Perfect Dark
Developer	Rare
Publisher	Nintendo
Series	Perfect Dark Series
Engine	Enhanced GoldenEye 007 Miles Sound System
Released	NA May 22, 2000 EU June 30, 2000 perfect dark is a Japanese peer-to-peer file-sharing (P2P) application designed for use with Microsoft Windows. ... Perfect Dark U.S. N64 game cover This is the cover art for a video game. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... Rare, Ltd is a United Kingdom-based video game development company. ... Nintendo Company, Limited (任天堂 or ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 usually referred to as simply Nintendo, or Big N ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ... The Perfect Dark series is a series of video games made by Rare. ... A game engine is the core software component of a computer video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... For the film, see GoldenEye. ... Miles Sound System is a two-dimensional sound software system primarily for computer games and used mostly as an alternative for low-end audio chipsets. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... JP October 21, 2000[1]
Genre	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer 1–4 humans, up to 8 computer players
Ratings	ESRB: Mature (M) (For Blood and Gore, and Violence) BBFC: 18 This article is about the country in East Asia. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Video games are categorized into genres based on their gameplay. ... This article is about video games. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... A multiplayer game is a video game in which more than one person can play the same game at the same time. ... Contrast with aimbot, a type of software that is used to cheat in multiplayer games A bot, most prominently in the first person shooter PC game types (FPS), is a robotic computer controlled entity that simulates an online or LAN multiplayer human deathmatch opponent, team deathmatch opponent or a cooperative... The ESRBs logo. ... The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is the organisation responsible for film classification (see Motion picture rating systems and History of British Film Certificates) within the United Kingdom. ... The 18 certificate is issued by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to state that, in its opinion, a film or video recording should not be seen or purchased by a person under 18 years old. ... OFLC (NZ): R16+ OFLC (AU): MA15+
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64
Media	256 Mb (32 MB) cartridge
System requirements	Expansion Pak for full features. Rumble Pak optional.
Input methods	Nintendo 64 Controller, Controller Pak, Transfer Pak

Perfect Dark is a 2000 first-person shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 game console. The game was developed and published by Rare, creators of the multimillion-selling GoldenEye 007, an earlier first-person shooter with which Perfect Dark shares many gameplay features. This game is also considered the spiritual successor to Goldeneye 007. The game 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. The Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) is the government agency in New Zealand that is responsible for classification of all films, videos, publications, and some video games in New Zealand. ... The Office of Film and Literature Classification is a statutory censorship and classification body which provides day to day administrative support for the Classification Board which classified films, video games and publications in Australia, and the Classification Review Board which reviews films, computer games and publications when a valid application... In computing, a platform describes some sort of framework, either in hardware or software, which allows software to run. ... The Nintendo 64 ), often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ... The Megabit is a unit of information storage, abbreviated Mbit or sometimes Mb. ... ReBoot character, see Megabyte (ReBoot). ... Cartridge for the VIC 20 homecomputer In various types of electronic equipment, a cartridge can refer one method of adding different functionality or content (e. ... The 4MB Expansion Pak The Expansion Pak is a RAM add-on for the Nintendo 64 game console, released in 1998. ... A Nintendo 64 gamepad with the Rumble Pak attached. ... Standard Controller Pak, rear view. ... Transfer Pak The Transfer Pak is a device for the Nintendo 64 that allows the transfer of data between the system and a Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge. ... 2000 2000 in games 1999 in video gaming 2001 in video gaming Notable events of 2000 in video gaming. ... This article is about video games. ... Computer and video games redirects here. ... The Nintendo 64 ), often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ... The Nintendo GameCube is an example of a popular video game console. ... Rare, Ltd is a United Kingdom-based video game development company. ... For the film, see GoldenEye. ... Spiritual successor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... For the film, see GoldenEye. ... The PAL region is a video game publication territory which covers Australasia and the majority of Eurasia. ... NTSC-J is a videogame region which covers Japan. ...

