News

We're less than a month out from PD XBLA's release and Rare's been handing out more goodies to prepare. The latest promo material is a second Xbox 360 Dashboard Theme, priced at 240 MS points. This one features a funky CI-inspired motif, and if you remember the red-and-black artwork used in the Japanese version of the original N64 game some of it should look pleasantly familiar. Check out a preview of the theme below:

Now we finally have something more than a March 2010 launch window for PD's outing on the Xbox Live Arcade. Rare have announced that the game will be available on March 17th, 2010 with the price point still locked in at 800 MS points.

Ken Lobb also recently spoke with Kotaku, revealing that if the game performs well on the sales charts, there may be chance of future DLC in the form of new maps and weapons. We also learn that the game can be played online in any mode, not just the Combat Simulator. All this is great news for an XBLA title! Special thanks to Phil and MundoRare for the info!

Microsoft have recently completed their X10 media event in San Francisco and we've been spoilt with a dose of PD XBLA media and info. Before getting down to the eye candy, let's have a quick rundown of the latest news:

• The game will become available on the Xbox Live Marketplace sometime in March for 800 MS points.
• Literally everything from the original game (minus some of the cameo appearances of Nintendo staff, this time replaced by their Microsoft counterparts) will be in the XBLA port.
• The game runs at 60fps at 1080p - a massive jump from the N64's horsepowering days.
• The control system is almost identical to the original with the right joystick taking the place of the four C buttons. Two other control schemes will also be available - Spartan and Duty Calls (very subtle).
• The original Felicity, Temple and Complex maps have sneaked through the Goldeneye licensing issues and will remain in the game, and this time Goldeneye weapon sets can be used in multiplayer matches.
• According to Ken Lobb, up to eight human players can join a single game in the Combat Simulator.
• 20 achievements are attainable - apparently a first for an XBLA title.

Now to see what to expect next month. Rare have released an official trailer for the game, and if you can get past that be sure to swing by GameVideos for a hands-on demo from Ken Lobb himself. If you're still happy for more info drop by GameInformer and IGN for extra hands-on previews. Finally, here's the latest batch of screens from Rare. Very special thanks to NNoeLL and Phil for all the info!

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With Christmas only a week away, Rare's delivered its online greeting card for the festive season. There's probably something hidden away in there relating to Rare's future (in true form), but let's just take it one step at a time. You can also pick up a shiny Xbox 360 Dashboard Rare holiday theme for 240 MS points. Enjoy the festive season!

Over the last four days Rare have revealed a new set of screenshots for the upcoming Perfect Dark Xbox Live Arcade remake. As always the game keeps looking better all the time, and we finally get to see how Joanna looks in the game herself - she's a mighty big improvement from her N64 days. Check out the new images below and drop by the main PD screenshots section for a look at the accompanying N64 comparison screenshots.

There's also been word that the game's release is slipping into 2010 territory, but it will be in range of this winter season for the northern hemisphere. Special thanks to Phil for letting us know about the screenshots and release info!

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Rare's released three new visual peeks of the upcoming PD XBLA remake. Check out the gallery below for a look at an updated FarSight, MagSec and Elvis' sharp new look. Drop by our Perfect Dark screenshots gallery for a look at all the screenshots released so far. Special thanks to NNoeLL and Phil for the heads up!

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Been a few months hasn't it? Rare now has a new section on their website devoted to the remake of Perfect Dark for XBLA with plenty of goodies to get reacquainted with the world of 2023.

We've grabbed some of the new media - swing by the PD wallpaper archive for a pair of new selections and the renders page for a curious new look at the mysterious Maians. Two new comparison screenshots also help show the difference between the original N64 version and the shiny new XBLA one - and it's looking mighty good!

Recently the IGN/GameSpy network has unfortunately decided to end their long-time website hosting services, so we've got a new home! Pretty much everything is as it was before only with a new address: http://perfectdark.retropixel.net/. All the ads are gone for now, but the main downloads will remain on FilePlanet for the time being. Please be sure to update any bookmarks - the old address will automatically redirect to this new one but I can't vouch for how long the redirect will remain in place for.

Thanks to the newly updated Perfect Dark XBLA page at Xbox.com, we now have our first peek at what the game will look like. It looks as though texture and model work are the major changes from the original game, with sharper textures and improved polygon counts on character models and weapons. The page also notes Xbox Live Multiplayer - no doubt 4J Studios intends to bring the Combat Simulator online... here's hoping!

Rare has now officially announced PD's journey to XBLA with a few new details. 4J Studios are the team behind the port, the same guys responsible for the recent ports of both N64 Banjo Kazooie titles. There's no solid release date yet but it looks to be around the end of the year.

The game will have visual enhancements and smoothier framerates similar to the ill-fated Goldeneye project, and to help celebrate the news we have our first glimpse of the game with its "box art" and a limited free Xbox Dashboard Theme. See below for a preview of the theme (and some crispy Chicago visuals). Looking good!