Perfect Dark Cheat Codes & Secrets
Complete collection of cheat codes, passwords, unlockables, and hidden secrets for Perfect Dark (2000).
Cheat System Overview
Perfect Dark uses an achievement-based cheat system — there are no button-combination codes to enter on a title or password screen. Every cheat is earned by completing solo missions on specific difficulty levels within target par times. Once unlocked, cheats appear in the Cheat Menu on the main screen and can also be toggled from the pause menu mid-mission.
Critical rule for runners: Cheats being active during a session disables time recording and blocks new cheat unlocks. Always complete unlock attempts with the Cheat Menu fully cleared.
Expansion Pak required: Perfect Dark demands the N64 Expansion Pak for multiplayer Combat Simulator modes with more than two players and for certain visual effects. Without it, single-player and limited two-player modes still function.
N64 controller reference used throughout this guide:
| Button | Location |
|---|---|
| A | Right face cluster, green |
| B | Right face cluster, blue |
| C-Up / C-Down / C-Left / C-Right | Yellow C-button cluster |
| Z | Bottom trigger |
| R | Right shoulder |
| L | Left shoulder |
| Start | Center |
| D-pad | Left cluster |
Solo Mission Cheat Unlocks
Each of the 17 main solo missions has three par times, one per difficulty. Beat the par to unlock the cheat assigned to that slot. Par times shown below are the in-game targets — confirm on your Mission Select screen before a run.
DataDyne Central — Defection
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 9:00 | Cloaking Device |
| Special Agent | 7:00 | Hurricane Fists |
| Perfect Agent | 5:00 | Invincibility |
DataDyne Research — Investigation
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 9:00 | Enemy Cloaks |
| Special Agent | 7:00 | Enemy Shields |
| Perfect Agent | 5:00 | Enemy Rockets |
DataDyne Central — Extraction
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 7:00 | Sniper Rifle (always available) |
| Special Agent | 5:00 | Timed Mines |
| Perfect Agent | 4:00 | Laptop Sentry Gun |
Carrington Villa — Hostage One
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 5:00 | Unlimited Ammo (magazines) |
| Special Agent | 4:00 | Unlimited Ammo (no reload) |
| Perfect Agent | 3:00 | Super Shield |
Chicago — Stealth
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 5:00 | Turbo Mode |
| Special Agent | 4:00 | Slow Motion (Solo) |
| Perfect Agent | 3:00 | Perfect Darkness |
G5 Building — Reconnaissance
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 5:00 | Marquis of Queensberry Rules |
| Special Agent | 4:00 | Hotshot |
| Perfect Agent | 3:00 | All Guns in Solo |
Area 51 — Infiltration
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 7:00 | Tiny Characters |
| Special Agent | 5:00 | Small Characters |
| Perfect Agent | 4:00 | Big Head (Jo) |
Area 51 — Rescue
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 7:00 | Big Head (Enemies) |
| Special Agent | 5:00 | Invisible Characters |
| Perfect Agent | 4:00 | Invisible Enemies |
Area 51 — Escape
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 3:30 | (Combat Simulator) Rockets |
| Special Agent | 2:30 | (Combat Simulator) Slo-Mo |
| Perfect Agent | 2:00 | (Combat Simulator) Tiny |
Air Base — Espionage
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 8:00 | (CS) Invisible |
| Special Agent | 6:00 | (CS) Hotshot |
| Perfect Agent | 4:30 | (CS) Infinite Ammo |
Air Force One — Antiterrorism
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 5:00 | (CS) Hurricane Fists |
| Special Agent | 4:00 | (CS) Turbo |
| Perfect Agent | 3:00 | (CS) Marquis of Queensberry |
Crash Site — Confrontation
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 7:00 | (CS) Cloaking Device |
| Special Agent | 5:00 | (CS) No Radar |
| Perfect Agent | 3:30 | (CS) Shotgun |
Pelagic II — Exploration
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 8:00 | (CS) RC-P120 |