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 foil a conspiracy by rival corporation dataDyne. It also includes 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 N64, with optional high-resolution graphics and Dolby Surround Sound. // Any federal criminal or non-criminal investigator or detective in the 1811, 1801, 2501 or similar job series as so titled according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) handbook. ... Joanna Dark is the protagonist of the Perfect Dark video game franchise developed by Rare. ... Deathmatch (abbreviated DM) is a widely-used gameplay mode very well integrated into first-person shooter computer games. ... Image resolution describes the detail an image holds. ... Dolby Laboratories, Incorporated (Dolby Labs) is a company specializing in audio compression and reproduction. ... Multichannel audio is the name for a variety of techniques for expanding and enriching the sound of audio playback by recording additional sound channels that can be reproduced on additional speakers. ...

In September 2000, a separate game starring agent Joanna Dark, also titled Perfect Dark, was released for the Game Boy Color. Although set in the same universe, it follows a separate storyline. With the use of the Transfer Pak, the Game Boy game allows certain features within the Nintendo 64 version to be unlocked. Perfect Dark Zero, a prequel to Perfect Dark also developed by Rare, was a launch title for the Xbox 360 in 2005. Perfect Dark: Initial Vector, a novel by Greg Rucka, was published later that year. A second novel, Perfect Dark: Second Front, followed in 2007. The Game Boy Color , shortened to GBC) is Nintendos successor to the Game Boy and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan and in November of 1998 in the United States and 1999 in Europe. ... A fictional universe is an imaginary world that serves as the setting or backdrop for one or (more commonly) multiple works of fiction or translatable non-fiction. ... Transfer Pak The Transfer Pak is a device for the Nintendo 64 that allows the transfer of data between the system and a Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge. ... Perfect Dark Zero is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game console. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... 2005 2005 in games 2004 in video gaming 2006 in video gaming Notable events of 2005 in video gaming. ... Greg Rucka is an American writer of novels and comic books. ...

Storyline

Perfect Dark is set in the year 2023 against the backdrop of an interstellar war between two races: the Maians, who resemble the stereotypical "greys" of alien abduction folklore, and the Skedar, reptile-like extraterrestrials who can disguise themselves as humans, bearing similarities to Nordic aliens. For other uses, see grays (disambiguation). ... Reptilia redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Nordic aliens is a name given to what are said to be a group of humanoid extraterrestrials. ...

On Earth, there is an on-going rivalry between two factions. The Carrington Institute, founded by Daniel Carrington, is officially an R&D centre but secretly operates an espionage group in league with the Maians. dataDyne, on the other hand, is a sinister defense contractor with a clandestine link to the Skedar. The player is cast as Joanna Dark, a new recruit to the Carrington Institute whose impeccable scores in training have earned her the codename "Perfect Dark". The phrase research and development (also R and D or, more often, R&D), according to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, refers to creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use... Joanna Dark is the protagonist of the Perfect Dark video game franchise developed by Rare. ...

Maian alien as depicted in the Maian SOS solo level.

The game begins with her mission to investigate suspicious reports from a dataDyne insider. In the process, she uncovers a conspiracy between dataDyne and the Skedar: the Skedar plan to steal an alien "megaweapon" from a crashed spacecraft on the Earth's ocean floor and use it to annihilate the Maians. When the President of the United States refuses to loan dataDyne the research vessel they need to retrieve the megaweapon, they plot to kill him and replace him with a dataDyne-grown clone. Unbeknownst to dataDyne, the Skedar also intend to test-fire the megaweapon on the Earth, destroying it in the process. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 174 KB) Summary Perfect Dark Escape Level (2nd from last) Licensing This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game, and the copyright for it is most likely held by the company that developed the game. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 174 KB) Summary Perfect Dark Escape Level (2nd from last) Licensing This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game, and the copyright for it is most likely held by the company that developed the game. ... The Lexx, from the series Lexx In science fiction, a planet killer (also called a planet buster in some Sci-Fi circles) is an entity, often a large spaceship or space station, expressly designed to destroy or render uninhabitable a planet. ... Since the office of President of the United States is somewhat hallowed, fiction writers often choose to invent a president in their stories to prevent a real one from being possibly insulted, to avoid having their stories become outdated over time, for dramatic license, or to provide literary flexibility. ...

