Perfect Dark

This article is about the Nintendo 64 video game. For other uses, see Perfect Dark (disambiguation).

Perfect Dark
European box art
Developer(s)	Rare
Publisher(s)	Rare Nintendo
Director(s)	Martin Hollis
Designer(s)	Duncan Botwood David Doak Chris Tilston Keith Rabbette Mark Edmonds
Composer(s)	Grant Kirkhope Graeme Norgate David Clynick
Series	Perfect Dark
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64
Release date(s)	NA May 22, 2000 PAL June 30, 2000
Genre(s)	First-person shooter, stealth
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ACB: MA15+ BBFC: 18 CERO: D ESRB: M OFLC: M PEGI: 16+ USK: 18
Media/distribution	256 Mb (32 MB) cartridge

Perfect Dark is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is considered the spiritual successor to Rare's earlier first-person shooter GoldenEye 007, with which it shares many gameplay features. Perfect Dark was first released in Canada and the United States in May 2000, where it was greeted with critical acclaim; PAL and NTSC-J releases followed soon afterwards. A remake, also titled Perfect Dark, with enhanced graphics, online multiplayer and some other minor changes was exclusively released as an Xbox Live Arcade game for the Xbox 360 on March 17, 2010.

The game features a single-player mode consisting of seventeen missions in which the player assumes the role of special agent Joanna Dark, an operative for the fictional Carrington Institute, as she attempts to stop a conspiracy by rival corporation dataDyne. It also features a range of multiplayer options, including co-operative and "counter-operative" modes in addition to traditional deathmatch settings. Technically, it is one of the most advanced games developed for the Nintendo 64, with optional high-resolution graphics and Dolby Surround Sound. A Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak is required to access the game's campaign and most of the multiplayer features.

A separate Game Boy Color game set in the same fictional universe, also titled Perfect Dark, was released shortly afterwards in August 2000 as a supplement to the Nintendo 64 game. With the use of the Transfer Pak, the Game Boy Color game allows certain features within the Nintendo 64 game to alternatively be unlocked. Perfect Dark sold two and a half million units worldwide and its success has led to the development of the Perfect Dark franchise, including the 2005 video game prequel Perfect Dark Zero and other types of merchandise such as novels and American comic books.

Plot

Perfect Dark series fictional chronology
2020 - Perfect Dark Zero 2020 - Perfect Dark: Initial Vector 2021 - Perfect Dark: Janus' Tears 2021 - Perfect Dark: Second Front 2022 - Perfect Dark GBC 2023 - Perfect Dark / Perfect Dark XBLA

Perfect Dark is set in the year 2023 against the backdrop of an interstellar war between two races: the Maians, who resemble the stereotypical grey alien; and the Skedar, reptile-like extraterrestrials who use a holographic disguise to appear as Scandinavian humans, bearing similarities to Nordic aliens.^[1] Using this disguise, they can interact with humans on Earth without looking too overtly suspicious. Meanwhile on Earth, there is an on-going rivalry between two factions: The Carrington Institute, a R&D center founded by Daniel Carrington that secretly operates an espionage group in league with the Maians;^[1] and dataDyne, a sinister defense contractor corporation led by Cassandra De Vries, who secretly made a deal with a group of Scandinavians: she agreed to assist them in constructing an AI to crack the codes of a "Cetan" alien ship buried on the ocean floor.^[1] In return, the Scandinavians promised to supply them with enough alien technology to become the biggest corporation on Earth.^[1]

The player is cast as Joanna Dark, an agent of the Carrington Institute, whose impeccable scores in training have earned her the codename "Perfect Dark".^[2] On her first mission, she is sent to rescue a scientist named Dr. Caroll from the dataDyne skyscraper.^[1] It is revealed that Dr. Caroll is in fact the AI created by dataDyne, who felt that dataDyne had betrayed ethical and moral standards.^[1] After the operation, Carrington is held captive at his private villa by dataDyne soldiers and forced to tell them where Dr. Caroll has been hidden. Once Joanna rescues Carrington, he informs her that Dr. Caroll has been taken to the G5 Corporation headquarters in Chicago, which is suspected to be a front for dataDyne.^[3] In Chicago, Joanna learns that dataDyne and their conspirators plan to kidnap the President of the United States in order to get access to a deep sea research vessel which will allow the conspirators to reach the Cetan ship.^[4] Despite the President being in danger, Carrington alerts Joanna that a Maian craft was shot down near Area 51 and sends her to rescue any survivors from the base.^[5] While inside the base, she rescues one survivor, a Maian Protector named Elvis who is key in stopping the conspiracy.^[1]

As the President of the United States refuses to loan dataDyne the research vessel, the conspirators plot to kill him and replace him with a dataDyne-grown clone.^[4] To accomplish their plans, an NSA strike team led by Trent Easton invades the air base where Air Force One will be departing from.^[1] When Joanna foils this strike, the NSA along with some Scandinavians take over the plane itself, which crashes after an attempt to detach a craft attached to it.^[1] Having survived the crash, Joanna eliminates the president's clone and rescues the real president.^[1] Due to his failure to kill the president, Easton is killed by one particular Scandinavian known as Mr. Blonde, who turns out to be a Skedar.^[6] Unbeknownst to dataDyne, the Carrington Institute learns that the Cetan ship contains a megaweapon and that the conspirators are actually Skedar aliens disguised as Scandinavian humans who intend to test the weapon on the Earth before using it against the Maian homeworld.^[1]

Without permission from the president, dataDyne blindly elect to hijack the deep sea vessel and take it to the ancient alien spacecraft.^[1] Joanna and Elvis follow where they find a reprogrammed Dr. Caroll decoding the megaweapon. Joanna replaces its current personality with a backup of the original, and the restored Dr. Carroll sets the weapon to self-destruct.^[7] In retaliation, the Skedar later launch a strike on the Carrington Institute, capturing Joanna and taking her to their homeworld.^[1] While in the spaceship, she is met by Cassandra, who has also been imprisoned due to her failure to comply with the deal. Feeling that she has been used, Cassandra makes a distraction by sacrificing herself, freeing Joanna and therefore giving herself a chance for revenge.^[8] Joanna is later assisted by Elvis and both manage to land on the Skedar planet.^[1] There, she defeats the Skedar High Priest, leaving the Skedar in disarray. The game ends with Elvis and Joanna leaving the planet just prior to an orbital bombardment from the Maian navy.^[1]

Gameplay

Unlike GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark features unique and visible reload sequences. The green bars on the HUD at the bottom right corner show remaining ammunition in the weapons magazine.