| Special Agent | 5:00 | (CS) Laptop Sentry |
| Perfect Agent | 3:30 | (CS) Super Shield |
Deep Sea — Nullify Threat
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 9:00 | (CS) Small Characters |
| Special Agent | 6:00 | (CS) Slalom Race |
| Perfect Agent | 4:00 | (CS) Perfect Darkness |
Carrington Institute — Defense
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 5:00 | (CS) Big Head |
| Special Agent | 4:00 | (CS) Big Head (Enemy) |
| Perfect Agent | 3:00 | (CS) Team Heads Meld |
Attack Ship — Covert Assault
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 7:00 | DK Mode |
| Special Agent | 5:00 | Jo Dark Secret (dev room access) |
| Perfect Agent | 3:30 | (CS) Enemy Shields |
Skedar Ruins — Battle Shrine
| Difficulty | Par Time | Cheat Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | 6:00 | (CS) Invincibility |
| Special Agent | 4:30 | (CS) All Guns |
| Perfect Agent | 3:00 | (CS) Infinite Ammo (No Reload) |
Cheat Descriptions
| Cheat | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Invincibility | Joanna cannot take damage or die | Disabled during timed unlock runs |
| All Guns in Solo | Start every mission with the full weapon set | Overrides mission loadout |
| Unlimited Ammo (Magazines) | Weapons never empty; reloads still required | Stacks with no-reload cheat |
| Unlimited Ammo (No Reload) | Fire without reloading; clips never deplete | Most broken combat cheat |
| Super Shield | Shield automatically refills to max at all times | Makes Perfect Agent trivial |
| Cloaking Device | Joanna is permanently invisible to enemies | Enemies will still react to sounds |
| Hurricane Fists | Melee strike rate massively increased | Effective at close quarters on any difficulty |
| Hotshot | All weapons deal significantly more damage | Works on explosives too |
| Enemy Rockets | Every enemy carries a Rocket Launcher | Chaotic — friendly fire from explosions |
| Enemy Shields | All enemies have personal shield generators | Forces chip damage tactics |
| Enemy Cloaks | All enemies are permanently cloaked | Pair with Sniper cheat to compensate |
| Perfect Darkness | All AI simulants run at Dark Sim difficulty | Essentially a permanent nightmare mode |
| Turbo Mode | All movement and animation speeds doubled | Useful for speedrunning practice |
| Slow Motion (Solo) | Game speed reduced to approximately 50% | Joanna moves at normal speed relative to enemies |
| Marquis of Queensberry Rules | Weapons removed; fists only for Joanna and enemies | N64 face buttons only for combat |
| DK Mode | Joanna and enemies have enlarged heads and hands | Visual only, no gameplay change |
| Small / Tiny Characters | Reduces character model scale | Harder to hit, AI unaffected |
| Big Head (Jo / Enemies) | Enlarges head hitbox and model | Headshots easier, looks absurd |
| Invisible Characters | Player character invisible in multiplayer | Also applies to self in first person |
| Sniper | Full sniper scope available with any weapon | Works with weapons that have no inherent scope |
Bonus Mission Unlocks
Perfect Dark includes three hidden bonus missions beyond the main campaign. None require cheat codes — they unlock through campaign progression.
| Bonus Mission | How to Unlock | Playable Character |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. Blonde’s Revenge | Complete the main campaign on Special Agent or higher | Dr. Caroll (AI) — you play as a Maian protecting him |
| Maian SOS | Complete the main campaign on Agent or higher | Elvis the Maian alien |
| War! | Complete all three standard bonus missions on any difficulty | Joanna Dark — all factions |
Note: Maian SOS is the most mechanically distinct mission — Elvis uses the Psychosis Gun, CMP 150, and Callisto NTG rather than Joanna’s standard loadout. His health regenerates slowly, which changes resource management entirely.
Combat Simulator Challenge Unlocks
The Combat Simulator contains 30 challenges organized into groups. Completing challenges unlocks simulant types, scenarios, and arenas.