With the help of other Carrington agents and a Maian nicknamed Elvis, Joanna prevents the conspiracy by causing the weapon to self-destruct. She then helps the Maians launch a counter-attack, destroying the Skedar's "Battle Shrine" and eliminating their High Priest, thereby issuing Skedar morale a crippling blow. Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known as The King of Rock and Roll, or as just simply The King, was an American singer who had an immeasurable effect on world culture. ...

Gameplay

Screenshot from the first level of Perfect Dark.

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. It is frequently described as a "spiritual sequel" to Rare's earlier first-person shooter GoldenEye 007, released in 1997. Although Perfect Dark is not set in the James Bond universe, the gameplay is extremely similar and it retains many of its predecessor's features, such as the ability to use stealth to tackle missions, and objectives that vary with the difficulty setting. Screenshot from the Nintendo 64 video game Perfect Dark This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ... Screenshot from the Nintendo 64 video game Perfect Dark This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ... A spiritual sequel or spiritual successor is a sequel or successor to a computer or video game, movie, comic or even a stage play. ... For the film, see GoldenEye. ... 1997 1997 in games 1996 in video gaming 1998 in video gaming Notable events of 1997 in video gaming. ... 007 redirects here. ...

The weapons of Perfect Dark include handguns, rifles, submachine guns, a shotgun, rocket launchers, combat knives, grenade launchers, various explosives, and several fictitious extraterrestrial weapons. 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. Players can carry an unlimited number of weapons, and certain guns can be used in duplicate, one in each hand. A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ... For other uses, see Rifle (disambiguation). ... The MP5 is a third-generation submachine gun that is widely used by law enforcement tactical teams and military forces. ... For other uses, see Shotgun (disambiguation). ... Shoulder-launched weapons avoid the problem of recoil by directing all exhaust out the rear of the launch tube A shoulder-launched missile weapon is a weapon that fires a projectile at a target, yet is small enough to be carried by one person, and fired while held on one... Combat knives are mainly used in close combat. ... A grenade launcher is weapon that fires or launches a grenade to longer distances than a soldier could throw by hand. ... This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ... To pistol whip someone means to hit a person with the butt or barrel of a handgun (pistol), typically in the head or shoulder area. ... Chow Yun-Fat demonstrating handguns akimbo in Hard Boiled In gaming, weapons are akimbo if identical weapons are held in each hand. ...

Solo mode

Some weapons from GoldenEye 007 are unlockable extras in Perfect Dark. The PP7 pistol from GoldenEye 007 (pictured left) was renamed the PP9i for Perfect Dark (right).

The player can explore the Carrington Institute and take part in a number of tutorials and training activities. 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. Completing these trials unlocks so-called "Classic Weapons", which are taken from GoldenEye 007.^[2] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For the film, see GoldenEye. ... An outdoor shooting range with a sheltered shooting stand and several other unsheltered stands. ...

In Perfect Dark's solo missions, the player controls Joanna through a series of levels collected together into missions. In each level, the player must complete certain objectives and then exit the stage. 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. In computer and video games, a level (sometimes called a stage, course, episode, round, world, map, wave, board, phase, or landscape) is a separate area in a games virtual world, in modern games typically representing a specific location such as a building or a city. ...

There are three distinct difficulty levels in the single player game: Agent, Special Agent and Perfect Agent. There are a number of differences between the difficulty levels, including the objectives that must be completed, the amount of ammunition available, and enemy accuracy and damage. 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. 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, this mode allows the player to customise various aspects of enemies, such as their health, their aiming accuracy and the damage they inflict.^[3]

Four bonus missions may be unlocked by the player. 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. The other three bonus missions are unlocked by completing the game on each of the three standard difficulties, and allow the player to control other characters — Elvis, Mr Blonde and a Maian warrior — in scenarios parallel to the main narrative.^[4] 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.^[5] A Klingon Bird of Prey from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country fires while using a cloaking device In several science fiction universes, a cloaking device is an advanced stealth system which causes a spaceship or individual to be invisible and extremely difficult to detect with normal sensors. ...