Perfect Dark features many elements that are typical of a first-person shooter game, including a range of weapons to collect, enemies to defeat and distinct environments to explore.^[9] Although Perfect Dark is not set in the James Bond universe, the gameplay is extremely similar to that of its predecessor and many features were retained, such as the ability to use stealth to tackle missions, and objectives that vary with the difficulty setting.^[10][11]

The weapons of Perfect Dark include handguns, rifles, submachine guns, a shotgun, rocket launchers, combat knives, grenade launchers, various explosives, and several extraterrestrial weapons.^[12] Almost all of the weapons in the game have two modes of fire: a primary mode in which the weapon is used in a typical fashion, and a secondary mode which tends to use the weapon in a more unconventional manner, such as pistol-whipping or proximity detonation.^[12] Players can carry an unlimited number of weapons, and certain guns can be used in duplicate, one in each hand.^[13] Unlike in GoldenEye 007, where the guns were simply dipped below vision during reloading, Perfect Dark's weapons all feature unique and visible reload sequences.^[10]

Campaign

The player can explore the Carrington Institute, which acts as the game's central hub, and take part in a number of tutorials and training activities.^[10] The most substantial of these activities is the firing range, in which the player's proficiency with each of the game's weapons is tested against specific targets.^[10] Completing these trials unlocks so-called "Classic Weapons", which are renamed versions of weapons from GoldenEye 007.^[14]

In Perfect Dark's solo missions, the player controls Joanna through a series of levels collected together into missions.^[14] In each level, the player must complete certain objectives and then exit the stage.^[14] The requirements are varied, with many levels requiring the recovery and use of numerous high-tech gadgets. If Joanna is killed or fails an objective, the player must start the level again. Any level can be completed through three distinct difficulty settings (Agent, Special Agent or Perfect Agent), and several aspects, such as the number of objectives that must be completed, the amount of ammunition available, and enemy accuracy and damage, can vary in function of the chosen difficulty.^[14] On higher difficulties, the optional "auto-aiming", in which the game corrects slight aiming errors automatically, becomes less effective and bonus items such as protective shields are absent in order to increase the challenge.^[14] Once the game has been completed on one difficulty level, the levels can be tackled in any order on the other difficulties, apart from the final mission of the main story arc, which can only be played at a given difficulty after all other missions have been beaten on that difficulty. If all the levels are completed on Perfect Agent difficulty, an additional setting becomes available, titled Perfect Dark.^[14] Like the "007" option in GoldenEye 007, this mode allows the player to customise various aspects of enemies, such as their health, their aiming accuracy and the damage they inflict.^[14]

Four bonus missions may be unlocked by the player.^[15] One, "The Duel", is a holographic training simulation against three opponents, and is unlocked by completing all of the entry-level weapon challenges in the firing range.^[15] The other three bonus missions are unlocked by completing the game on each of the three standard difficulties,^[15] and allow the player to control other characters — Elvis, Mr. Blonde and a Maian warrior — in scenarios parallel to the main narrative. The gameplay is essentially unchanged, with objectives to accomplish and enemies to battle, but these characters do have some special characteristics, such as Mr. Blonde's cloaking device.^[16] Players can also unlock cheats by beating the levels within certain time limits.^[17] Some cheats, such as "All Weapons", can alternatively be unlocked by using the Perfect Dark Game Boy Color game and Transfer Pak.^[18] The cheats range from "Perfect Darkness", which makes the level pitch dark but gives the player a pair of night vision goggles, to more traditional extras such as Unlimited Ammo.^[17]

The game includes a co-operative mode in which two players, or one player and up to three computer-controlled players, tackle the missions together.^[10] If two humans play, the game uses a split screen display, with the option to split horizontally or vertically. Only one human player is required to survive the mission, although all the objectives must still be completed. Additionally, the game also features a "Counter Op" mode, in which one player plays the missions as Joanna while the other takes over the role of an enemy — including their weaponry and low health — and attempts to stop her.^[19] The Counter Op player takes control of another enemy if they are killed, and cannot cause the mission to fail directly by, for example, killing Joanna's allies before she meets them.^[19]

There are numerous easter eggs and strange objects, areas and glitches to fuel the exploration efforts and wild speculation of many gamers. Perhaps the most famous curiosity is the piece of cheese hidden on every level.^[20] These were intended to be collectible items, although the purpose of collecting them has never been revealed. This idea was scrapped, but the cheese remained. The face of celebrity Nintendo fan Robin Williams was used for Daniel Carrington. The face of Shigeru Miyamoto along with faces of other Nintendo executives and games journalists can be seen on minor characters such as enemy guards in the missions and as selectable avatars in the multiplayer mode.^[21]

Multiplayer

The Combat Simulator is Perfect Dark's multiplayer mode. A game can be played with up to four human players and eight computer-controlled players.^[10] Again, a split-screen is used if more than one human is playing. If three or four humans play, the screen is divided into quarters, with one quarter left blank if necessary.^[22] Players enter the game unarmed and with a certain amount of health. Weapons and ammunition are scattered around the level in preset positions. Once a player is killed, they are regenerated elsewhere in the level, once again unarmed. The overall objective of the game is determined by the scenario being played.^[23]

Scenarios range from the traditional deathmatch mode, where players score points by killing their respective enemies, to popular objective-based games, such as Capture the Flag or King of the Hill.^[24] Also notable are Hold the Briefcase, where players must take a briefcase and survive with it for as long as possible. Points are received for every set number of seconds the case is held and, if the player with it is killed, the briefcase is dropped and can be picked by anyone else;^[24] or Hacker Central, where players score points by hacking a computer system using a data uplink. Although both the data uplink and computer system are randomly placed in the level, the data uplink can be moved to a new location if the player carrying it is killed;^[24] and Pop a Cap, in which one player is labeled as the target, and the other players go after him. The target receives a point for every 60 seconds they stay alive. If the hunters kill the target, they receive two points and the targeted player changes.^[24]

Aspects of each game can be customised, such as the chosen arena, the weapons available, and the winning conditions.^[24] Players can be grouped into teams or compete individually.^[24] In a team game, the players can optionally be shown coloured according to their team.^[24] Each game can be customised to a greater degree than was possible in GoldenEye 007's widely acclaimed multiplayer mode.^[23] For example, the earlier game only allowed players to specify a pre-set class of weapons, such as "Automatics", but in Perfect Dark, players can individually select the weapons to be included and where each should be located.^[23] Shields may be placed in any of the weapon slots or omitted entirely; GoldenEye 007's body armour was fixed in one position for each level.^[24]

