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"I ashume you've heard of Ms. Dark?"

As a spiritual successor to Rare's developed GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark succeeds in many ways in surpassing a legendary title and making a legend for itself. On the 23rd of May 2000 I purchased my agonizingly delayed, but greatly anticipated, copy of Perfect Dark from then on never looking at another First Person Shooter in the same light. Years later, I'm still playing the game making it one of the best gaming investments I've ever had.

There is something to be said about a game that still has many of its features in both the single-player and multiplayer unrivaled still after so many years. This is why it is so surprising that a year and a half after Perfect Dark's release, a mostly bare bones console First Person Shooter took the mainstream by storm washing away Perfect Dark's accomplishments. I don't want to get too much into my love/hate feelings with the current status of console FPSs, but it does anger me that Perfect Dark's incredible features were basically left for dead after Microsoft dropped their "H" Bomb on the market. Don't get me wrong, Halo and Halo 2 are both solid in my book (yes, I liked Halo 2), and I don't want every FPS to play like Perfect Dark, but then I don't want every FPS to play like Halo (oh, not that Julia Roberts and Peter Jackson mind). After Halo hit, what happened to bots? Cheats? Stats? Choices? Now, lazy developers look to the Halos and judge all FPS lovers as wanting more of the same, even if the FPS is not in the Doom/Quake/Turok/Halo mold (sorry, but if Halo's combat was "evolved," then I'm still a monkey).

I don't eat hype like Ritalin, so I still long for a FPS incredibly crafted and filled with features as Perfect Dark is – in both single-player and multiplayer – no more choosing one or the other. Notice I said "is" and not "was," because this game still provides an experience that is unmatched on consoles today.

Okay, the messiness out of the way first. If you're used to two analog sticks, crisp visuals and above average framerates, and are looking to play this due to curiosity, or because you played that piece of...disappointment prequel on the Xbox 360 and want to see more of Joanna Dark's story, you will be hit hard. I'm talking, getting-in-the-path-of-a-fat-guy-making-his-way-to-the-roast-beef-at-a-Hometown-Buffet hard.

Lets begin with the graphics: they are "N64 quality." You've heard of that description before, right? It means polygonal, but a bit...messy. There is collision problems with enemies going through walls when killed. And sure, the graphics may be a bit uneven, but they get the job done, really. There's one level in particular, a seaside villa, that stands out as being amazing that Rare was able to put it in the game at all. You could pop the game into hi-rez for a sharper look, but doing so brings to light the over-ambitiousness Rare tried to squeeze into the game, even if you switch to widescreen, and as a result the framerate tends to suffer at times. While some have bashed this game for its chuggy issues, which is a completely legitimate complaint, it is not nearly as bad as some make it out to seem. There are framerate issues, yes, but the game runs acceptably. I mean, it never slows to a crawl unless tons of stuff is going on (i.e. many explosions, or too many bots and players in the multiplayer), but through it all you gain knowledge on what works and what doesn't. However, to make it all work you must have an expansion pack, as without it you can't access most features.

And for the controls? Well, you can use the N64's C-buttons as an imaginary "second stick," as I do, or use them for movement while aiming with the real analog stick. You can even use two controllers together for...two analog sticks. Once found, the controls can be gotten used to, as there are several selections to imagine from. I personally have no problem moving from my N64 to newer systems, and I wouldn't expect the process to take long to get used to if not accustomed to.

The point for all this explaining is that you must clear your mind and open it up if you're going to venture into gaming's past. The problems mentioned are a given for many past generation games that you either deal with, or leave. And it is so very easy to deal with these problems and have a blast.

Playing as Joanna Dark, a highly trained but inexperienced operative for the peace loving Carrington Institute, you are sent off to deal with the shadowy dataDyne corporation and their corrupt dealings. Joanna is a placement for a sort of futuristic James Bond, and and such her British accent goes along greatly with some nice quips and all the action thrown. I have to commend Nintendo's Rare for not going down the route of hard up devs who love inflating a woman's appearance to suit their longing, for although she wears some tight outfits in the cut-scenes, Jo does not wear short shorts in the snow and fill up the video game bimbo bra. Joanna is a respectable character that doesn't have an exposed ass attached to her chest, nor wear steel thongs to get across her femininity (developer style) and appeal to the lowliest of nerds. No, Joanna is tough and very cool under pressure as you can witness by venturing through her missions.