Additionally, the player can unlock cheats by beating the levels within certain time limits. Some cheats, such as "All Weapons", can alternatively be unlocked by using the Perfect Dark Game Boy Color game and Transfer Pak. 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 Infinite Ammo.^[6] For other uses, see Cheat code (disambiguation). ... Perfect Dark is a video game for the Game Boy Color developed by Rare. ... The Game Boy Color , shortened to GBC) is Nintendos successor to the Game Boy and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan and in November of 1998 in the United States and 1999 in Europe. ... Transfer Pak The Transfer Pak is a device for the Nintendo 64 that allows the transfer of data between the system and a Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge. ... Experimental night vision goggles. ...

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. 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. Finally, there is 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. 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.^[7] In film, split screen is the combination of two actions filmed separately by copying them onto the same negative-- the usual way, for example, of having an actor talk to himself in a dual role. ...

The solo player areas feature numerous easter eggs and strange objects, areas and glitches to fuel the exploration efforts and wild speculation of many gamers. Rare staff have admitted that some of the oddities in the game were put there "for a laugh", and that the constant barrage of questioning emails they got were sometimes "a free source of amusement".^[8] Perhaps the most famous curiosity is the piece of cheese hidden on every level.^[9] These were intended to be collectable items, although the purpose of collecting them has never been revealed. This idea was scrapped, but the cheese remained.^[10] A virtual Easter egg is a hidden message or feature in an object such as a movie, book, CD, DVD, computer program, or video game. ...

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. 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.^[7] A multiplayer game is a video game in which more than one person can play the same game at the same time. ...

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, of which there are six:^[11]

• Combat — The traditional deathmatch mode.
• Capture the Case — Perfect Dark's equivalent of Capture the Flag.
• Hold the Briefcase — Players must take a briefcase and survive with it for as long as possible. One point is received for every set number of seconds the case is held. If the player with the briefcase is killed, they drop the briefcase and it can be picked up by anyone else.
• King of the Hill — One area in the level is "the hill". Points are awarded for locating this region and staying there for a set number of seconds. Having been "captured" in this way, the hill moves to a new location, or if a certain game setting was set, the hill remains in the same spot while the timer resets.
• Hacker Central — Players must locate a data uplink and use it to hack a computer system; both items are randomly placed in the level. The data uplink is moved to a new location when the player carrying it is killed. When hacking the computer system, the player cannot use weapons, and cannot move from the terminal without breaking the link.
• Pop a Cap — Similar to "Assassination" type multiplayer games. One player is labeled as the target, and the other players go after him. If the target kills his hunters, he receives a point bonus. If the hunters kill the target, they receive a point, but they then become the targeted player. The term pop a cap is used in this game in reference to the slang term "pop a cap", which usually means to fire a gun or to participate in gun-wielding activity.

Aspects of each game can be customised, such as the chosen arena, the weapons available, and the winning conditions. Players can be grouped into teams or compete individually. In a team game, the players can optionally be shown coloured according to their team. Each game can be customised to a greater degree than was possible in GoldenEye 007's widely acclaimed multiplayer mode. 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. 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.^[7] Deathmatch (abbreviated DM) is a widely-used gameplay mode very well integrated into first-person shooter computer games. ... For other uses, see Capture the flag (disambiguation). ... A bulletproof vest – also called body armour (U.S. body armor) – is an article of protective clothing that works as a form of armour to minimize injury from being hit by a fired bullet. ...

Computer controlled bots, called "Simulants", can be included in the multiplayer game. The appearance, team affiliation, skill level and playing characteristics of each Simulant can be individually customised. 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. Simulants can perform super-human feats on the highest difficulty settings, such as moving faster than the player can.^[12] During team matches, a human player can issue specific orders to the Simulants on their team, such as "Defend the Base".^[7] Contrast with aimbot, a type of software that is used to cheat in multiplayer games A bot, most prominently in the first person shooter PC game types (FPS), is a robotic computer controlled entity that simulates an online or LAN multiplayer human deathmatch opponent, team deathmatch opponent or a cooperative...

