Back in 1997 Rareware released a video game, based off the movie Golden Eye. It was a James Bond movie, and one of the few video games, that has ever been based off a movie that was actually good. The game was released on the Nintendo 64, and quickly became a best seller, not only due to the single player, but the multi-player. This was one of the first FPS (first person shooters) that came out on the home consoles that was good. My friends and I would spend hours, upon hours playing this game.
Then in mid-1998, Rare announced a game called Perfect Dark, it was to be the spiritual successor to Golden Eye.
Rare was hoping the game would be ready to release by Christmas. Unfortunately the game did not release until 2 years later, in May of 2000.
This was a day one purchase for me. This game had everything, a cute lead, named Joanna Dark. An Alien named Elvis. Crazy weapons, that all had two functions. Like the machine that could thrown on the ground as a proxy mine. The multi-player was also insane, and included some maps from Golden Eye. It was also the introduction to BOTS. Which were “robots” that were used in the multi-player. The BOTS could be assigned different personalities. Like the slap bot. This BOT would go around slapping everyone.
This game was also the introduction to Co-op. Not only did it allow you and a friend to play through the story together, but also allowed you play through the story, and your friend to play as the enemy (with lower hit points).
This game was just huge, with all the different options it had to offer. However the game had a few bugs, and a few announced features that were not in the final product. One was face mapping. Rare was hoping you would be able to place your own mug on your multi-player avatar. But due to time restraints (I guess the 2 year delay was not enough) and it was pulled from the game.
With all this, and my love for this game I still have one question that has plagued me for the past 10 years. What is up with all the Cheese!
Each level had a piece of cheese hidden somewhere on the level. I always assumed that it was something that was unfinished, like the face mapping, however part of me wants to think it something more that has yet to be discovered. One of the things feeding this hope, was the fact 4 years after the release of Golden Eye, some discovered codes that unlocked everything…4 years it took them to discover the codes.
So what secrets does this cheese hold?
I have yet to own an Xbox 360; however through a crazy chain of events, Microsoft now owns, Rareware, and will be re-releasing Perfect Dark on the Xbox 360. I will now own an Xbox 360. Not because this game was so great, but for the sake of nostalgia, plus they have updated the graphics, and have added online multi-player. With all these enhancements I hope to finally find out what the cheese is all about.
The Game will be released on March 17th 2010 (my birthday) on Xbox Live for a mere $10. For all of you would want to help me figure out the mystery of the Cheese, here is a list of the locations.
Level 1 – Hidden on the 5th floor.
Level 2 – Near experiment CPU.
Level 3 – 4th floor near the Dragon.
Level 4 – In the cellar near one of the exits.
Level 5 – In a toilet in the Punk Pond bar.
Level 6 – Near the Damping Field Generator.
Level 7 – There is no cheese on this stage. No, there really isn’t, even the guides don’t list one in level 7.
Level 8 – Near shortcut to locker room.
Level 9 – In an empty and useless room shaped like this: [[ ]]
Level 10 – In the area past the uniform.
Level 11 – Near the back of the lower deck.
Level 12 – Hidden in the area behind the Medical Scanner.
Level 13 – Can’t miss it, hallway, next to the first room you see.
Level 14 – Right in front of the start!
Level 15 – Behind the door that was always locked before this mission (behind the Skedar w/Mauler).
Level 16 – Behind a Skedar to the right of the Callisto, well, generally.
Level 17 – Next to the Shield (only there in A/SA) at the end of dead end tunnel (head the WRONG way at the start).
So come March 17th you should buy this game, and you will see the influence it has had on the current FPS, and you will also see the cheese.
Site Owner and Administrator. 
What… you have something against cheese… FROM THE FUTURE!?
So many hours of my life have been spent on this game. Can’t wait for the XBLA version. The cheese better still be there!
I LOVED this game even more than golden eye.
I also can wait for this to come out on XBLA…I wondering if the enhanced, or fix any of the bugs