Computer controlled bots, called "Simulants", can be included in the multiplayer game.^[23] The appearance, team affiliation, skill level and playing characteristics of each Simulant can be individually customised.^[23] For example, the VengeSim always pursues the player that killed it last, the FistSim will not fire guns but will attack with punches and thrown weapons, while the PeaceSim does not fight at all but merely tries to disarm the other players.^[23][24] Simulants can perform super-human feats on the highest difficulty settings, such as moving faster than the player can. During team matches, a human player can issue specific orders to the Simulants on their team, such as "Defend the Base".^[22] The Combat Simulator also includes thirty "Challenges", pre-set games against Simulants which may be tackled by one or more players.^[25] The Challenges cover a variety of game types, weapon arrangements and level setups. As a player completes them, additional features — including new weapons, player models and bot difficulties — are unlocked in the Combat Simulator.^[25][24]

At the end of a match, the overall results are shown, alongside information about the individual players' performance.^[10] Color-coded "medals" are awarded to the winners in several categories: Accuracy, Head Shots, KillMaster (for achieving the most kills) and Survivor (for suffering the fewest deaths). The game also acknowledges, often humorously, other aspects of performance by awarding messages such as "Best Protected" (for people who frequently use body armour) and "Mostly Harmless" (for particularly ineffective players). Players can also keep track of their performance by creating and saving multiplayer profiles, which also allow players to customise their in-game appearance by selecting the head and body of any of the game's character models (excluding the Skedar), as well as several which do not appear in the single-player mode.^[23] Additionally, each profile contains a ranking, ranging from "Beginner: 21" to "Perfect: 1", which is determined based on the accumulation of certain statistics such as number of kills, time played, ammunition used or number of medals earned. A player achieving the rank of "Perfect: 1" is given the message "Username: Entropic Decay, Password: Zero-Tau." Rare had originally intended these details to allow access to password-protected parts of the official Perfect Dark website, but these sections were never implemented.^[26]

Development

While the localized title of Red and Black was ultimately dropped, Japanese advertisements and box art for Perfect Dark still kept its dual color theme. Also evident in this ad is that Perfect Dark could be bought bundled with an Expansion Pak in Japan; such a bundle was not made available in the American release.

Martin Hollis, the director of GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark, described the development of the game in an interview with Retro Gamer magazine,^[27] later republished online by NowGamer.^[28] He explained that Rare rejected the prospect of working on the GoldenEye sequel Tomorrow Never Dies "without hesitation", as the development team felt they had spent too much time immersed in the James Bond universe.^[27] The decision to make the central character a woman was part of Hollis' belief that there "should be more games centred on women".^[27] He also observed that they "wanted her to be quite normal, not with supermodel looks, perhaps a little androgynous."^[27] To this end, the team created Joanna Dark, influenced by a number of other fictional heroines: Kim Kimberly from Level 9 Computing's text adventure Snowball, the seductive spy Agent X-27 in the 1930s film Dishonored, the eponymous femme fatale of the film Nikita, and FBI agent Dana Scully from television series The X-Files.^[27] The name "Joanna Dark" was taken from the French pronunciation of Joan of Arc as "Jeanne d'Arc".^[27]

Ghost in the Shell was a major influence on the character, setting and plot.^[27] The name of the in-game company "dataDyne" was inspired by Yoyodyne from The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon.^[28] Another significant influence on the game's locations was the work of author Philip K. Dick.^[27] Hollis explained that he and designer David Doak "picked a range of locations we thought would be impressive and architectural, on the model of GoldenEye but sci-fi dystopias... The settings came first; the plot was then constructed by Dave to sew them together".^[27] The word "Dark" was chosen for its association with the game's bleak focus on killing.^[27] Hollis has noted the similarities to Criterion Software's naming of Black: "Game developers just like black, nihilism, dystopian futures, the number zero, infinity, spheres, perfection—all that kind of stuff."^[27]

The "double slash" symbol in the game's logo was inspired by the Japanese dakuten mark, and the bad grammar of the phrase "Perfect Dark" alludes in some degree to Hollis' affection for the way the Japanese use English words in their own games.^[28] At one time, Nintendo of Japan considered releasing the game there under the title Aka to Kuro (赤と黒^?, lit. "Red and Black").^[29] "Perfect Dark" does not translate well into Japanese, and the title "Aka to Kuro" was considered sufficiently edgy.^[30] However, it was eventually released as パーフェクト・ダーク (Pāfekuto Dāku), a transliteration of the Western title.^[31]

Originally Hollis hoped that the difference between light and dark would be a significant feature of the gameplay, and the title was intended to reflect this focus.^[27] A flashlight was implemented by Steve Ellis,^[27] who had been responsible for much of the multiplayer mode in GoldenEye,^[32] but it was not included in the final game due to the limitations of the N64 hardware (see Game engine section). Hollis remarked that such aims were overambitious: "Even today, you can see game developers struggle to make light and dark foundational from a gameplay perspective. I suspect it will take a few years before significant and pervasive gameplay innovation occurs here."^[27] Although not all these intended features were realised, the game does contain more advanced lighting than GoldenEye; lights can be shot out, gunfire illuminates rooms, and the player can use infra-red and night vision goggles.^[10]

Martin Hollis was involved with Perfect Dark for the first fourteen months of its three-year development, during which progress was troubled and long delayed.^[27] He explained, "each of us was asking for more than the other could give. This situation ended with my departure, and with very deep regret I was unable to see Perfect Dark to completion".^[33] David Doak also left at the end of 1998, and Steve Ellis soon after, to form Free Radical Design.^[34] What followed by those remaining on the project was a comprehensive re-design of the game, with the story and characters being the main items kept intact. Hollis stated that he was impressed by the comprehensive range of multiplayer options, saying "what a vast array of features I never planned".^[27] Doak, however, remarked, "GoldenEye pretty much exhausted the performance of the machine. It was hard to push it further. Perfect Dark had some good ideas but was dog slow."^[32]

A feature called "Perfect Head", which appeared in previews of the game but was not included in the final product, was intended to take customisation of multiplayer profiles further.^[35] This feature allowed the player to place a photograph of their choice onto their in-game character's face, via a Game Boy Camera combined with the Nintendo 64 Transfer Pak. The images taken would be uploaded to the cartridge and manipulated with a simple image editing program to adjust color and skin tone (as the Game Boy Camera was black and white) and add facial features such as facial hair. This texture could then be saved to either the cartridge or a Controller Pak and then loaded onto a player's character in multiplayer, thus creating a virtual representation of the player.^[36][37] Although Rare officially said that the feature was dropped due to "technical issues", the real reason was revealed to be "sensitive issues" surrounding the ability to attack images of real people.^[35][38][39]

Game engine

Expansion Pak information as estimated on the game's box.