The Combat Simulator includes thirty "Challenges", pre-set games against Simulants which may be tackled by one or more players. 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. A complete list of features unlockable through this mode is available; see Combat Simulator Challenge Earnings.

At the end of the match, the overall results are shown, alongside information about the individual players' performance. 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). A bulletproof vest – also called body armour (U.S. body armor) – is an article of protective clothing that works as a form of armour to minimize injury from being hit by a fired bullet. ... The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy has become so popular among sci-fi and computer enthusiasts that certain phrases from it are widely recognised and often used in reference to, but outside the context of, the source material. ...

Players can keep track of their performance by creating and saving multiplayer profiles. 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 and ammunition used. The number of medals earned is also counted. (See Combat Simulator milestones.) 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.^[13] For other uses, see: information entropy (in information theory) and entropy (disambiguation). ... Look up Τ, τ in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Multiplayer profiles 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. A feature called "Perfect Head", which appeared in previews of the game but was not included in the final product, was intended to take player customisation further. 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. Officially Rare said the feature was dropped due to "technical issues", but it is likely the real reason for the feature's removal was due to "sensitive issues" surrounding the ability to attack images of real people.^[14][15][16] While Rare stated the feature was completely removed from the game code, hackers using a GameShark eventually found text references to the feature such as the menu and related messages, however no code other than this remains.^[17] A red Game Boy Camera, which also came in several other colors. ... The Nintendo 64 ), often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ... Transfer Pak The Transfer Pak is a device for the Nintendo 64 that allows the transfer of data between the system and a Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge. ... Standard Controller Pak, rear view. ...

Development

While the localized title of Red and Black was ultimately dropped, Japanese advertisements 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.^[18] 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. The decision to make the central character a woman was part of Hollis' belief that there "should be more games centred on women". 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 1930s film Dishonored,^[19] the eponymous femme fatale of the film Nikita,^[20] and FBI agent Dana Scully from television series The X-Files. The name "Joanna Dark" was taken from the French pronunciation of Joan of Arc as "Jeanne d'Arc". Image File history File links Size of this preview: 424 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (620 × 876 pixel, file size: 188 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Japanese ad for Perfect Dark. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 424 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (620 × 876 pixel, file size: 188 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Japanese ad for Perfect Dark. ... The 4MB Expansion Pak The Expansion Pak is a RAM add-on for the Nintendo 64 game console, released in 1998. ... Martin Hollis, founder and CEO of Zoonami, is a renowned game industry veteran of over 19 years and director/producer of the critically acclaimed first-person shooter GoldenEye 007 which has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide. ... Retro Gamer is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retrocomputing, with a particular emphasis on games. ... Tomorrow Never Dies, released in 1997, is the eighteenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as MI6 agent James Bond. ... Level 9 was a British computer adventure game company who produced some of the most advanced games of the 1980s. ... Zork, an early work of interactive fiction, running on a modern interpreter Interactive fiction, often abbreviated as IF, is a simulated environment in which players use text commands to control characters. ... Snowball was the first game in the Silicon Dreams Trilogy, a series of text adventure games featuring the player in the character of Kim Kimberly. ... Dishonored is a 1931 romantic spy film made by Paramount Pictures. ... Nikita (re-titled La Femme Nikita in some countries) is a 1990 French movie written and directed by Luc Besson. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... Special Agent Dr. Dana Katherine Scully (born February 23, 1964) is a fictional character on the FOX television series The X-Files (1993-2002), played by Gillian Anderson. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... The X-Files is an American Peabody and Emmy Award-winning science fiction television series created by Chris Carter, which first aired on September 10, 1993, and ended on May 19, 2002. ... For other uses, see Joan of Arc (disambiguation). ...

