The Perfect Dark fans had nearly 25 years to proclaim their everlasting love for the game. That is just as much of a nostalgia hit as an Farsight XR-20. The Game Awards ran a Twitter thread celebrating the anniversary, and the comments are a treasure. Some say it is the best FPS ever on the N64, some are begging for a reboot announcement, and others are crying about feeling old now. Independent Gamers Unite!
To begin with, let’s talk about why Perfect Dark still slaps. This was more than just a shooter: an actual spy thriller with gadgets, multiplayer fun until the midnight-hour, and music that still plays rent-free in some memory. Gerardo’s even said he was there at launch and somehow still jams to the OST: That is commitment. Kaiyuki is looking back to the days of custom games with friends. Andrej has even said it is his favorite FPS of all time. There is no talk around it; it is just facts.
Well, it hadn’t been smooth for everyone, though. Popsii even admitted that the original game gave them car sickness (yikes), while others tore into Perfect Dark Zero as though it were a bad joke. Adam Drake OBE—yes, that is his full handle—called Zero a “shambles,” and honestly? Fair. That prequel on Xbox 360 didn’t really take off, and the fans have not forgiven them.
And, speaking of Xbox, the reboot chatter is very real. Microsoft has been sitting on this IP like a dragon, guarding a treasure, forcing fans to consider giving up on them. Another-one SpacedDuck straight-up tagged Rare and Xbox in exigent recognition of the devs who made the original magic go down. Meanwhile, singleplayer33 jokes that Microsoft’s “AAAA Studio” has also been working on the remake for 25 years. Probably too savage… But a very uncomfortable truth.
The Rare Replay mention also comes up—DaVillain343 throws in a shoutout for the Series S flex. But honestly, there’re NO questions that people want a NEW Perfect Dark. Brulen Yunqueceniza really hit the spot with, “Hopefully we’ll see the reboot soon.” Same, brother. Same.
Then from all over the place, chaos erupts with Zac Caz naming Perfect Dark, TMNT, and Injustice 3 as if it were just a checklist. Meanwhile, Riskytaters drops the dim “Imagine when it’s 64 years old.” This is deep.
Bottom line: The legacy of Perfect Dark is beyond question. Regardless if you played it on N64 or emulated it or through Rare Replay, this game has made its mark. And with a stray knockout on the face of silence from the reboot, all we can really do is throw on Grant Kirkhope’s soundtrack and pray that Xbox drops news by the 30th anniversary.
Happy birthday, Perfect Dark! Let’s hope they don’t take another 25 to begin Phase 2.