The Perfect Dark engine is a modified version of that of GoldenEye 007, and many of the gameplay features are unchanged.^[40] For instance, the manual aiming system, originally inspired by Virtua Cop,^[41] is graphically enhanced but essentially the same. Players can crouch, duck and lean but notably there is still no ability to jump.^[40] Despite this, it is possible to drop from most ledges, a feature rarely used in GoldenEye.^[42] Most weapons have a finite magazine and must be reloaded after a certain number of shots. Interaction with the environment is via a single "Use" command, which opens doors, activates computers and so on. Enemies and players can disarm each other at close range, and the player can use this feature to steal weapons or knock foes unconscious. Like GoldenEye, Perfect Dark uses location-based damage; for example, a shot to the torso causes more damage than a shot to a limb. However, unlike GoldenEye, in the single-player mode a head shot on a guard is instantly fatal on any difficulty level.^[22]

The engine also includes a number of graphical enhancements, the most conspicuous of which is the option to play in hi-res 640x480 graphics.^[42] The Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak is needed to access the game's campaign and most of the multiplayer features,^[43] although a limited subset of the Combat Simulator options are available without the device (around 35% of the game is playable without an Expansion Pak, as estimated on the game's box and Instruction Booklet).^[22] The lighting system was improved so that gunfire and explosions illuminate areas dynamically, and lights can be shot out to create darkened areas.^[10] Further progressions from GoldenEye include weapon-specific reloading animations, and more elaborate gore effects which allow gunshots to project enemies' blood onto nearby walls and objects.^[44] Another graphical novelty is the "dizziness" effect; if a player is punched, poisoned by a throwing knife or shot with the Tranquilizer gun, their nausea is represented through a motion blurred view. The degree of blurring increases with dizziness, and a badly stunned player may have difficulty seeing anything at all.^[23] The disadvantage of such detailed graphics is that the frame rate inevitably suffers in some areas; this was one of the main criticisms levelled at the game by reviewers (see Reception section). The same limitation was present in GoldenEye, but the other graphical enhancements in Perfect Dark serve to exacerbate the problem. In multiplayer, the game must render the scene separately for each player, although at reduced resolution. Nevertheless the frame rate issues arise again, particularly if a large number of Simulants are involved.^[45]

Perfect Dark's engine offered audio features that had not been available on the N64 before; for example, it was one of the few games to offer Dolby Surround Sound.^[42] Some of the game's audio data was compressed into MP3 format in order to fit into the relatively small storage space afforded by a cartridge,^[46] though the music was sequenced. There is full voice-acting for all the dialogue, and the guards can be heard having conversations amongst themselves about the events of the level.^[42] Additionally, both NTSC and PAL N64 systems run the game in full screen, without the "letterboxing" seen in many PAL releases, and there is a 16:9 option for use on widescreen televisions.^[47]

The artificial intelligence of the guards includes the ability to call for help and sound nearby alarms.^[48] The guards can be alerted by nearby gunfire, and the various weapons in the game have distinct volumes; for example, guards are less likely to be alerted by suppressed pistols than powerful rifles. Additionally, they are able to throw grenades and, if the player disarms them, draw a secondary weapon.^[49] One criticism raised of GoldenEye 007's guards was their weakness at very close range, since their weapons appear to shoot straight through the player. This is resolved in Perfect Dark, whose guards can deliver punches and kicks at close range, inflicting damage and causing dizziness. In GoldenEye, the guards could not see through glass — a feature included deliberately so that the player could spy on foes through windows.^[41] This aspect is retained in Perfect Dark, although enemies can now see and shoot over railings. In the later stages of the game, the player encounters Skedar enemies still in reptilian form, and while the Skedar weapons and characteristics are different, their AI is qualitatively the same.^[50] The multiplayer Simulants are also considerably more advanced, and exhibit faculties similar to those of a human player but with some limitations. For example, they have the ability to complete multiplayer objectives, such as capturing the briefcase, but they are not able to use some of the weapons, such as remote mines.^[22] Also, simulants make no attempt to avoid simple traps such as proximity mines or sentry guns, even on the highest skill setting.

There are a number of bugs and technical issues in the game engine. For example, in the first level, a flaw in the level geometry makes it possible to pass through a supposedly solid wall, allowing the level to be completed on the easiest difficulty in just a few seconds.^[51] Also, as with many older FPSs, players can use a technique called straferunning (or "speed-strafing") to exploit a bug in the engine whereby moving diagonally allows the player to move faster than by running forwards or sideways alone. This technique is almost essential to achieving some of the target times required to unlock cheats.

Marketing and release

Rare announced in mid-1998 that their follow-up to GoldenEye would appear at that year's E3 as Nintendo's lead game,^[52] and claimed that the game, using the same engine as its predecessor, would be available by Christmas 1998.^[21] The release date gradually slipped but the game continued to be heavily trailed in magazines,^[53] with Nintendo Official Magazine predicting that it would be "the best shooting game this century".^[54] A working version of the game appeared at the European Computer Trade Show 1998;^[55] N64 Magazine described the preview as having "the kind of attention to detail that had everyone who saw [it] drooling".^[56] Shortly before release, Rare unveiled a number of websites for companies in the game's universe, such as datadyne.com, to promote interest in the game's storyline.^[57][58]

Unlike GoldenEye 007, the game received an M (Mature) rating due to its graphic content and adult language.^[44] This caused some controversy, as Nintendo has a reputation for family-friendly games like Mario and Pokémon.^[59] The first release of the game came on May 22, 2000 in North America. Nintendo arranged a number of publicity stunts to promote the release, including hiring model Michele Merkin, who appeared as the lead character Joanna Dark in commercials and in-store promotions for the game cartridge.^[60][61] Total sales for the game reached 1.3 million copies in the United States.^[62] The European release followed on 30 June, and finally the game was released in Japan on 21 October. The Japanese launch was a success, with the sale of 35,000 copies in the first week,^[62] and 77,000 in total.^[63] Worldwide, Perfect Dark sold 2.5 million copies.^[64] As a result, a Player's Choice edition was released in 2001.^[65]

A separate Game Boy Color game set in the same fictional universe, also titled Perfect Dark, was released shortly afterwards in August 2000 to help promote the Nintendo 64 game. While its storyline is different from the Nintendo 64 title, the game does feature a compatibility mode that allows certain features within the Nintendo 64 game to alternatively be unlocked, via a Transfer Pak.^[66] On the other hand, a double soundtrack album, titled Perfect Dark: Dual CD Soundtrack, which features the complete score of the game, was released on November 15, 2000 exclusively through Nintendo Power magazine.^[67]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	95% (45 reviews)[68]
Metacritic	97% (30 reviews)[69]
Review scores
Publication	Score
Edge	9/10[11]
Game Revolution	A-[70]
GameSpot	9.9/10[50]
IGN	9.8/10[10]
N64 Magazine	96%[71]
Gaming Target	9.5/10[72]
Gaming Age	A-[45]
Game Critics	9.0/10[73]
Game Chronicles	9.5/10[74]

