Perfect Dark and GoldenEye 007 are without a doubt two of the best shooters of their time. Both helped bring the genre back to life and gave Nintendo 64 a serious reputation at a time when PlayStation was the most popular game system. Both games made good use of the four buttons on the Nintendo 64, which was a precursor to the multiplayer guns of the internet age.
But since the 15th anniversary of GoldenEye is coming up in a few months, the team has been having a bit of a debate about which one is the better shooter. We can’t decide no matter how we look at it, so we figured the only way to find out for sure was to do what we always do when we have a disagreement: settle it with a good old-fashioned versus article.
GoldenEye came out first, and even though Perfect Dark isn’t a James Bond game, it builds directly on the ideas that Rare played around with in GoldenEye. Does it get better if you come out after, though? Both are classics, but one is better in some ways than the other. Which game is better is a matter of personal taste and what a person looks for in a first-person shooter.
GoldenEye 007 vs Perfect Dark: About
GoldenEye 007 is a first-person shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 that was made by Rare and put out by Nintendo in 1997. Based on the James Bond movie GoldenEye from 1995, the player takes control of James Bond and tries to stop a group of criminals from using a satellite weapon. The Perfect Dark video game series was made by Rare and is owned by Xbox Game Studios. It was first seen in the first-person game Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64, which came out in 2000.
| Feature | GoldenEye 007 | Perfect Dark |
|---|---|---|
| Initial release date | August 23, 1997 | May 22, 2000 |
| Developers | Rare, Ultimate Play the Game | The Initiative, Crystal Dynamics, Rare, 4J Studios, Nintendo, Xbox Game Studios, Ultimate Play the Game |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 64, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox Cloud Gaming | Nintendo 64, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| Composers | Grant Kirkhope, Graeme Norgate, Robin Beanland | Graeme Norgate, Robin Beanland |
| Genres | First-person shooter, Stealth game | First-person shooter, stealth, action |
| Designer | Duncan Botwood | Martin Hollis, Duncan Botwood, David Doak, Chris Tilston, Keith Rabbette, Mark Edmonds |
| Publishers | Nintendo, Rare | Rare, Nintendo, Xbox Game Studios, Ultimate Play the Game |
GoldenEye 007 vs Perfect Dark: History of the two games
GoldenEye 007 was made for the Nintendo 64 and came out in 1997. Based on the James Bond movie of the same name, it was a first-person shooter. The game was made by Rare, and Nintendo put it out. GoldenEye 007 was praised by critics and sold over 8 million copies around the world. People think it is one of the best games ever made.
| Feature | GoldenEye 007 | Perfect Dark |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Nintendo 64 | Nintendo 64 |
| Developer | Rare | Rare |
| Publisher | Nintendo | Microsoft |
| Genre | First-person shooter | First-person shooter |
| Graphics | 3D | 3D |
| Gameplay | Stealth, action | Stealth, action |
| Multiplayer | Up to 4 players | Up to 8 players |
| Critical reception | Positive | Positive |
| Commercial performance | Sold over 8 million copies | Sold over 2 million copies |
Perfect Dark came out for the Nintendo 64 in the year 2000. It was also a first-person shooter, but it wasn’t based on anything already out there. Microsoft put out the game, which was made by Rare. Perfect Dark was a technology showpiece for the Nintendo 64. Its graphics and gameplay were more advanced than GoldenEye 007. The game was also well received by critics and sold over 2 million copies around the world.
GoldenEye 007 vs Perfect Dark: Gameplay
Both games are played from the first-person view, and the way you play them is similar. Players can move around the world, aim and fire guns, and hide behind things. There are also different goals to reach, such as freeing prisoners, taking down bombs, and killing enemies. The game GoldenEye 007 is based on the same-named James Bond movie. The game has 10 levels, and each one is based on a place in the movie.
The levels go in a straight line and aren’t too long, but they are well-made and have a good mix of obstacles. There are many different kinds of guns in the game, such as pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, and sniper rifles. There are also devices like proximity bombs and laser tripwires. GoldenEye 007 has a mode for two players to work together and a mode for four players to fight to the death. The team mode is a lot of fun because it lets players finish the levels by working together. Deathmatch mode is also a lot of fun, but with four people, it can get a little wild.
| Feature | GoldenEye 007 | Perfect Dark |
|---|---|---|
| Gameplay | Linear, short levels | Open-ended, larger levels |
| Weapons | 10 weapons | 17 weapons |
| Gadgets | 10 gadgets | 15 gadgets |
| Story | Based on the James Bond film | Original story |
| Multiplayer | 2-player cooperative, 4-player deathmatch | 2-player cooperative, 4-player deathmatch |
| Innovation | Few new features | Many new features |
| Overall | Great game | Better game |
GoldenEye 007 is a more simple game than Perfect Dark. It has more levels, more guns, and more gadgets, and the story is more complicated. The levels are also more open-ended, so players have more freedom to explore. Perfect Dark also has some new ways to play, like a device that lets you hide and a camera that you can direct from a distance. These traits give the game a new level of strategic depth.
