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Perfect Dark targeting XBLA

Tom Magrino
By Tom Magrino

E3 2009: Nintendo 64 classic from Microsoft's Rare studio heads to Xbox Live this winter with 1080p resolution.

LOS ANGELES--Rare's Perfect Dark was as close as it comes to gaming perfection when it was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. Unfortunately, though, the game has yet to see a rerelease on current-generation platforms.

Joanna Dark will return.

Joanna Dark will return.

That will soon change, however, as Xbox Live director of programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb revealed through his Twitter feed that Perfect Dark will be added to the Xbox 360's online network this winter. The game will apparently receive a face-lift, as Hryb also confirmed that the game's graphics have been scaled up to 1080p. Nearly maxing out his 140 character maximum, Hryb also said that a free Perfect Dark Xbox Live theme will be available tomorrow.

The most recent installment in the Perfect Dark franchise--Perfect Dark Zero--launched alongside the Xbox 360 in 2005. For more on the rest of Microsoft's lineup, check out GameSpot's continuing coverage of the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Tom Magrino
By Tom Magrino

Tom Magrino has covered the games industry since 2006. He's been compared to Steve Martin by Ozzy Osbourne and Daniel Craig by Tim Schafer. His voice, heard largely on GameSpot's podcast, recalls that of Kermit the Frog. It ain't easy bein' Magreen.

237 Comments

  • rob_42

    Posted Feb 1, 2010 11:50 pm GMT

    i for one say heres to hoping they take as loonnnggg as they need to do this title justice.

  • MissObvious

    Posted Jan 30, 2010 3:58 pm GMT

    It would be nice if they would hurry up and release this, I had been hoping they would re release this game at some point, and I have been anticipating it since it was announced that it would be released on XBOX Live. Hopefully it happens, it will be great to play this awesome game online!

  • maybock3000

    Posted Jan 24, 2010 1:23 pm GMT

    So..... The game was supposed to come out this winter. Winter is almost over with. Where's the game, guys??? C'mon, seriously, what is the hold up. Should've had this done years ago.....

  • rexCo

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 9:14 am GMT

    Yummy yummy.... Although I'm still skeptical it won't be completely faithful, here's hoping.

  • aaronfhff123

    Posted Jan 7, 2010 5:29 pm GMT

    i used to go to the airplane level and kill everyone on the plane...back in the day it was so much fun and still is...also nothing is more fun than painting your victims corpses red with all the great guns in this game...also you could carry as many gun as as you want...i hate how in shooters today you can only carry like 3 differnt guns. This game had alot of sick weapons

  • callie789456

    Posted Dec 31, 2009 4:07 pm GMT

    so... it hasn't come out yet... they have 5 hrs 53 mins b4 i get REALLY pissed... If ive missed sumthin, sum1 plz msg me...

  • taddia

    Posted Dec 30, 2009 4:48 pm GMT

    i recently bought an xbox360. i can still remember how i SMASHED my n64 by keeping playing perfect dark.. and now i read this is coming on xbox too.. it gives me controversial reactions: 1) i feel betrayed by rare : omg this is one of the best n64 games and it should belong to that era and console!!!

    2) still.. i have the 360 now.. so.. no bad in buying it for this conole rite? omg i have some serious mental issues now XD

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Dec 30, 2009 4:18 am GMT

    @sidran32

    Thanks for the heads up, ill do some digging.

  • sidran32

    Posted Dec 30, 2009 2:00 am GMT

    Because the original had the amazing level design and game mechanics that made Rare's previous star FPS, Goldeneye 007 shine, plus some additional things (such as secondary weapon modes). It had amazing graphics for the system, with some worlds that were beautiful to look at and fun to explore, and the best multiplayer setup for FPS on a console at the time. Every shot you fired felt like it hit, and if it hit its target, it felt satisfying. But most of all, the story hooked you, from start to finish. It started with a mystery that you had to solve, that took you along twists and turns that made you travel to a lot of different places, but still brought you home now and then.

    But I think the best thing you can do is look up the various reviews on the different sites, including this one, and see what they had to say at the time that it came out.

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Dec 29, 2009 9:25 am GMT

    Hi Guys, please enlighten me (and this is not a 'bash').

    I played PD:Zero and thought it was terrible, i never played the original, and judging by the comments here it was fantastic, i tottaly agree that most modern FPS's are simply about the 'Glitz & Glamour' and sometimes lack the most basic of elements that simply make a FPS fun & interesting.

    My question is: why was the original so special?

  • Shadow_zone

    Posted Dec 22, 2009 11:43 pm GMT

    WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Cant wait for this!

  • thedirtyleg

    Posted Dec 15, 2009 2:27 pm GMT

    The original Perfect Dark?! Nice! That was a great game, but man I thought PD Zero was terrible. Going back to the original will hopefully help me and a few others wash the bad taste of that gasoline-flavored mess out of our mouths.

  • Xplode_77

    Posted Dec 14, 2009 4:10 pm GMT

    Yay!!!!..... When is Golden Eye 18 player MP coming????

  • mdk1985

    Posted Dec 14, 2009 9:03 am GMT

    OMG!!!!!!!!

    Cannot wait! XD

  • ChuckSeabreeze

    Posted Dec 14, 2009 5:03 am GMT

    i am just so pumped for this

    the screenshots look great

  • painguy1

    Posted Dec 12, 2009 11:43 pm GMT

    nintendo will stop this just like they stopped goldeneye

  • aaronfhff123

    Posted Dec 7, 2009 6:36 pm GMT

    @johnangelo7 Do not be sorry to Halo. Halo was always over rated. Anyone who thinks halo is better than perfect dark must have never experienced Perfect Dark or Goldeneye back in the day or they are just graphics whores. Perfect Dark rules over Halo, MW 1 and 2, and just about every modern overhyped game of today.

  • aaronfhff123

    Posted Dec 7, 2009 6:30 pm GMT

    This game is still more fun than any modern FPS. Gmae developers today are all about high production values and the best graphics. Whatever happened to having good gameplay and an epic campaign. This game beats MW2 by far. Anyone who thinks otherwise must be from a newer generation or on crack i guess.

  • x-TwilighT-x

    Posted Dec 5, 2009 2:10 pm GMT

    Can't wait, Greatest FPS ever

  • skin_ticket666

    Posted Dec 1, 2009 7:03 am GMT

    excited. PDZ sucked hard in comparison to the original perfect dark. it came out when i was ten, and to this day is still my most memorable gaming experience. cannot wait for this.