Simulant Tier Unlocks
| Condition | Unlocked Simulant |
|---|---|
| Default (no unlock needed) | MeatSim, EasySim, NormalSim |
| Complete Challenge Group 1 with Bronze or better | HardSim |
| Complete Challenge Group 2 with Bronze or better | PerfectSim |
| Complete all 30 challenges with Gold | DarkSim |
DarkSim is the highest AI tier — it uses every available weapon optimally, strafes, leads targets, and hunts by memory. Getting Gold on all 30 challenges is a significant accomplishment.
Simulant Behavior Reference
| Simulant | Behavior | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| MeatSim | Stands still, does nothing | Target practice only |
| EasySim | Slow reactions, poor aim | New players |
| NormalSim | Balanced, similar to co-op bots | Casual sessions |
| HardSim | Accurate, reactive, uses cover | Competitive warm-up |
| PerfectSim | Optimal pathing, excellent aim | Advanced challenge |
| DarkSim | Superhuman targeting, no mercy | Masochism mode |
Firing Range Unlocks
The Firing Range is accessible from the Carrington Institute main hub. Completing all scenarios earns a rank from Bronze to Platinum.
| Rank Achieved | Unlock |
|---|---|
| Bronze (all scenarios) | Hotshot cheat (if not already unlocked via mission) |
| Silver (all scenarios) | Additional Combat Simulator weapon set |
| Gold (all scenarios) | DK Mode cheat (alternative unlock path) |
| Platinum (perfect scores, all scenarios) | Dev commentary audio clip in Carrington Institute |
Firing Range scores carry over and accumulate — you do not need to beat all scenarios in a single session.
Secret Unlockable Arenas (Combat Simulator)
Several multiplayer arenas are locked until corresponding solo missions are completed.
| Arena | Unlock Condition |
|---|---|
| Villa | Complete Carrington Villa — Hostage One on any difficulty |
| Felicity | Complete G5 Building — Reconnaissance on any difficulty |
| Institute | Complete Carrington Institute — Defense on any difficulty |
| Ravine | Complete Air Base — Espionage on any difficulty |
| Base | Complete Area 51 — Infiltration on any difficulty |
| Grid | Complete all main campaign missions on Agent |
| Temple | Complete all main campaign missions on Special Agent |
Developer Easter Eggs
Rare Team Portraits — Carrington Institute
In the Carrington Institute hub level, the walls throughout the building are lined with framed photographs. These are actual photographs of members of the Rare development team who built Perfect Dark. Walk slowly through the corridors between missions and examine every wall — most portraits are in the hallways leading to the firing range and mission briefing rooms.
Maian and Skedar Written Language
Both alien factions have a constructed script visible on terminals, walls, and equipment throughout the game. The Maian script appearing on Area 51 terminals and the Skedar markings in the final levels can be decoded — fan communities have fully translated both alphabets. Look for Maian text on the cryogenic containment units in the Area 51 — Rescue mission.
Laptop Gun Sentry Deployment Sound
When the Laptop Gun is thrown and deploys as a sentry turret, it plays a short musical phrase directly referencing the Mission: Impossible theme. This is deliberate — the weapon’s transformation animation mirrors the spy-gadget aesthetic of that franchise. The sound plays every time on deployment.
The Farsight’s Kill Camera
When you eliminate an enemy through a wall using the Farsight XR-20’s secondary function (lock-on targeting), the game cuts to a brief kill-cam perspective showing the shot from outside the wall. This was an unusually cinematic touch for 2000 and remains one of the game’s most admired design details. It works in both solo and Combat Simulator.
GoldenEye Facility Map Reference
Rare embedded a visual reference to the GoldenEye 007 Facility level in the architecture of the DataDyne Research — Investigation mission. The ventilation shaft system and locker room layout deliberately echo the older game’s iconic level as a nod to the studio’s previous work.