Ghost in the Shell was a major influence on the character, setting and plot. The name of the in-game company "dataDyne" was inspired by Yoyodyne from The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon. Another significant influence on the game's locations was the work of author Philip K. Dick. 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". The word "Dark" was chosen for its association with the game's bleak focus on killing. 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." The "double slash" symbol in the game's logo was inspired by the Japanese dakuten mark. Motoko Kusanagi from the manga Ghost in the Shell. ... Yoyodyne is a fictional defense contractor introduced in Thomas Pynchons V. (1961) and featured prominently in his novel The Crying of Lot 49 (1965). ... The Crying of Lot 49 (1966) is a novel by the author Thomas Pynchon. ... Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. ... Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American writer, mostly known for his works of science fiction. ... This article is about the philosophical concept and literary form. ... Criterion Software is a company specialising in development of the Renderware Graphics Engine. ... Black is a first-person shooter for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, developed by Criterion Games (also the developers of the Burnout games) and published by Electronic Arts. ... Dakuten ), colloquially ten-ten (dot dot), is a diacritic sign most often used in the Japanese kana syllabaries to indicate that the consonant of a syllable should be pronounced voiced. ...

At one time Nintendo of Japan considered releasing the game there under the title 赤と黒 (Aka to Kuro, lit. Red and Black^?). "Perfect Dark" does not translate well into Japanese, and the title "Red and Black" was considered sufficiently edgy.^[21] However, it was eventually released as パーフェクト・ダーク (Pāfekuto Dāku, パーフェクト・ダーク^?), a transliteration of the Western title.^[22] Nintendo Company, Limited (任天堂 or ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 usually referred to as simply Nintendo, or Big N ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ...

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. A torch was implemented by Steve Ellis (responsible for much of the multiplayer mode in GoldenEye^[23]), 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." 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. For the Parliament song, see Flash Light (song). ... The light bulb is one of the most significant inventions in the history of the human race, illuminating the darkness of the evening and bringing light indoors at all times in order focus on the task at hand. ... Night-vision is seeing in the dark. ... Experimental night vision goggles. ...

Martin Hollis was involved with Perfect Dark for the first fourteen months of its three-year development, during which progress was slow. David Doak left at the end of 1998, and Steve Ellis soon after, to form Free Radical Design. What followed by those remaining on the project was a comprehensive re-design of the game (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". 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."^[23] Free Radical Design is a video game developer, based in Nottingham, England. ...

Game engine

The Perfect Dark engine is a modified version of GoldenEye 007's, and many of the gameplay features are unchanged.^[3] For instance, the manual aiming system, originally inspired by Virtua Cop,^[24] is graphically enhanced but essentially the same. Players can crouch, duck and lean but notably there is still no ability to jump. Despite this, it is possible to drop from most ledges, a feature rarely used in GoldenEye. 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 headshot on a guard is instantly fatal on any difficulty level.^[7] A game engine is the core software component of a computer video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... Virtua Cop is a shooter arcade game created by Sega-AM2, and headed by Yu Suzuki. ... A 30-round STANAG magazine. ...

The engine includes a number of graphical enhancements, the most conspicuous of which is the option to play in hi-res 640 x 480 graphics.^[7] The Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak is needed to access the solo player levels and most of the multiplayer features, 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).^[7] The lighting system was improved so that gunfire and explosions illuminate areas dynamically, and lights can be shot out to create darkened areas. 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. 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.^[25] 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. Image resolution describes the detail an image holds. ... The 4MB Expansion Pak The Expansion Pak is a RAM add-on for the Nintendo 64 game console, released in 1998. ... Not to be confused with lightning. ... Graphic violence is the depiction of violence in media such as film, television, and video games. ... Knife throwing is an art, or variously an entertainment technique, involving an artist skilled in the art of throwing knives, the weapon(s) s/he is throwing, and a target. ... This amusement ride moved during the exposure. ... NTSC is the analog television system in use in Canada, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, and some other countries, mostly in the Americas (see map). ... For other uses, see PAL (disambiguation). ... For the mail collector, see letter box. ... For other uses, see Aspect ratio. ... The inner box (green) is the format used in most pre-1952 films and pre-widescreen television. ...

