If you watched The Game Awards last night, you'll have spotted that a beloved Nintendo IP from the N64 era is getting a new instalment – but unfortunately, it's not coming to a Nintendo console.
Microsoft announced that a new Perfect Dark game is in production – one which reimagines the series for a modern era. It's being overseen by fledgeling Santa Monica studio The Initiative (which is made up of staff from the likes of Bungie, Naughty Dog, Crystal Dynamics, Respawn, Rockstar, and Treyarch) rather than Rare, the UK code house which produced the N64 original and the Xbox 360 prequel, Perfect Dark Zero.
While this new Perfect Dark will reshape the series and its characters for modern-day players, key members of the development team have spoken in an interview about how they have to treat the IP "very carefully", and how tricky it is to pay tribute to past games, but not go too far.
You can watch the interview below.
[source purexbox.com]
Comments (99)
A remake won’t ruin it for me just like the original 1930s King Kong, 1970s version, the Peter Jackson one, and the Skull Island movie all are fun. Interesting to see how it will go.
Yes yes... but bring back Elvis...
Was this posted on the wrong site? It's sadly nothing to do with Nintendo anymore.
Looks more like Zero than the original. I'll wait till I see gameplay.
@Rob3008 I have to agree here.
_____
It has nothing to do with Nintendo and hasn't done for more than 15 years, why is it on here?
So Rare isn't involved? What are they even around for anymore if they don't work on the IPs they created. I guess Microsoft has really lost faith in them over the years.
@Moon Thats because the original were limited due to hardware limitations. There weren't much outdoor shooters back then.
If they made it like the N64 one, it would for sure fail hard today.
@Razer well... because if there was a Banjo Threeie even for the Xbox... we would like to know.
Nintendo fans are nostalgic. I still feel attached to BK, Perfect Dark and Conker, even though it makes me sad I can’t play them on a Nintendo console anymore.
I wonder why they post Xbox exclusives on this site. We know this game won't be on Switch. The game isn't even made by Rare.
Not a problem for me as i will play PD on PC anyway on release.
i know this a Nintendo News site and all...
But FABLE and Perfect Dark revealed in the same year!? what world are we living in?
This literally has nothing to do with Nintendo anymore. Hasn’t for a long time now.
After the Zero game and the Remake Perfect Dark was more of a MS game anyway. In any case it makes you wonder what Rare is doing those days. I guess they made the new Battletoads and they develop an action game?
This game has nothing to do on this site.
@belmont Rare hasn't worked on one of their Nintendo era IPs since Banjo-Kazooie Nuts n Bolts. They're working on Everwild right now, and I do have faith in them putting out a good product.
Have a day off folks. You don’t need to click on every article if you are offended it’s on here when it’s Xbox. It’s heritage in Nintendo qualifies it for many as news worthy.
As fun as Perfect Dark was, it was a very quickly made Goldeneye reskin. I don't think they need to worry about it's legacy personally. I actually hope the rumours of it being third person stealth are true. We don't get a lot of those games, but we've got more than enough FPS already.
The people moaning about this are just butthurt because they dont have an xbox to play it on.
It was originally a Nintendo game, its good to see the IP isn't dead and quite a few here are multiplatform gamers.
I hate that for about five seconds I actually thought this was coming to the Switch. Cross another IP off the list of potential (Nintendo) comebacks, I guess.
@Peach64
What are you talking about?
Perfect Dark took 3 years to develop and exceeded the Golden Eye foundation in every way.
@belmont They didn't even develop the new Battletoads. They just supervised another studio to do it for them.
How must Rare feel to be cucked out of their most beloved properties like this...?
This is probably years away but good to see.
Cool if its decent I'll be picking it up. Wasnt a fan of zero though.
The way it was revealed gave me a little thrill. Even though I never played the whole game, the teaser was making me think of something in the back of my head and when I saw the profile of Joanna there (that’s her name right?) it all clicked nicely.
I’m going to guess there are just as many people that know Perfect Dark from the N64 days, as from the 360, as a spiritual successor to the incredibly popular GoldenEye by the company that was killing it on the N64.
It’s part of Nintendo history which is really not that long ago to the older folks here. It was entirely exclusive to Nintendo at the time, after all.
Also, why should we try and silo off into a Nintendo-only discussion just because the site is Nintendo-focused. I’d say the percentage of people that don’t play games on any other platform (new and old) has got to be pretty tiny. Being a Nintendo fan should never be at the exclusion of games and hardware from elsewhere — what an awful idea.
