About this game
Perfect Dark is the 2000 Nintendo 64 first-person shooter developed by Rare as a spiritual successor to their landmark GoldenEye 007 (1997). Players control Joanna Dark, a Carrington Institute agent, in a sci-fi conspiracy involving alien technology and corporate espionage. The game shipped on a 32 MB cartridge — unusually large for N64 — to accommodate over 45 minutes of voiced cutscenes. The Expansion Pak was required for multiplayer and full-quality single player. Martin Hollis, who directed GoldenEye, led Perfect Dark's first 14 months of development before departing. Approximately 70% of the GoldenEye engine codebase was rewritten for this title.
Key Features
Joanna Dark — a female protagonist in a then-male-dominated genre — infiltrates corporate and alien conspiracies. Expansion Pak required for 4-player multiplayer and cinematic single-player quality. Over 45 minutes of voiced cutscenes. 32 MB cartridge — one of the largest N64 cartridges produced. Counter-Operative mode: second player controls an enemy against the first player in campaign. Bots in multiplayer with adjustable difficulty.
The Story Behind
Perfect Dark arrived in May 2000 — just over three years after GoldenEye 007 had redefined console first-person shooters. Rare's ambition was total: a female protagonist, deeper AI, more complex mission structures, alien storyline, and enough voiced content to require 32 MB of storage. The requirement for the Expansion Pak limited its audience but also signaled that the N64's base hardware was no longer sufficient for Rare's vision. The game sold over 2 million copies worldwide and is considered among the finest N64 titles ever released.
Tricks & Tales
Martin Hollis, who directed GoldenEye 007, led the first 14 months of Perfect Dark's development before leaving Rare. The game shipped on a 32 MB cartridge — unusually large — because the over 45 minutes of voiced cutscenes alone required more storage than most N64 games contained in total. The Expansion Pak doubled the N64's RAM from 4 MB to 8 MB; without it, Perfect Dark runs in reduced-quality mode with multiplayer locked out entirely.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
North American publisher: Rare. Japanese publisher: Nintendo. The Japanese release came five months after the NA launch. Expansion Pak requirement is consistent across all regional versions.
Available in our shop
Hand-cleaned and tested units shipped worldwide from Toyohashi, Japan. HP direct purchase exclusive: we include a printed shop owner's note card with every order.
Direct purchase supports this museum directly. eBay Top Rated Seller · 1,750+ reviews · 100% positive feedback.
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