The thing that puts Goldeneye/Perfect Dark above Half-Life 2 for me is the multiplayer. My friends and I spent hours upon hours playing 4-player split screen, and even now it's still fun to throw in the cartridge and have a go. Half-Life 2 is a really great single player game though.

Not only are half-life 1 and 2 better but so is system shock 2 and deus ex. Admittedly the last two games are fps/rpg hybrids though.

Hmm I might of agreed with you 5 years ago.

I guess I'm one of the few who agree with this.

For me, FPS have gotten really stale since Perfect Dark. There were just so many things you could do in that game.

I dunno, my thumbs are pretty mobile. Incremental shifts in direction doesn't bother me all so much. Aiming with c-buttons sucks, the N-64 analog sticks always wear out, it's awkward in your hand, and the button layout is merely mediocre.

How can a game be outdated? Easily. (Some) NES games are still fun because of their simplicity. However, as fun as games like Zelda and Metroid are, it's hard not to argue that A Link to the Past and Super Metroid are superior. Why? Because they are essentially the same game, only made more sophisticated by evolving gameplay and improved technology.

FPS's are the same way: since the bulk of them do not innovate but instead polish the formula, it's inevitable that subtle gameplay advances and improvements will gradually pile up to the point where older games in the genre feel dated. Golden Eye and Perfect Dark are in fact premier examples of this: games that were stellar in their time but have been slowly rendered obsolete by the grind of progress.

One more analogy for you: you cite the (percieved) still-awesomeness of Seven Samurai as evidence that things do not become outdated. Assuming that movies were comporable to games, (they're not), think of it this way: people still watch Toy Story, and it's still a great movie (because of excellent film making, a great script and an engaging narrative), but nobody will laud the animation as top-of-the-line. You'll instead hear "wow, the CGI looks great for 1996!". Same with Golden Eye. Gameplay, like CGi, can be (CAN BE, not inherently is) objectively improved by the increased capacity for growth lent to it by improved technology.

Looks a bit jerky to me these days. Being a bit of a military nut I really liked the COD4 story. Plus I think the 360 controller is great for FPS. N64 controller was designed for Mario 64.

Didnt you need the expansion pack to play most of Perfect Dark?

Yes

The "heavy" controls sure give you an adrenaline rush when trying to be precise. I love how a not so great control design helps the game.

Loved the single player playthrough though.

Hey its my opinion so check the super seceret spot (here) Fu*k you (here) before you (insert random flamer here) reply.

this thread is full of win and yes they are the best.