I don't think Perfect Dark is a good example because it's actually an example of a game where the developers for the most part refused to be constrained by the hardware they were given and they insisted on cramming more and more features into a game that was hitting single digit framerates in some sequences. And then they added co-op on top of that.
And it was co-op with no conventional constraints. Other games might have done some "tethering" nonsense to conserve memory and resources. Not Perfect Dark. In PD co-op each player can go anywhere in the sizeable levels at any time.
That said, I do think that if they'd had more CPU power, the AI would have been more sophisticated. CPU AI limitations were a huge problem on the N64. In the original Rogue Squadron, enemy fighters have no AI. They fly around on prescripted paths to provide the illusion of dogfighting. One of the problems with games having gutted tech due to console hardware is that we often don't find out about it until someone casually mentions it in an interview years later. It's easy to notice a game being graphically downgraded, but a game having its AI removed isn't as obvious.
http://pixelatron.com/blog/the-making-of-star-wars-rogue-squadron-factor-5/
And it was co-op with no conventional constraints. Other games might have done some "tethering" nonsense to conserve memory and resources. Not Perfect Dark. In PD co-op each player can go anywhere in the sizeable levels at any time.
That said, I do think that if they'd had more CPU power, the AI would have been more sophisticated. CPU AI limitations were a huge problem on the N64. In the original Rogue Squadron, enemy fighters have no AI. They fly around on prescripted paths to provide the illusion of dogfighting. One of the problems with games having gutted tech due to console hardware is that we often don't find out about it until someone casually mentions it in an interview years later. It's easy to notice a game being graphically downgraded, but a game having its AI removed isn't as obvious.
http://pixelatron.com/blog/the-making-of-star-wars-rogue-squadron-factor-5/