Upon release, Perfect Dark received very strong reviews from magazines and websites. Reviewers praised multiple aspects of the game, particularly its graphics, sound and value. GameSpot's Joe Fielder awarded the game a rating of 9.9 out of 10, making it the highest-reviewed first-person shooter of the site.^[75] He commented, "As a single-player or multiplayer FPS experience, Perfect Dark is unparalleled on the console systems".^[50] Patrick Klepek of Gaming Age described it as "probably one of the best FPSs to be released in quite a while",^[45] while Chi Kong Lui of Game Critics criticised the "weak characters and an unoriginal storyline," but nevertheless judged the "extraordinary amount of high-quality multiplayer modes and features", meant that "the game is still a blast."^[73]

The graphics were praised for their dynamic lighting, crisp and varied textures.^[10] Aaron Daigle of Game Chronicles enjoyed the "smoothly animated" characters and their location-dependent hit reactions.^[74] Similarly, IGN's Matt Casamassina observed that the new reload animations and blood effects on walls "are wonderfully animated".^[10] The audio was lauded, with Jonathan Nicklas of Gaming Target comparing it favourably to that of Capcom's survival horror title Resident Evil 2.^[72] The voice cut-scenes, the amount of ambient noises, musical scores, and Dolby Surround Sound capabilities were said to effectively bring the game to life.^[10][50][74] IGN went to say that the game "sounds terrific".^[10]

Gameplay was generally praised for the excellent artificial intelligence of enemies, and complex and varied level design.^[10][50][73] Chi Kong Lui credited the missions for their "nice mix of timed, patterned, and random events that makes playing through them different and refreshing each time."^[73] The enemies were admired for their use of squad tactics, for waiting for the player to come back instead of obediently chasing after them, and for challenging players to duck around a corner for cover.^[50][74] In contrast, Game Revolution considered that "the number of times you have a hallway filled with dead people is a little ridiculous."^[70] The multiplayer and replay value were seen as the strongest elements of the game.^{[10][72][73][74][50]} Reviewers noted that the flexibility of options, amount of game modes, "clever" weapons, number of unlockable features, and customizable simulants, give the game "endless replay value".^[74][10][50] Chi Kong Lui wrote, "Perfect Dark is easily the most advance, elaborate, and entertaining multiplayer gaming experience on any home console."^[73]

One frequently-criticised aspect of the game was its low, inconsistent frame rate. This flaw was mentioned in numerous reviews,^{[10][45][50][70][11]} and by Trigger Happy author Steven Poole, who noted, "The game's inadequate temporal resolution—owing to a wrongheaded choice to privilege visual detail over frame-rate—made it unplayable at higher difficulty levels."^[76] Poole also described the "lazy sci-fi fetishism" of Joanna Dark's character design as "a blatant and doomed attempt to steal the thunder of Lara Croft,"^[76] and argued that she illustrated the challenges of injecting characterisation into the protagonists of first-person shooters, which GoldenEye had avoided by using the already well-known character James Bond.^[77]

The overall positive reaction from critics can be gauged by the results of review compilation sites; the game has a Metacritic rating of 97%, which is considered "universal acclaim",^[69] and a GameRankings ratio of 95% as of June 2007.^[68] Perfect Dark has also been featured in many "greatest game" lists. In 2006, the game placed 15th on IGN's "Readers Choice Top 100 Games Ever" list;^[78] also that year it was rated the 100th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Power.^[79] In 2007, it placed 86th in IGN's "Top 100 Games of All Time",^[80] and 28th in Edge's "100 Best Videogames" special issue (a list voted for by readers, Edge staff and gaming industry professionals).^[81] Rare was also recognized for its work on the game, as the company was awarded the BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Moving Images Award for 2000^[82] and the Golden Satellite Award for Best Interactive Product in 2001.^[83] Perfect Dark also received GameSpot's 2000 "Best Nintendo 64 game of the year" award.^[84]

Edge published two retrospective articles on Perfect Dark in 2007 and 2008. The magazine acknowledged that the game's framerate and other dated elements of its design rendered it "nigh-on unplayable",^[85] but found its ambitious range of options still praiseworthy: "At release, Perfect Dark was the most comprehensive first-person shooter ever made, and in some ways it still is."^[81] Edge found the ambitious mentality which resulted in weapons and bots being "designed for possibilities rather than balance" both one of Perfect Dark's most interesting aspects, and the cause of its biggest problem: "Restraint … would have made Perfect Dark a tighter, more focused experience, helped with those framerate issues, and removed almost all of the fun."^[85] The magazine concluded that despite Perfect Dark not standing up as a good game to play in 2008, "its currency of ideas and provocation … remains sound."^[85]

Legacy

Perfect Dark was the last major first-person shooter game for the Nintendo 64, which was already nearing the end of its lifespan; Nintendo unveiled their new console, the GameCube, at SpaceWorld 2000.^[86] The game was also the last appearance of the GoldenEye 007/Perfect Dark engine. Twenty months before Perfect Dark was released, some of the development team left Rare to form Free Radical Design.^[34] This company went on to develop the PlayStation 2 game TimeSplitters, another first-person shooter based around a completely new engine. TimeSplitters and its sequels bear several gameplay and presentational similarities to GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark, including a wide range of weapons for multiplayer games, missions with structured objectives, and unlockable options through quick level completions.^[87][88]

Meanwhile Rare began development of a prequel titled Perfect Dark Zero for the Nintendo GameCube. However, the company was purchased by Microsoft in 2002,^[89] and as a result it was announced that Perfect Dark Zero would be an Xbox title. Later it was decided that the game would instead be released for the Xbox 360, and it became a launch title for that system. The game retains Perfect Dark's first-person perspective and mission objective system, although other features were not carried over. Joanna Dark remains the lead character. The game's multiplayer mode allows many more computer players, thanks to the more advanced Xbox 360 hardware, and can also be played online (via Xbox Live), which was not possible with the Nintendo 64.^[90] While Perfect Dark Zero generally received positive reviews from critics,^[91] some – such as Eurogamer and Game Informer – found it to be a disappointment.^[92][93]

Perfect Dark's worldwide sales were not as great as its predecessor's 8 million,^[64] and Joanna Dark did not attain the same status in pop culture as other video game heroines such as Tomb Raider's Lara Croft. Nevertheless, the game's universe continued to be developed with the release of the novel Perfect Dark: Initial Vector, a Rare-sanctioned paperback by Greg Rucka.^[94] The novel is set in the time between Perfect Dark Zero and Perfect Dark, and portrays Joanna Dark as an ex-bounty hunter drawn in to the Carrington Institute's battle with dataDyne through her own vendetta against the hyper-corporations.^[95] Rucka stated, "If you've played the first game, you're going to get a huge treat, because a lot of stuff that happens in Perfect Dark we set up in the novel."^[96] In 2007, two new titles were developed: the comic series Perfect Dark: Janus' Tears, written by Eric Trautmann,^[97] and a second novel by Rucka titled Perfect Dark: Second Front, both of which are direct chronological sequels.