Why does this trailer look 1000 times better than everything else we’ve seen from the next gen games? I know I these are not in-game sequences but still
@Aozz101x
Its 2020 and something good for a change
This is an early sign on Microsoft and their trying to stop games being on other systems. Hence why they have been buying studios. Sadly they seem to have forgotten that selling consoles actually helps - early signs are that their so called huge launch is still behind Sony. A long way behind. Game Pass is the be all and end all for MS.
People on here acting like NintendoLife is breaking religious doctrine or something.
I’m happy they posted it, I wouldn’t have known otherwise.
As an old school Perfect Dark fan I see nothing wrong with the site tickling our nostalgic senses.
@ChaosBadger777 Not necessarily. The mind of a fan is that of betrayal or abandonment rather than their ability to afford another console. Example: when Square moved FF7 to the PSX, a friend of mine was outraged and hated Sony even more.
It should be noted he was the first person among us to buy a PSX, and yet when FF7 came out, he played it and said he hated every minute of it wishing that it were on Nintendo 64 instead and Sony never stole what he felt was "our" series.
Another example: a friend hates the L.A. Chargers football team. Even if it's the same players, he hates them because they're no longer the San Diego Chargers and he no longer has his hometown team to root for in American football.
I hope they do Jo justice. Zero was such a let down, but that was because Rare were turned upside down from within. With a committed focused group of Devs some of whom were fans of the original, it has every chance to succeed.
lets just hope its not Perfect Dark: Nuts And Bolts
Yes yes yes!
Really hyped about this one.
Keep em coming MS. Next reveal a high quality Killer instinct.
@Severian fan boys are going to fanboy but ultimately its them who miss out.
Refusing to play a game because its not on a preferred system is just stupid.
I like the new direction this site is taking. I can't wait to find out what other games won't be coming to the Switch. I just hope they make an individual report for every single one.
This has nothing to do with Nintendo. I don’t get why this get posted here.
@ChaosBadger777 treat a console like a hometown and that is one reason they think that way.
Some countries it makes no sense because the Switch is more expensive, so it’s cheaper to get a PS or Xbox. To be a Nintendo fan in places like the Philippines or Brazil requires significant income to afford it, so practically speaking, it’s expensive to be a fanboy....but people still are fanboys like when the iPhone releases a new model.
Priorities...
@Razer @Rob3008 The Perfect Dark series began life as a Nintendo exclusive, and the fact that the developers have said they're being careful to ensure this new title – which sounds like a reboot of the N64 original – treats the original IP in the best manner possible makes it news-worthy for those Switch owners who also happen to have an Xbox in the house.
These comments make me embarrassed to own a Switch. Good luck Perfect Dark.
Guess I'll be buying an Xbox after all.
Perfect Dark is forever.
@Ventilator Sure the 64 version had its limitations, but it is a far better game. Perfect Dark Zero felt like a shallow imitation. Graphically they do have to move forward, but I hope this game plays more like the original and a lot less like Zero.
@Razer Because lots of us here played the original title on N64 ans still care about news concerning Perfect Dark. So the original was on a Nintendo platform which technically makes it something to talk about on a Nintendo news site. This is just my opinion.
@Razer
I also agree. This seems like filler when there is no current relevance to the Switch. Perhaps this should be reworked to be a a look back piece.
Game Pass, day one. On PC. If it’s not on Switch, I’m at least glad it’s the platform agnostic Microsoft, rather than Sony. I actually like Sony, but I doubt I’ll be getting a PS5 any time soon.
That’s quite a CV of studios that the developers are pulled from. These guys clearly know their shooters.
Final Fantasy started off as a Nintendo title. I wonder why we haven't received updates on that non-Nintendo series. And with Sephiroth in Smash, seems like we should be racking up news as to why we should buy a PS4.
@Damo that is true but its sort of like rubbing salt on a wound that closed a while ago 😅.
This is being posted as news on this site because Nintendo dropped the ball last night and failed to show enough new stuff in the works. Sorry, I'm a little bitter.
@Peach64 quickly made? You really don't know much about the development of the game if you consider a development period of 3 years to be a quickly made game. It is also far more than a reskin and adds a lot to the overall package.
@itslukec Yeah. They probably looked at the flaws on previous one already.