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 Critical reaction). 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.^[26] Frame rate, or frame frequency, is the measurement of the frequency (rate) at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

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.^[7] Some of the game's audio data was compressed as MP3 in order to fit into the relatively small storage space afforded by a cartridge,^[27] 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.^[28] Dolby Laboratories, Incorporated (Dolby Labs) is a company specializing in audio compression and reproduction. ... Multichannel audio is the name for a variety of techniques for expanding and enriching the sound of audio playback by recording additional sound channels that can be reproduced on additional speakers. ... For other uses, see MP3 (disambiguation). ... Cartridge for the VIC 20 homecomputer In various types of electronic equipment, a cartridge can refer one method of adding different functionality or content (e. ...

The artificial intelligence of the guards includes the ability to call for help and sound nearby alarms. 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 silenced pistols than high-powered rifles. Additionally, they are able to throw grenades and, if the player disarms them, draw a secondary weapon. 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 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.^[24] 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.^[29]

The multiplayer Simulants are considered more advanced, and have the majority of the faculties of a human player. 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.^[7] 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 in the game engine. For example, in the first level, a flaw in the collision detection makes it possible to pass through a supposedly solid wall, allowing the level to be completed in just six seconds.^[30] 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. A software bug is an error, flaw, mistake, failure, or fault in a computer program that prevents it from behaving as intended (e. ... In physical simulations, video games and computational geometry, collision detection includes algorithms from checking for intersection between two given solids, to calculating trajectories, impact times and impact points in a physical simulation. ... In video games, particularly in first-person shooters (FPSs), straferunning (known as speed-strafing among players of GoldenEye and Perfect Dark) is a technique that allows a player to run faster through levels by moving forwards and sideways at the same time. ... A diagonal can refer to a line joining two nonadjacent vertices of a polygon or polyhedron, or in contexts any upward or downward sloping line. ...

Release and sales

Rare announced in mid-1998 that their follow-up to GoldenEye would appear at that year's E3 as Nintendo's lead game,^[31] and claimed that the game, using the same engine as its predecessor, would be available by Christmas 1998.^[32] The release date gradually slipped but the game continued to be heavily trailed in magazines,^[33] with Nintendo Official Magazine predicting that it would be "the best shooting game this century".^[34] A working version of the game appeared at the European Computer Trade Show 1998; N64 Magazine described the preview as having "the kind of attention to detail that had everyone who saw [it] drooling".^[35] 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.^[36] E³ logo The Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as E³, was an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association. ... Nintendo Official Magazine (aka NOM) was published by EMAP for 12 years. ... The European Computer Trade Show, commonly known as ECTS, was an annual trade show for the European computer and video game industry, which first ran in 1988, with the last event occurring in 2004. ...

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 to do in-store promotions as a real life Joanna Dark.^[37] Total sales for the game reached 1.3 million copies in the United States.^[38] 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,^[39] and 77,000 in total. Worldwide, Perfect Dark sold 2.5 million copies.^[40] is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Michele Merkin is a model who is currently the host of Foody Call, a TV show produced by Style Network. ...

Critical reaction

Upon release, Perfect Dark received strong reviews from magazines and websites alike. IGN opined that the game "features amazing graphics, … and the most well-rounded multiplayer mode ever to grace Nintendo 64", saying that their "only gripe with the game is its sometimes sluggish framerate". GameSpot concluded "there's finally a game that has eclipsed GoldenEye 007". Gaming Age described it as "probably one of the best FPSs to be released in quite a while", but concedes that "there are some nasty frame rate problems at times". GameCritics.com 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". GameRevolution.com again criticised the game's technical shortcomings, noting the "occasional slowdown and … a few polygonal glitches", but overall concluded "Perfect Dark shines out as one of the best N64 games". Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... For other uses, see IGN (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Game Rankings is a website which keeps track of video game reviews from other sites, and combines them to present an average rating for each game. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... For other uses, see IGN (disambiguation). ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ...

