldeneye followed closely by the Metroid trilogy. From what i remember RARE updated the Goldeneye engine to run from 20 to 30 fps as well as putting the game on a 256mbit cart, the sound/music in this game is Epic.
I still love this game, and it does hold up a little better than GoldenEye. I spent so much time just messing around with the unlockable cheats (like strapping remote mines to enemies in Tiny Mode and watching them fly)
@VGScrapbook - most likely the developers. Most of the Rare team were jumping ship at the end of the Rare/Nintendo relationship. By the time they did the remake I doubt any of the original team were there. Also don't forget the Microsoft factor.
9/10???? Seriously!!! I can't see how PD could possible be improved upon, it pushed the N64 to its limits and improved on the Goldeneye gameplay in every aspect. It's a full 10 all day long.
If you compare PD to any modern day COD it will show you just how amazing this game is.
My favourite n64 game.
Got to be honest, I was never a huge fan. Without the Bond link it lacked the charm of Goldeneye, the multiplayer never took hold among my circle of friends, the Dreamcast was out (and the PS2 in Japan though it had nothing worth playing at this point) so the graphics didn't really impress and I thought the 'kitchen sink' approach lacked focus. Not to mention the facescanning getting dropped was annoying. Decent game, but I'm not surprised it isn't remembered with the same affection or recognition as Goldeneye in many quarters
@CaptainToad I agree - it probably couldn't be improved upon and it is a stupendous game. My 9 reflects what others have said: it lacks the charm of Goldeneye and I have more affection for it, that's all.
In many [most] ways this game is technically superior to GoldenEye and it's a genuinely brilliant and seminal FPS game in its own right but I still think that overall GoldenEye is just a little more pure fun for whatever reasons. There's still a crap load of stuff in Perfect Dark that I find impressive even to this day, like the amazing selection of really creative weapons for example, or the fact you could shoot out the lights and it would actually have an effect on the world and the enemies etc.
@CaptainToad AGREED this game is easily one of the few 10/10 games on the N64 as most mags gave it back in the day.
One of the finest games of all time imo! I remember the day i got it so well lol
"Only" a 9.8/10 from me because of Goldeneye, for me GE had a deeper impact since it was first obviously.
Always found Goldeneye the better game, Bond was a better backstory and made the atmosphere that much better
Damn i miss these kinds of games:( its almost hard to believe there was a time when Nintendo had the number 1 console fps. PD was so awesome, to this day I'm baffled as to why modern fps games dont use the multiple objective per level set up Goldeneye and PD did so well. Its actually a reason I find so many fps games quite hollow these days, Timesplitters did come close though but lacked the charm.
Its a shame Nintendo doesnt seem to want anything like this anymore (too many old men running the ship) and that a Nintendo shooter these days involved the hamburglar's children spraying paint all over each other:/
Im gonna go lay down now...
Only N64 games better than this are Mario 64 & Ogre Battle 64. I played this game with my friends for years. After that i've had my best spitscreen FPS years with Time Splitters 2 (gamecube) and Perfect Dark Zero (Xbox 360).
A great game. Over hyped at the time of release? The amazing visuals came at a price as there were frame rate stutters. Despite that, there is a lot of fun to be had. I used to like GameRoom's review of it especially the comments from the fans!
It is better than Goldeneye in every way except the story. It even has the Goldeneye guns and the best 3 multiplayer stages included in it!
It's also more fun than 90% of shooters made today because there was more to do than just killing everything in the area and finding cover.
I bought a 360 to play this game in HD at 60fps, best £160 I ever spent.
Me and my brother spent so much time on this game the co-op was so beast and that freaking far sight gun was op
I'm not too much into FPS genre (unlike my cousin who's been playing this since year 2000) but what I can say that the multiplayer and weapons (Farsight) were pretty fun in this.
I miss when FPS games had options and modes like this game does.
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