Now, while many do not look to a FPS to tell a story (which is excusing developers not to include one), the narrative here provides a very commendable linking of actions and gives you reasons for them. From the infiltration of dataDyne's skyscraper headquarters, which are some of the best opening series of levels ever presented, the game offers a futuristic espionage story with humor and some twists. It does kind of falter toward the end, but everything in-between is excellent. Over the 9 missions, divided into 17 levels, Ms. Dark will infiltrate dataDyne and Area 51, rescue the President, explore an ancient wreckage at the ocean's floor, make contact with an...Elvis, and much more.

And let me tell you, the music these levels have for accompaniment will make you idle just to hear a full loop play as the main attraction. Grant Kirkhope once again provides music compositions that are some of the best in the N64's library. Each track is unique, fitting, and can range from solemn and energetic to downright pulse pounding, especially when you trigger a "re-mix," which offers a faster presentation of a level's musical track.

These levels also build upon the excellence set by Goldeneye 007 with multiple objective and different objectives being presented on three varying difficulties. The hardest difficulty, of course, has the most objectives and challenge. Unlike a lot of cheap difficulty methods, even on the hardest difficulty enemies still require the same amount of hits on them to drop them as on the weakest difficulty, but you still get a challenge, as damage is increased against you. You can even start at different locations depending on difficulty, interrupt cut-scenes for different enemy placements (and mess with them with certain weapons like explosives), and what you do in one level can effect what happens in another. For instance, when you lower a HoverBike from its hold in the Air Force One level, it will be available in the next frozen tundra one. Also, Rare added three bonus missions, two of which take the perspective of other characters in the story. If going alone on a mission gets too solo, you can join up with a "buddy," either real or A.I. to aid you in the levels in Co-op, or go against you as an enemy in Counter-op.

In a thing of the past I absolutely long for, these levels are also a wonderful length. They are the very epitome of the gaming term: "Level," as there is a beginning and an end, and you can move forward and backward without just constantly moving in one tired direction. There are two levels that are rather small, but most are of a merciful length. With this being the case, I can always get to my favorite parts and replay the well designed levels over and over. That's something that can't be said from my perspective for a lot of games today with "checkpoints" deciding where you can start after a long trek. How long does it take to get to that giant spider mech in Halo 2? Too long for me.

By completing the single-player levels in a "time attack" manner, some cheats (some carried over from GoldenEye) are your rewards. These extras are so cool, and offer new ways to go through levels with, that going through them with varying cheats provides a difference worth experiencing over and over again. How about having different characters join you in Co-op, or go guns blazing with every weapon in the game? Finish the levels in the given "target time" and you'll get a lot of extras, such as some classic weapons from GoldenEye returning to the fray. GoldenEye's editor, where you can determine the strength and difficulty of enemies, also makes an appearance, making multiple tries through a level just plain fun.

And crafted within, Rare has brought over and added to the gameplay elements that makes their previous FPS under Nintendo so awesome. Their trademark body hit detection, where according to where you shoot an enemy they react and stop shooting is in (although I do think it's harder to shoot genitalia), and Rare also added wonderful feature of shooting guns out of the hands of enemies which also allows for reprieve in an intense shootout. And get this: the enemies can have their guns jam, and they can run out of ammo which again allows them to stop shooting. The only thing I would complain would be the enemy A.I., as it's rather wonky and enemies can ignore your shots or roll around making easy marks, but the game is stacked in your favor with many choices to take the bad guys out and have fun.

When you combine the choices given to you, you could end up in a scenario where you shoot an enemy's gun causing them to drop it (or disarm them with punches), he/she starts to go for the gun causing them to run for it or stand at arrest, then you can either "play" with the enemy or finish him/her off quickly. That is, if they don't pull out another gun and try for you again. The enemies even respond vocally to your actions when shooting and when shot. Shoot an enemy from far away and a close by ally will comment on his demise in many, very humorous ways ("He was my best friend!" is my favorite). Every time I play a level I look forward to the choices given to me, as well as which weapon of mayhem to use for most of them.