The overall positive reaction from critics can be gauged by the results of review compilation sites; for example, Gamerankings.com makes it the fourth most highly rated game on the Nintendo 64, and claims that the game "improves upon the awesome multi-player mode that made it's [sic] predecessor GoldenEye a smash hit." Metacritic describes the game as meeting with "Universal Acclaim" and Rotten Tomatoes considers the game "Fresh". Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Rare was also recognized for its work on the game, as the company was awarded the Bafta Interactive Entertainment Moving Images Award for 2000 and the Golden Satellite Award for Best Interactive Product in 2001. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. ...

Legacy

Another game also titled Perfect Dark was released for the Game Boy Color in September 2000, shortly after the Nintendo 64 game. The storyline of the game was considerably different from the Nintendo 64 incarnation's, as it follows Joanna's attempts to shut down an illegal cyborg manufacturer. While the game uses an overhead rather than first-person view, it has a number of advanced features for a portable game. For example, the game's cutscenes feature sampled speech and a "rumble" facility (akin to the N64's Rumble Pak) is built into the cartridge.^[53] Perfect Dark is a video game for the Game Boy Color developed by Rare. ... The Game Boy Color , shortened to GBC) is Nintendos successor to the Game Boy and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan and in November of 1998 in the United States and 1999 in Europe. ... A Nintendo 64 gamepad with the Rumble Pak attached. ...

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. The game was also the last appearance of the GoldenEye 007/Perfect Dark engine. 20 months before Perfect Dark was released, some of the development team left Rare to form Free Radical Design. 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 many gameplay and presentational similarities to GoldenEye and Perfect Dark, including a similar manual aiming system, missions with structured objectives, cheat options unlockable through quick level completions, and the earning of multiplayer awards. The Nintendo GameCube (GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the sixth generation era. ... SpaceWorld is a video game trade show hosted by Nintendo. ... Free Radical Design is a video game developer, based in Nottingham, England. ... PS2 redirects here. ... For the race of creatures from the series see: TimeSplitters (race). ... For the race of creatures from the series see: TimeSplitters (race). ...

Perfect Dark has been featured in many "Best Game of All Time" lists. It placed 15th on IGN's Readers Choice Top 100 Games of All Time list in 2006, and 28th in Edge magazine's all-time Top 100.^[54][55] In May 2007, it was the fifth best rated game on Metacritic, a site that averages review scores, with an overall score of 97.^[56] Also, it was eighth on Gamespot's highest rated games of all time section,^[57] although it should be noted that it is not a "Greatest Game" list, but rather the highest rated games on that website. They gave Perfect Dark a rating of 9.9 out of a possible 10.0, with its reviewer Joe Fielder saying," As a single-player or multiplayer FPS experience, Perfect Dark is unparalleled on the console systems."^[58] Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ...

Meanwhile Rare began development of a prequel titled Perfect Dark Zero for the Nintendo GameCube, but was purchased from Nintendo by Microsoft in 2002.^[59] Soon after, it was announced that Perfect Dark Zero would in fact be an Xbox title. Later it was decided instead to release it for the Xbox 360, and it became a launch title for that system. This game retains Perfect Dark's first person perspective and mission objective system, and 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, which was not possible with the Nintendo 64.^[60] In some quarters the game has been criticised for not having advanced enough from Perfect Dark; IGN complained "the enemies behave much like they did on the N64".^[61] Perfect Dark Zero is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game console. ... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ...

Perfect Dark worldwide sales were not as great as its predecessor's eight million^[62] and Joanna Dark did not attain the same status in pop culture as other video game heroines such as Tomb Raider's Lara Croft. However, the game's universe continues to be developed with the release of the novel Perfect Dark: Initial Vector, a Rare-sanctioned paperback by Greg Rucka.^[63] 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 weapons corporation.^[64] 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." He also revealed that at least two more books are planned and, asked if he intends to write them himself, replied "I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that I’ve got the room on my schedule."^[65] For the movie staring Angelina Jolie, see Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. ... Lara Croft is a fictional British video game character and the heroine of the Tomb Raider series of video games, movies, and comic books. ... Greg Rucka is an American writer of novels and comic books. ...

References