In 2010, Perfect Dark was re-made on the Xbox 360 as an Xbox Live Arcade game, including reworked graphics and online features (see Perfect Dark XBLA). The development was handled by 4J Studios, the same studio that previously handled the Xbox Live Arcade ports of Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie.^[98] The remake was generally well-received: while some critics considered the relatively-unchanged game to be outdated, most agreed that the title was a great revival of a classic.^[99][100] Perfect Dark has also been re-made as a total conversion mod using Valve's Source engine, titled Perfect Dark: Source.^[101]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o} Chris Carle. "Perfect Dark Guide/Story". IGN. http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/3906/story.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
2. ^ Eddie Parker and Bart G. Farkas. "Perfect Dark Game Guide". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/guides/video/perfectdark/. Retrieved 2011-02-10. 
3. ^ Rare Ltd.. Perfect Dark. Level/area: Carrington Villa: Hostage One. "Joanna: Sir! Are you injured? / Carrington: No, Joanna, I’m okay, but those dataDyne thugs made me tell them where I'd hidden Dr Caroll. If only I'd held out for a few minutes more... / Joanna: It's not your fault, sir. I should have been quicker. / Carrington: Don't blame yourself, Joanna. Dr Caroll told me that he expected this to happen. Actually, when they recaptured him, the dataDyne team got overconfident and let slip a few facts when they thought I was unconscious. They mentioned a meeting in the G5 building in Chicago, Illinois, tonight. I want you to be there, but that doesn't leave you a lot of time to get ready."
4. ^ ^{a b} Rare Ltd.. Perfect Dark. Level/area: G5 Building: Reconnaissance. "Mr Blonde: The President turned down your request for the loan of the Pelagic II? Could it be you underestimated your influence over him? / Trent: No! Perhaps I underestimated his resolve. We have a contingency plan ready to go, and we will move as soon as the Presidential entourage arrives at the air base. All I need from the President is a tissue sample."
5. ^ Rare Ltd.. Perfect Dark. Level/area: G5 Building: Reconnaissance. "Joanna: Agent Dark reporting in! Prepare to receive a download of the meeting data. Priority request for an Institute Support Team to protect the President before he goes to Alaska. / Carrington: No time for that now, Agent Dark. There's been a development during radio silence. The craft those "friends" I was talking about was shot down over Nevada. The weapon responsible was fired from Area 51… that's were the survivors and debris will have been taken. You're to prep for immediate dispatch when you return here. Carrington out. / Joanna: Area 51? But what about the President?"
6. ^ Rare Ltd.. Perfect Dark. Level/area: Crash Site: Confrontation. "Mr. Blonde: You have failed, Easton. You are a flawed device and we need you no longer. / Trent: Just try it, you Scandinavian freak! (Mr. Blonde reveals his Skedar appearance and performs a killing blow to Trent) Noooooooo!!"
7. ^ Rare Ltd.. Perfect Dark. Level/area: Deep Sea: Nullify Threat. "Dr. Caroll: When the program has run, I will have control of a vastly powerful weapon. It can not be allowed to exist. So I must destroy the Cetan and, unfortunately, myself along with it. I’m sorry, Joanna… there is no other way, and no time to discuss this. Go now - avoid the Skedar and you will have time to escape. It has been an honour to work with you. Goodbye, Joanna Dark."
8. ^ Rare Ltd.. Perfect Dark. Level/area: Attack Ship: Covert Assault. "Joanna: You! I thought you'd managed to escape. We found no trace of you at all. / Cassandra: You couldn't find me. But there was no hiding from the Skedar, as you and Mr. Carrington just discovered. This is it. Wait there. I'll make a distraction, it will give you a chance to get out. Use it, or we'll both die. / Joanna: Why are you doing this, Cassandra? / Cassandra: The Skedar used me, Joanna. You are my best chance for revenge."
9. ^ Chris Carle. "Perfect Dark Guide/Game Basics". IGN. http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/3906/basics.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
10. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r} Casamassina, Matt (19 May 2000). "Perfect Dark Review". IGN. http://ign64.ign.com/articles/153/153906p1.html. Retrieved 29 December 2008. 
11. ^ ^{a b c} Edge staff (24 May 2000). "Perfect Dark Review". Edge. Future plc. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5zU3AEGrB. Retrieved 16 June 2011. 
12. ^ ^{a b} Chris Carle. "Perfect Dark Guide/Weapons". IGN. http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/3906/weapons.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
13. ^ Chris Carle. "Perfect Dark Guide/Hidden Items". IGN. http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/3906/hiddenitems.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
14. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Chris Carle. "Perfect Dark Guide/Walkthrough". IGN. http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/3906/walkthrough.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
15. ^ ^{a b c} Chris Carle. "Perfect Dark Guide/Special Assignments". IGN. http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/3906/specialassignments.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
16. ^ Chris Carle. "Perfect Dark Guide/Special Assignment 1". IGN. http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/3906/mrblonde.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
17. ^ ^{a b} Chris Carle. "Perfect Dark Guide/Secrets". IGN. http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/3906/secrets.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
18. ^ IGN Staff (2000-08-31). "The Perfect Combination". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/084/084357p1.html. Retrieved 2011-05-27. 
19. ^ ^{a b} IGN Staff (2000-03-13). "Going Against Joanna". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/076/076454p1.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
20. ^ IGN Staff (2000-05-25). "Get on the IGN Cheese List". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/080/080032p1.html. Retrieved 2011-04-04. 
21. ^ ^{a b} N64 Magazine (UK), Issue 31. N64 Magazine. August 1999. 
22. ^ ^{a b c d e} Perfect Dark instruction manual. Rare. 2000-05-22. 
23. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} IGN Staff (2000-04-07). "Perfect Multiplayer?". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/077/077733p1.html. Retrieved 2011-01-11. 
24. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Chris Carle. "Perfect Dark Guide/Combat Simulator". IGN. http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/3906/advancedsetup.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
25. ^ ^{a b} Chris Carle. "Perfect Dark Guide/Challenges". IGN. http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/3906/challenges.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
26. ^ "Rare's Official Response to Perfect Dark Rumors". Rarenet. Archived from the original on 2006-05-18. http://web.archive.org/web/20060518191429/http://www.rarenet.com/wiki/index.php?title=Rare%27s_Official_Response_to_Perfect_Dark_Rumors. Retrieved 2011-10-02. 
27. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p} "The Legacy of Perfect Dark: Martin Hollis Q&A." Retro Gamer issue 19 (January 2006), p. 79. ISSN 1742-3155.
28. ^ ^{a b c} Darran Jones (2010-03-29). "Interview: Martin Hollis". NowGamer. http://www.nowgamer.com/features/895052/interview_martin_hollis.html. Retrieved 2010-12-03. 
29. ^ IGN Staff (2000-07-07). "New Name for PD?". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/081/081879p1.html. Retrieved 2011-01-12. 
30. ^ IGN Staff (2000-07-24). "Red and Black is Dark". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/082/082525p1.html. Retrieved 2011-01-12. 
31. ^ Yukiyoshi Ike Sato (2000-07-27). "Perfect Dark Returns". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/n64/action/perfectdark/news_2608740.html. Retrieved 2011-01-12. 
32. ^ ^{a b} "Desert Island Disks: David Doak". Retro Gamer (Live Publishing) (6): pp. 41–45. July 2004. ISSN 1742-3155. 
33. ^ Mark Walbank (2007-08-02). "Interview: Creative Minds". Computer and Video Games. http://www.computerandvideogames.com/169389/interviews/creative-minds/. Retrieved 2011-04-04. 
34. ^ ^{a b} IGN Staff (16 June 2000). "Timesplitters Interview". IGN. http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/080/080988p1.html. Retrieved 24 September 2011. 
35. ^ ^{a b} IGN staff (2000-02-02). "Perfect Dark Ditches Face Mapping". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/074/074737p1.html. Retrieved 2010-11-30. 
36. ^ Unseen64 Staff (2010-03-22). "Perfect Dark Beta Analysis: the removed Face Mapping". Unseen64. http://www.unseen64.net/articles/perfect-dark-beta-analysis/removed-face-mapping/. Retrieved 2011-01-16. 
37. ^ IGN staff (1999-05-12). "Rare Puts Gamers in the Game". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/068/068036p1.html. Retrieved 2010-11-30. 
38. ^ Ravi Hiranand (2000-02-10). "Rare Cleans Up Perfect Dark". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/n64/action/perfectdark/news.html?sid=2446534&mode=all. Retrieved 2011-01-16. 
39. ^ "Perfect Dark loses face". Computer and Video Games. http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=10995. Retrieved 2010-11-30. 
40. ^ ^{a b} IGN Staff (2000-04-07). "Perfect Dark". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/123/123906p1.html. Retrieved 2011-03-28. 
41. ^ ^{a b} Martin Hollis (2004-09-02). "The Making of GoldenEye 007". Zoonami. http://www.zoonami.com/briefing/2004-09-02.php. Retrieved 2011-01-13. 
42. ^ ^{a b c d} IGN Staff (1999-05-14). "Perfect Dark Interview". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/068/068109p1.html. Retrieved 2011-02-11. 
43. ^ "Perfect Dark". Neoseeker. http://www.neoseeker.com/Games/Products/N64/perfect_dark/. Retrieved 2011-01-13. 
44. ^ ^{a b} IGN Staff (2000-04-07). "M is Definitely for Mature". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/077/077713p1.html. Retrieved 2011-09-18. 
45. ^ ^{a b c d} Patrick Klepek (2000-06-12). "Perfect Dark Review". Gaming Age. http://www.gaming-age.com/cgi-bin/reviews/review.pl?sys=n64&game=pdark. Retrieved 2011-04-05. 
46. ^ Rare Ltd.. Perfect Dark. (Nintendo). Scene: Title screen. (2000-05-22)
47. ^ "Perfect Dark overview". Allgame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=18830&tab=overview. Retrieved 2011-01-13. 
48. ^ IGN Staff (2000-01-13). "Into the Dark". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/073/073908p1.html. Retrieved 2011-02-11. 
49. ^ IGN Staff (2000-04-17). "Bad Meaning Good". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/077/077722p1.html. Retrieved 2011-09-10. 
50. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Joe Fielder (2000-05-22). "Perfect Dark Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/n64/action/perfectdark/review.html. Retrieved 29 December 2008. 
51. ^ "Defection Agent 0.05 (on a nintendo 64 console) by Illu". November 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXLUV44oaIw. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
52. ^ N64 Magazine (UK), Issue 24. N64 Magazine. June 1998. 
53. ^ N64 Magazine (UK), Issue 22. N64 Magazine. December 1998. 
54. ^ Nintendo Official Magazine, Issue 82. Nintendo Official Magazine. July 1999. 
55. ^ IGN Staff (1998-09-08). "ECTS: Nintendo Games of the Show". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/064/064740p1.html. Retrieved 2011-02-11. 
56. ^ N64 Magazine (UK), Issue 21. N64 Magazine. November 1998. 
57. ^ IGN Staff (2000-03-02). "DataDyne Corporation Seeks Talent". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/076/076022p1.html. Retrieved 2010-12-21. 
58. ^ IGN Staff (2000-03-03). "The Truth Behind DataDyne?". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/076/076033p1.html. Retrieved 2010-12-21. 
59. ^ IGN Staff (2000-06-05). "Against the Big N's M". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/080/080434p1.html. Retrieved 2011-09-18. 
60. ^ IGN Staff (2000-04-10). "Perfect Dark Commercial Online". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/077/077890p1.html. Retrieved 2011-02-18. 
61. ^ IGN Staff (2000-05-24). "Joanna Sees off Perfect Dark". IGN. http://uk.ign64.ign.com/articles/079/079992p1.html. Retrieved 2010-12-21. 
62. ^ ^{a b} "Nintendo64 Top 50 Best Selling Chart". 2006-04-02. Archived from the original on 2003-10-07. http://web.archive.org/web/20031007235940/http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~hokora/english/n64chart.html.  (via archive.org).
63. ^ "Perfect Dark". N-Sider.com. http://www.n-sider.com/gameview.php?gameid=36. Retrieved 2010-12-21. 
64. ^ ^{a b} Nick Bennett (2006-02-10). "Feature: Fire Nick Bennett". N-Europe. http://www.n-europe.com/news.php?nid=8816. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
65. ^ "Perfect Dark". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/n64/action/perfectdark/similar.html?mode=versions. Retrieved 2011-09-26. 
66. ^ Craig Harris (2000-09-05). "Perfect Dark GBC Review". IGN. http://uk.gameboy.ign.com/articles/163/163801p1.html. Retrieved 2011-01-14. 