A FPS is nothing without its weapons. Thankfully, this game is loaded with them along with some rather nifty gadgets. Since it is the future, some creativity has been taken to insure the weapons and gadgets are not only fitting, but kick ass to use. With over 25 different weapons, not counting variations of the same weapon, there are so many fun choices to choose from – especially when wielding doubles. From simple throwing knives and crossbows, to "sticky" mines and alien weaponry, the wide range of damage dealing weapons are in abundance. Not only do the guns in the game have a nice standard ammo outlet, many also come with some secondary features and reload animations, and each gun sounds different than the others. Bare hands can also be used with a secondary mode of disarming an enemy. One example of coolness with weapons is with some of the alien weaponry: when Jo reloads while using one, she simply "gels" together the ammo and the gun with a cool sounding effect. And while some of the secondary modes are rather forgettable, there are some that are incredibly useful. Such is the case with the weapon named the Laptop Gun: by selecting its secondary function, you can launch the gun from Jo's hands and have it deploy as a sentry gun, targeting anything enemy nearby.

Other weapons of note are the Super Dragon, which has the secondary option of becoming a proximity mine, a rocket launcher called the Slayer that has a secondary fly-by-wire rocket, a golden magnum that kills in one hit (the Golden Gun of this game), and the Psychosis gun that when shot into an enemy, can have them join you attacking their own. Cool, eh? And the alien weapons I've mentioned? Well, the two factions can have weaponry that range from laser pistols, to a rail gun like weapon that lets you not only see through walls, but shoot through them as well. A lot of people complain about this weapon, named the Farsight XR-20, being "cheap" in multiplayer, and it is, but it's an alien gun...from the future. You really don't have to use the Farsight if you don't want to (use a sniper rifle instead). That's true for every weapon in the game, but it's damn hard not to want to use all of them. Scorch marks, lingering smoke, bullet holes in walls and bloody marks on enemies, crackling destroyed lights, blood on the walls and painful death animations are all the after effects of well used weaponry against your opponents. Visual destructiveness – all at your fingertips, and viewed best when it's only your weapons of choice in hand on screen with no cluttering HUD.

As for the gadgets, there are some cool spy gear like a data uplink that lets you upload info and download viruses, and a cloaking device. There are some that can be also be used as weapons. These "spy" device weapons are in the form of camera name the camspy. Used for reconnaissance, the different camspys can have an explosive device or sleeper dart use. You can also open doors with them giving them even more usefulness, in that you can lure enemies together, or away from one another, then take them out – very resourceful.

With the abundance of weapons and gadgets at your disposal comes using them at will. Weapon selecting has become a thing of ration nowadays. Me? I prefer choice in this matter. My choice as opposed to a developer's. I would much rather have that than being forced into a developer's idiotic idea of selective realism. Oh, I can't carry more than two guns...why? Devs can put me on an alien world, fighting fantastic enemies, in the friggin' future, but they can't give me a...shoulder strap? I can't run with a weapon equipped, but I put it away and I can run? Don't I still have the weapon? If I have enough room to stuff a huge ass gun somewhere on me, why can't I carry more? Realism and "strategy," my ass. I want guns, lots of them in my FPSs. The two gun pickup just isn't for me, as it seems like a waste to leave guns on the floor, and wouldn't more guns mean more "strategy?" This game is a perfect example of why more guns equals more fun: too much cool weaponry to choose from, and a quick way to choose them.

With a hold of a button a screen displaying slots with all of your weapons and gadgets comes up, and with a tilt of the analog stick you make your choice. This process is quicker than manual selection and just as easy. This won't quite work when having the "all weapons" cheats on, of course, because all of your regular slots won't be enough for all of the weapons the cheat gives.

The second half of the game that is by far still unrivaled is in its legendary multiplayer, or Combat Simulator. Never before, or since, have so many options been allowed in an extra to the single-player experience on an console FPS. You have: 6 weapon sets (including doubles), 16 maps (including some GoldenEye ones), over 60 different skins (including different heads and outfits of most of the game's enemies who are mostly the developers at Rare, but it also includes a legendary Nintendo "main man" – and you can even mix 'n match body parts), 25 different soundtracks (42 all together, including the re-mixes), 6 game modes (including a capture the flag-type mode, deathmatch etc.), and other options like one hit kill, and slo-mo. You can even name teams you create. My favorite layout? A Carrington Institute vs dataDyne chaotic battle with all the main players, including having Mr. Carrington running around snatching all of our weapons. However, all these choices is where the framerate issues come in, so it's best not to have many friends and bots play at once, unfortunately.