@Stocksy COVID has this effect on people.
I guess if we follow this logic we shouldn't even have Cloud and Sephiroth on Smash.
Go figure.
It has those cyan sliding doors! Sold!
My PC will be ready.
Hopefully at that point they will have Shadow or Xcloud on Switch.
Keeping the new Perfect Dark title exclusive to Xbox consoles will severely damage the franchise’s chances of becoming well known to this generation’s gamers. If they were to go multi platform or even bring the game out on PC as well as Xbox, it would have a chance to grow. Even more so if they brought a portable version to Switch
I want to say thank you for this article. Yes pd is in my heart. And pdzero with more time and love could have been a classic. Xxx
@Rob3008 It’s an attempt to tease readers into commenting. Gotta keep up the site traffic.
Perfect Dark was already ruined on the Xbox 360 launch. Microsoft has mismanaged Rare for years, making them their go to Kinect maker and not allowing traditional games out of them like Kart racers and collect a thons. The recent battletoads was cool but at this point my expectations are low.
Not confirmed for Nintendo Switch then.....?
As much as I wish I could get behind developers that make claims about "treating it very carefully" and/or "for the fans" etc. I just can't. I always now just wait it out to see the real finished product. My heart still bleeds from the travesty that was Aliens Colonial Marines. All we heard for many months before release was how they're "taking their time to get it right", "they're die hard fans of the franchise" and finally making the game the fans have been waiting for. Look what happened
@Steel76 that would be awesome but I see no mention of it being advertised for both. I only see the Xbox logo at the end of the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S--lFTxAVs8
Uh, shouldn't this article be on Pure Xbox?
Sounds like a bunch of people that would understand the genetic make-up of the original.
Here's hoping they can pull a Metroid Prime on the franchise.
@John_Koshiro They've moved on to better things. Sea of Thieves is amazing!
@Stocksy the vitriol is kind of surprising. I wonder if there’s an undertone of jealousy in a lot of these comments. If this was somehow going to be released on the Switch, as part of their “partnership,” people would lose their minds.
As long as the reverence is for PD and not Zero I’m on board
@TG16_IS_BAE Not at all; Perfect Dark remains one of my favourite N64 games, and I'd imagine that is true for a lot of other people on here, too. I thought the fact the team behind this version are going out of their way to be as respectful as possible to the original game would mean this was of interest to other Nintendo fans.
@Damo That’s fair : ) Thanks Damo
@Stocksy @outsider83 Ha, yep. This news item was covered because Perfect Dark is a huge part of Nintendo history, and the developers are clearly aware of how beloved the original game is. Glad someone is sensible enough to realise that, as a site which covers all elements of Nintendo fandom, this absolutely qualifies as a point of interest.
@backup368 Exactly.
I wish them the very best of luck. I'll be watching this extremely closely. PD is to me the best FPS ever. I still play it every now and then, usually the 360 version because its BWC on both Xbone and now Series X. Can't wait to see first gameplay of it, but damn am I hyped.
Omg the pyramids 😱🤯
Why wasn't this ready for XboneSX/S launch?
The last game wasn't great, so they are probably being sensible. I'll reserve judgment till they show gameplay (cowards lol) as a movie trailer doesn't really do anything for me
Perfect dark zero I wanted to like so bad but it's so slow, they just really screwed it up also they made her look like a punk rocker lol. Hopefully they can do it much better this time.
It was only a cinematic trailer, they didn't even showcase a bit of gameplay. I'm skeptical until we see gameplay. All they showed was smoke.
After a year of relative silence from Nintendo the Game Awards, as cheesy as they may be, would have been a great place to remind everyone that they are still working hard to make fun experiences for everyone. Nintendo spoiled the surprise before the show and had nothing else to reveal. Microsoft had a few things, including a new Perfect Dark which is why we’re talking about Microsoft on NintendoLife. Nintendo was kind of a let down last night.
@idrawrobots This is Nintendo's "Please enjoy Animal Crossing with everyone else, until we offer you the next game we expect you to move on to for the following year" mode, lol.
This year I am really evaluating to buy an Xbox Series S. Maybe in the future. But it's pretty interesting.
@edhe Rare wouldn't care less, why would they?? It's better off in another developers hands now.
@Razer It started as a Nintendo title, and many Switch owners also have Microsoft or Sony consoles as well. For me, the Switch is my favorite console currently, but I'll be playing this on Series X when it releases. Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark were my original favorite console shooters.
