Games

Switch Online Update Addresses Issues Plaguing One of Its Best N64 Titles

Published

3 weeks ago

November 5, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Nintendo made improvements to Perfect Dark, fixing the “dizzy” blur effect.
Additional changes include fixes to input delay and UV mapping.
Some issues still exist, like sound mastering and frame rate drops. Nintendo may address these in the future.

Nintendo has made some improvements to Perfect Dark on the Nintendo Switch, significantly improving multiple issues, including a potentially game-breaking one. The improvements have taken some Nintendo Switch gamers by surprise, as the Perfect Dark update was made without much fanfare.

Nintendo regularly adds new games to its Nintendo Switch Online and Expansion Pack service, including the recent addition of Turok 2: Seeds of Evil and Shadow Man to the Mature app. While these additions drew much attention, it seems that some quite alterations were made to Perfect Dark, which already existed on the Mature Collection.

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Nintendo gamers and dataminers have discovered that some alterations were made that fix some – albeit not all – reported problems with Perfect Dark on the Switch. The biggest among these is the “dizzy” blur effect that can impact the player’s view. While the blur was in the original version of the game on the N64, the effect had become so impactful that at certain points of the Switch version, the screen would essentially become frozen as the blur effect became more and more compounded. This has been dialed back, avoiding this problem, although the blur seems to still be a bit more pronounced than on the N64.

What Else Changed in the Nintendo Switch version of Perfect Dark?

As noted by Graslu00, there seems to be reduced input delay, X tracks are fixed, explosion debris is working correctly, UV mapping is fixed, and sun light flares bleeding through solid objects have been amended. However, there are still some remaining issues, like the sound mastering being too quiet, frame rate drops, dim explosions, and light flares from non-sun sources being visible through guns and walls. It remains to be seen if and when the issues with the Switch Online Mature Collection game will be addressed.

As N64 games on the Nintendo Switch are emulated, there can be problems that pop up that weren’t present in the original versions. This has even plagued some titles that were developed by Nintendo itself. For example, prior updates fixed some issues with Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which had initially lacked some of its fog. While getting these games back on a modern console is something many fans are happy about, making sure that the experience is comparable to the original is important, especially for newcomers to the games. Nintendo veterans may be patient to wait, but new players experiencing game-breaking bugs may simply give up on titles, no matter how well they were received in their original format.

This is the game Nintendo 64 fans have waited for. Nearly three years after the uncloaking of super spy action-adventure GoldenEye 007, developer extraordinaire Rare introduces futuristic special operative Joanna Dark, a.k.a. Perfect. In Perfect Dark, players are sent on a fast-paced adventure from downtown Chicago skyscrapers to underground labs to undersea wrecks of otherworldly origins. Naturally, the storyline weaves a complex web of conspiracy, hidden agendas, and megalomaniac corporate leaders with deep underground (and off-world) ties. As spy-game fans expect, unraveling the plot and disposing of the baddies require a grab bag of hi-tech gadgets and special weapons–especially given the game’s tougher and smarter enemies. Perfect Dark features Dolby surround sound, widescreen compatibility, and–as expected–stunning special effects, including dynamic lighting, chest-thumping explosions and realistic smoke, dust and steam clouds. Characters are lifelike thanks to motion-captured animations and beautifully rendered 3-D models. Perfect Dark’s multiplayer features are impressive. As in GoldenEye 007, up to four players can deathmatch in up to 20 different arenas. But that’s just the start of the fun. The inclusion of up to eight computer-controlled opponents (“bots”) adds an original component to the frag-fest. Humans can team with or against bots and even command a bot teammate to target specific opponents. Numerous original games, such as King of the Hill, offer so many variations that you just might forget that an engrossing single-player experience lies at the heart of the game.

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