Perfect Dark also has a mode for two people to work together and a mode for four people to fight each other. The cooperative mode is even better than the one in GoldenEye 007 because it lets players take on threats and goals that are harder. The deathmatch mode is also a lot of fun, but it can get even more wild than the one in GoldenEye 007.
GoldenEye 007 vs Perfect Dark: The Music
Both games’ main music was written by Grant Kirkhope and Graeme Norgate. They both have great music with songs that are easy to remember. It’s hard to decide which one wins, but GoldenEye has the edge of having a long history to draw from.
There is a new take on the main James Bond theme, and the original pieces take cues and ideas from the films’ audio past. Some of the songs, like the “pause music,” have become well-known in their own right. Even though Perfect Dark’s music is great, it didn’t become a part of the game world the way GoldenEye’s music did.
GoldenEye 007 vs Perfect Dark: Graphics
GoldenEye 007 was one of the first first-person shooter games for the Nintendo 64. It came out in 1997. At the time, the game’s graphics were ahead of their time. The textures and character models were very realistic. But the game’s frame rate wasn’t always the same, and it could slow down in some places.
GoldenEye 007’s inspired successor, Perfect Dark, came out in 2000. The game’s graphics were a big step up from GoldenEye 007. The backgrounds were smoother, the character models were more detailed, and the lighting was better. The frame rate of the game was also more stable.
???? Textures: GoldenEye 007 uses pre-made textures, while Perfect Dark crafts textures in-game. This results in Perfect Dark’s textures being more detailed and unique, but they can also appear somewhat fuzzy and pixelated.
???? Lighting: GoldenEye 007 boasts a simple lighting system, whereas Perfect Dark’s is more intricate. Perfect Dark’s lighting is dynamic and accurate but can strain the N64’s hardware.
???? Modeling: GoldenEye 007’s character models are basic and blocky, while Perfect Dark’s are lifelike and intricately detailed. Additionally, Perfect Dark’s enemies exhibit more advanced AI behaviors than those in GoldenEye 007.
???? Environment: GoldenEye 007’s settings tend to be linear and enclosed, while Perfect Dark’s are expansive and interconnected. This gives Perfect Dark a more realistic and immersive atmosphere.
???? Draw Distance: GoldenEye 007 excels in draw distance, surpassing Perfect Dark. Consequently, distant objects fade away gradually in GoldenEye 007.
???? Animations: Graphics-wise, GoldenEye 007 lacks the smoothness of Perfect Dark. This discrepancy is particularly evident in character movements, with GoldenEye 007’s characters feeling more robotic in their animations.
GoldenEye 007 vs Perfect Dark: Levels
The levels in Perfect Dark might be more complicated and have more moving parts, but the levels in GoldenEye are just so well-known. Most of them are recreating well-known scenes from the movie, which helps. The Dam is a legendary opening mission that sets up how the rest of the game works, since all the other sites feel like real places.
Even though the task is full of action, enemies set off alarms that teach players that even stealth levels have alarms that can call more guards. Then there are the many multiplayer levels, some of which are based on single-player tasks. The Facility was so well liked that it was remade as Felicity for the movie Perfect Dark.
GoldenEye 007: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Iconic James Bond setting and characters
- Wide variety of weapons and gadgets
- Excellent multiplayer mode
- Still holds up well today
Cons
- Some levels can be quite linear
- The AI can be a bit erratic
Perfect Dark: Pros and Cons
Pros
- More open-ended levels
- More challenging AI
- More variety of weapons and gadgets
- Innovated with new features like dual-wielding and body armor
Cons
- The multiplayer mode is not as good
Which game is better?
Even though GoldenEye is remembered for what it did for the Nintendo 64 and first-person shooters on consoles in general, Perfect Dark made the most of the chance to build on what GoldenEye started. Perfect Dark might not have been as good technically as it could have been because Rare wanted to do a lot with it, but this is easy to overlook when you look at all it did.
GoldenEye sold more copies and was more recognizable because of the James Bond license, but that doesn’t make it the better game. No matter what, players who try either of these old-school first-person shooters will not be let down.
FAQs
Perfect Dark is an inspired sequel to Rare’s first-person shooter GoldenEye 007, which came out in 1997. It has many of the same features as GoldenEye 007, and it runs on an updated version of its game engine.
It was the first game to have things like stealth aspects, atmospheric single-player missions, and multiplayer console deathmatch. People think this is one of the best video games ever made, and parts of it, like the Klobb gun, have become part of the culture of video games.
GoldenEye 007 is loved by many N64 users and is often said to have started the first-person shooter craze on consoles. It not only proved that a good first-person shooter could be made for a machine other than a high-end PC, but it may have also started the multiplayer FPS craze on platforms.