I would have to say, though, that the greatest feature to be added to multiplayer is in choosing what A.I. to give to the bots you choose. The "sim" feature allows you to assign a trait to eight of the allowed bots. Do you want a pacifist who runs around snatching all weapons, a la my Carrington (kill him/her and weapons go flying out of them like candy out of a pinata – that's true of all bots), or how about one set on revenge? There are many to fill your customization needs. You can also give these simulants varying degrees of difficulty, ranging from the stupid run-in-front-of-a-gun "Meat Sim" to an absolutely perfect dead-before-you-see-the-flash-of-a-gun-barrel "Dark Sim," and assign them orders such as defending or attacking on the fly. I was in awe of my choices when I first glanced at a bot standing there using the Slayer to guide a missile toward me and others.

And how about another mode within the multiplayer? There are over 25 Combat Challenges that have to provide some of the most difficult tasks ever presented in a game. Basically, you, and others if you wish, must take on some rather difficult A.I. bots in some hellish game modes given by the devs at Rare. These are hair pulling experiences, but so much fun when you accomplish the goals, such as capturing a briefcase from some "Dark" A.I. bots (and they are perfect). Think of them as multiplayer battles with A.I. "darker" than you.

You are even graded on your multiplayer skills for all you accomplish. Multiple stats are collected, such as head shots, distance traveled etc., and you're given a rating based on how well you do. Ask anyone who still plays this game and they will tell you they partly do so to try and get to the number one ranking. As of writing this, playing off and on since I got a new replacement Perfect Dark cartridge back from Nintendo in September of 2000 (there was a cut-scene where a character was invisible, so I sent it back for a "fixed" copy), I've only reached the rank of Expert at 12 which I only reached in October of 2005.

If any of the above sounds overwhelming, or if a weapon or gadget perplexes you, or even if you just want a break from the main game or multiplayer, there is yet another part to the game you can play. It's the smallest part, but it allows you to get out of the single-player and walk around the Carrington Institute. There you can practice with all of the weapons in a shooting range and try for gold stars in challenges (try finding a way to sneak a weapon out for added fun), practice with some gadgets, bone up on characters and plot, or just wander around. You can even ride HoverBike, but much like in the main game it's pretty useless. With the press of the Start button, you can be back in the main game or multiplayer in no time.

With everything I've mentioned, you can get a feeling why this game is legendary and held in such high regard. I can still enjoy many FPSs today that don't have all of the above (Jedi Outcast, the Timesplitters, Chronicles of Riddick, Oddworld Stranger's Wrath, even the Halos as I stated), but when it comes to having the most content, customization, and fun? Well, this game comes in first for me. It's still amazing that a cartridge game has more content and features than today's grand DVD game, especially since we're already far from this game's life. With gaming going the way of online for multiplayer fixes, and developers rushing to their deadlines for release, I don't think that's going to change. The era of greatly made, offline single-player and multiplayer seems to be in its dying days. How many console FPSs have had bots since this game? The amount of features and choices this game has? No way, and not since. Perfect Dark and WWF No Mercy – two games with so many advanced features and choices that have mostly been forgotten by time, by gamers, and especially by developers.

So, when someone wishes to belittle me in saying that my liking this game is nothing but nostalgia, that liking this game is nothing but living in the past, that a "crappy" framerate is what makes this game not worth touching and that many of the features I've mentioned aren't needed and are useless, I just have to think of what this game (this FPS "of the past") contains and what games of today don't to easily reject their ignorance. This game wasn't just "good for its time," it's still good right now, damn it. To them I would say, no, it's not nostalgia, nor clinging onto the past that keeps me playing. Nope. I would simply say to them: it's the gameplay, stupid. Playing Perfect Dark for yourself is the only way to truly know why this FPS is still so revered, and you'll get experience what a well crafted masterpiece of overall gaming it really is.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/23/06, Updated 09/09/09

Game Release: Perfect Dark (US, 05/22/00)