Nintendo 64: Perfect Dark
September 29, 2008 - 12:02 am - Posted by Sean
Using an enhanced version of the GoldenEye engine and taking full advantage of the expansion pack, Perfect Dark is an ultimate first-person shooter for the N64.
No, you don’t get the familiar James Bond characters from GoldenEye, but you do get a lovely redheaded heroine named Joanna Dark.
The game challenges you to infiltrate a futuristic corporation and lay waste to scores of guards and aliens.
The graphics are slightly improved over GoldenEye, with realistic shadowing, reflective glass, and slick modern environments.
The angular Joanna Dark is probably the most poorly-rendered object in the game, but since you’re playing from a first person perspective, it’s not much of an issue.
Enemies scream realistically when shot, and the blood is substantial which was unheard of for a Nintendo title back then.
Here’s an interesting piece of gaming trivia: Perfect Dark was the very first Nintendo-published game to earn a Mature rating.
The single player mode offers a compelling storyline and can also be played cooperatively with a friend.
Thanks to the handy “take cover” and auto-aim mechanisms, blasting enemies has never been easier.
You can carry and switch between a number of weapons, and each has a secondary function as well.
There’s even a remote-controlled camera that let’s you scout out hazardous locations, and this presents you with a slightly distorted, circular view.
Of course, it’s the multi-player mayhem that appeals to most N64 gamers, and Perfect Dark delivers big time.
You can now include CPU-controlled “simulants” to your split-screen contests, and these are far more than simple generic drones.
You can select from a wide variety of behaviors, including “PreySims” which prey on the weak, “PeaceSims”, which hoard weapons, “VengeSims” which take each attack personally, and the ultra-relentless “KazeSims”.
Better yet, you can mix and match these to your heart’s content. These also allow to you engage in solo frag-fests when no one else is around.
Robust option screens provide for endless customizations, including setting player handicaps and configuring teams.
Rounding out this fine package is an outstanding futuristic soundtrack that perfectly conveys the drama and urgency of the game’s underlying theme.
Perfect Dark’s graphics may be showing their age, but in terms of first person shooting action, it’s held up remarkably well.
Until recently, I had no idea that using the expansion pack with Perfect Dark unlocked so many awesome cut scenes and graphics. It’s just amazing.
As of now, I just leave the expansion pack installed in my N64. Why didn’t Nintendo just make the unit have more memory from day one?
Do you know if the expansion port has any other uses besides memory upgrades?
P.S. Nice website. Keep up the great work!
@Michael: Indeed, even the Perfect Dark box states “Expansion Pak Required for Maximum Gameplay”.
From what I know, the original reason Nintendo made the Expansion Pak was to help with the Nintendo 64DD (Disk Drive) which was never released in the USA.
You need the Expansion Pak to play ‘Donkey Kong 64‘ and ‘The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask’. Without it, the games don’t even boot up.
It also helps make ‘Perfect Dark’ and ‘StarCraft 64′ have a ton more features as I pointed out in my post about Perfect Dark.
Perfect Dark is way better then Golden Eye 007. I would say it’s probably the best first person shooter on the Nintendo 64.
@Gregg: It is a really good FPS. Thank you for your comment.