@Edu23XWiiU Yeah, I'm sure this will be hyped up and the game won't meet fan's exceptions, but as bad as Perfect Dark Zero was I'd rather it exists than have no sequel at all. I plan to try this out as it will likely go to Game Pass, but I probably won't be spending any money on it (unless it really does turn out to be a decent game, at which point a Switch port should be a necessity).
@doctorhino I wouldn't say mismanaged lol. Rare needed to be pushed into new areas and challenges for their own sake.
Speaking of ex-Nintendo franchises, whats a guy gotta do to get some Killer Instinct on Switch? Old or new. I even have the Super Gameboy cartridge somewhere. I don’t care. Lol
@VR32X That's where we can just keep hoping that Rare Replay eventually hits the Switch. It seems like a no-brainer for Microsoft to port it over (even just digitally) as it largely consists of titles originally released on Nintendo consoles that us Nintendo fans have nostalgia for. But it's been over five years since it released on Xbox One, so I'm not holding out too much hope.
@Rob3008 99.9% of the Nintendo fanbase can't move on, so it gets posted here. Nintendo fan is a form of arrested development.
This article is like talking up an ex at your wedding....
@liveswired you can't deny they were good at kart racers. They could have at least given us 1 more, diddy kong and that disney racer are still classics.
Really, the "devotion to the past" isn't really the issue. The issue is trying to please people who've been playing Perfect Dark for two decades and want to see how this game will build on the N64 original. I think that should be a priority. I loved being able to disarm and shoot weapons out of the guards' hands, I loved the objective-based mission structure that GoldenEye pioneered (or at least popularized for a time), and I loved how the music would drastically become more intense during those dramatic moments in gameplay. That's what this new PD should build on.
@Ravenmaster
It will be on PC
It’ll be nice if they can reference the original but it’s 20 years old, the priority is surely just ‘making a great game.’
This is still one of my fav FPS of all time and my personal fav game on the n64 (xbla port was fantastic also)
I'm both nervous and excited as Zero still leaves a bitter taste
If it lives up to the original then I'm going to be in heaven
@electrolite77 Doesnt mean it has to be completely different PD is still a great game to play even today
Returning weapons, characters and use of multiple missions in the game when playing on harder difficulty.. why would a perfect dark fan NOT want these
Zero removed a lot of the core foundationa of what made PD great and it was god awful
@Arena1999 Yes, this guy gets it
The game definitely needs to be tailored for hardcore PD fans and not just "it's for everyone".. and it can expand upon the original, the original had exceptional level design that were amazing and imagine the kind of complex level design it could have these days
The weapons also have to feel satisfying and somewhat familiar, the gunplay in PD is still top notch, hell everything in PD is still top notch and hasnt aged abit imo, albeit I do prefer playing the xbla version over my old cartridge on my 64
@Nico07 I didn't play Zero, but I saw a video of It not so long ahí, and It really doesn't look that good. Timesplitters Is the true sequel to the Rare shooters, since It was the same team that handled the development. And yeah, a Switch would be welcomed, if the game ends up being good.
@Damo It's not just articles like this. You and Liam keep posting irrelevant stuff like articles about Netflix shows (namely Witcher and Castlevania), non-Nintendo movies like Monster Hunter and Resident Evil, and even reviews for non-Nintendo systems from companies like NEC and Sega. Just seeing it in the feed is annoying even if I don't click on it, and there's no specific tab to filter all of that out. I get that you own this website now, but that doesn't mean you have to run it like some random blog.
@DrDaisy Those posts might not be of interest to you personally, but they are to many of our other readers. Castlevania is a franchise which has a long history with Nintendo gamers and Monster Hunter arguably wouldn't be as big as it is now without the success of the 3DS versions.
Just because you personally aren't interested in these topics doesn't mean there's not an audience for them on our site.
watching the video it's 100% obvious they will ruin the IP even further.
@DrDaisy they can change the name of the site to NintendoAdjacent
i enjoyed zero.
It doesn't belong on this site!
@Arkay Nice! The end credits message! Although I owned Perfect Dark on my N64 I never beat it. I finally did, on my Series X this morning and can check a lifelong goal off my list. I am Nintendo and Xbox this generation and really can't wait to get the new Perfect Dark when it comes out!
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