67. ^ "Perfect Dark Dual CD Soundtrack". VGMdb. http://vgmdb.net/album/436. Retrieved 2011-01-14. 
68. ^ ^{a b} "Perfect Dark - N64". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 2007-06-30. http://web.archive.org/web/20070630025555/http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/198275.asp. Retrieved 2011-10-02. 
69. ^ ^{a b} "Perfect Dark (Nintendo 64)". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/game/nintendo-64/perfect-dark. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
70. ^ ^{a b c} Colin (1 June 2000). "Perfect Dark Review". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/oldsite/games/n64/action/perfect_dark.htm. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
71. ^ N64 Magazine (UK), Issue 41, May 2000.
72. ^ ^{a b c} Jonathan Nicklas (2000-07-10). "Perfect Dark Review". Gaming Target. http://www.gamingtarget.com/article.php?artid=1065. Retrieved 2011-04-05. 
73. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Chi Kong Lui (20 June 2000). "Perfect Dark Review". Game Critics. http://www.gamecritics.com/review/perfectdark/main.php. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
74. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Aaron Daigle (2001-07-01). "Perfect Dark Review". Game Chronicles. http://www.gamechronicles.com/reviews/archives/n64/perfect/dark.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-05. 
75. ^ "Search of all first-person shooters, sorted by score". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews.html?type=reviews&category=First-Person+Shooters&mode=all&sort=score&dlx_type=all&sortdir=asc&official=all. Retrieved 2011-04-05. 
76. ^ ^{a b} Poole, Steven (2000). Trigger Happy: The Inner Life of Videogames. London: Fourth Estate. p. 254. ISBN 1-84115-121-1. 
77. ^ Poole, Steven (August 2000). "Edge 88: Joanna Dark and character". http://stevenpoole.net/trigger-happy/edge-88/. Retrieved 30 December 2008.  Originally published as "Characterisation: Designing a believable virtual skin" in Edge issue 88.
78. ^ "IGN Readers' Choice 2006 – The Top 100 Games Ever". IGN. http://uk.top100.ign.com/2006/011-020.html. Retrieved 2011-01-14. 
79. ^ "NP Top 200". Nintendo Power 200: pp. 58–66. February 2006. 
80. ^ "IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time". IGN. http://uk.top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_86.html. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
81. ^ ^{a b} Edge Staff (2007-07-02). "Edge's Top 100 Games of All Time". Edge. http://www.next-gen.biz/features/edges-top-100-games-all-time?page=8. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
82. ^ "Rare company awards". Archived from the original on 11 May 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060511023434/http://www.rareware.com/company/awards/awards_content.html. Retrieved 29 December 2008. 
83. ^ "Internet Movie Database on Perfect Dark". http://swedish.imdb.com/title/tt0271111/awards. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
84. ^ "Best and Worst of 2000 - Best Nintendo 64 game". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/bestof_2000/p3_07.html. Retrieved 2011-01-13. 
85. ^ ^{a b c} Edge staff (January 2009). "Time Extend: Perfect Dark". Edge (Bath: Future Publishing) (197): pp.98–101. http://www.next-gen.biz/features/time-extend-perfect-dark. Retrieved 2010-11-29.  Also republished elsewhere on Edge website as Retrospective: Perfect Dark.
86. ^ Shane Satterfield (2000-08-24). "Nintendo's GameCube Unveiled". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/news/2619269.html. Retrieved 2011-04-09. 
87. ^ IGN Staff (2000-07-24). "TimeSplitters Hands-On Preview". IGN. http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/082/082499p1.html. Retrieved 2011-06-12. 
88. ^ Jeff Gerstmann (2000-10-25). "TimeSplitters Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/timesplitters/review.html. Retrieved 2011-06-12. 
89. ^ Wash Redmond (2002-09-24). "Microsoft Acquires Video Game Powerhouse Rare Ltd.". Microsoft. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2002/Sep02/09-24ProjectRPR.mspx. Retrieved 2011-01-14. 
90. ^ Greg Kasavin (2005-11-21). "Perfect Dark Zero Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/perfectdarkzero/review.html. Retrieved 2010-04-12. 
91. ^ "Perfect Dark Zero". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/516508-perfect-dark-zero/index.html. Retrieved 2010-04-12. 
92. ^ Kristan Reed (2005-12-01). "Perfect Dark Zero Review". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_pd0_x360. Retrieved 2010-04-12. 
93. ^ Jeremy Zoss. "Perfect Dark Zero Review". GameInformer. Archived from the original on 2006-06-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20060614102700/http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/579038CD-9DA1-4FA4-9971-C07F661AC32A.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-13. 
94. ^ Hilary Goldstein (2005-11-14). "Perfect Dark Trilogy". IGN. http://uk.comics.ign.com/articles/666/666526p1.html. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
95. ^ Paul Semel (2005-09-23). "Causing A Ruckas". GameSpy. http://uk.xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/perfect-dark-zero/653396p1.html. Retrieved 2011-04-10. 
96. ^ Matt Brady. "Greg Rucka: Seeing in the Perfect Dark". Archived from the original on 2007-03-01. http://web.archive.org/web/20070301202105/http://www.newsarama.com/Merchandise/Games/InitialVectorGreg.htm. Retrieved 2006-04-13. 
97. ^ David Adams (2005-11-18). "Perfect Dark Zero: The Comic". IGN. http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/668/668135p1.html. Retrieved 2011-06-12. 
98. ^ "Perfect Dark' (XBLA) Developer Interview". Worthplaying. 2010-02-14. http://worthplaying.com/article/2010/2/14/interviews/72328/. Retrieved 2011-06-09. 
99. ^ Mc Shea, Tom (2010-03-17). "Perfect Dark XBLA Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/perfectdark/review.html?tag=contributions;review1. Retrieved 2010-03-23. 
100. ^ Hatfield, Daemon (2010-03-16). "Perfect Dark XBLA Review". IGN. http://uk.xboxlive.ign.com/articles/107/1077981p1.html. Retrieved 2010-11-03. 
101. ^ Chester, Nick (2007-05-06). "Perfect Dark: Source beta released". Destructoid. http://www.destructoid.com/perfect-dark-source-beta-released-31370.phtml. Retrieved 2010-12-06. 

External links

Listen to this article (info/dl)

This audio file was created from a revision of Perfect Dark dated 2007-02-04, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help)

More spoken articles

• Official Nintendo Japan Perfect Dark site
• Perfect Dark at IMDB