Chicago Level Hidden Ledge
On the Chicago — Stealth mission, there is an inaccessible-looking ledge above the street level near the mission start. Using explosive-assisted movement (see Glitches below), you can reach it. It contains a small out-of-bounds area with no scripted content — it appears to be a leftover from an early layout draft that was cut before ship.
Beneficial Glitches & Exploits
Diagonal Strafe Speed Boost
On the N64, holding two simultaneous directional inputs (forward + strafe) moves Joanna faster than pure forward movement due to how the vector is calculated. Hold the analog stick at a diagonal — roughly 45 degrees — for approximately 15–20% faster traversal. This is the single most useful movement tech for par-time runs and works consistently on real hardware and all major emulators.
Input: Hold analog stick at forward-left or forward-right diagonal throughout the level.
Explosive Launch (Vertical Mobility)
Placing a Remote Mines or Timed Mines at your feet and detonating while jumping launches Joanna vertically and horizontally far beyond normal jump height. With Unlimited Ammo and Invincibility cheats active, this allows freeform exploration of any level geometry. Without invincibility, you need precise timing to survive — the damage window is the instant before detonation. Used in speedruns to skip entire objective sections in levels like Deep Sea and Skedar Ruins.
Laptop Gun Sentry Wall Clip
The Laptop Gun sentry hitbox anchors to the surface it’s deployed on but its collision model is slightly smaller than the visual model. Near thin walls or doorframe edges, the deployed gun can fire through geometry, effectively creating a guaranteed kill zone that enemies cannot return fire into. Particularly reliable in the G5 Building and Carrington Institute levels.
Shield Doubling (Real Hardware)
Picking up a Shield collectible at the exact frame your current shield is at maximum (100%) causes both the collected shield and the existing one to register simultaneously for approximately one second. During this window, taking damage depletes the overflow before touching your base shield. Not useful for par runs but effective when survivability is the priority. Frame window is roughly 1–2 frames at 30fps.
AI Freeze via Doorway Manipulation
In several indoor levels, enemy AI pathfinding uses doorway nodes as waypoints. If you stand in the exact center of a doorway and the enemy’s pathfinding attempts to route through that node, the enemy enters a wait-state and stops moving or shooting until you break line of sight and allow the AI to recalculate. Reliable in DataDyne Central — Extraction and the G5 Building. Used in Agent par-time runs to stall guards while completing objectives.
Melee Interrupt Cancel
Joanna’s melee pistol-whip animation has a recovery frame before she can fire again. Pressing Z (fire) at the last frame of the melee recovery instantly cancels the remainder of the animation and fires immediately. With Hurricane Fists active (which speeds up melee), the cancel timing becomes looser and easier to execute. Effective against shielded enemies where you alternate melee to drain shield and fire to deal damage.
Weapon-Swap Speed
Switching to a weapon via the inventory screen (L to open) and then pressing A or B to equip is marginally faster than cycling through weapons using the C-buttons in tight combat. In Combat Simulator, quick-swapping between a loaded weapon and a nearly-empty one mid-fight — rather than reloading — provides a meaningful rate-of-fire advantage at higher simulant levels.
Combat Simulator Tips & Hidden Mechanics
- Proxy Mines detonation radius is slightly larger than the visual indicator suggests — place them in narrow corridors one step further from the anticipated travel path than seems necessary.
- Simulant count: Up to 8 simulants can be active simultaneously in Combat Simulator alongside up to 4 human players. Maximum 8 entities total in the arena regardless of combination.
- The Tranquilizer secondary fire on the CMP 150 causes simulants to display erratic pathing behavior for several seconds — they will not shoot but will still wander into mines and hazards. Exploitable in challenge runs.
- In Hold the Briefcase mode, dropping the case on a staircase causes it to slide to the nearest flat surface — use this intentionally to move the case passively.
- Hacker Central game mode has a 30-second terminal lockout after each completed hack. Standing adjacent to the terminal before the timer expires lets you start the next hack immediately upon reset, shaving several seconds off capture cycles.