Conker's Bad Fur Day
Encyclopedia
Conker's Bad Fur Day is an action
-platform
video game developed and published by Rare. It was released for the Nintendo 64
in 2001 and was Rare's last game published for the console. The game was in development for four years; it was originally intended for a young audience, but was redesigned and marketed to a much older demographic. It features graphic violence, sexual themes, mature language, toilet humor, and several film parodies
. A remake, titled Conker: Live & Reloaded
, was released for the Xbox
in 2005. It features enhanced graphics and a different multiplayer mode.
The game stars Conker the Squirrel, who is attempting to return home to his girlfriend. The gameplay is composed of various challenges like solving puzzles or racing vehicles, split across multiple levels. The game includes a multiplayer mode where up to four players can compete in seven different game types. Conker's Bad Fur Day sold poorly due to limited advertising and a release towards the end of the Nintendo 64's life-cycle. Nevertheless, it received very positive reviews from critics, who lauded its graphics and audio, and also earned a cult following
due to its unique styling.
, who is attempting to return home to his girlfriend, Berri. Meanwhile, the Panther King, ruler of the land that Conker is lost in, finds that his throne's side table is missing one of its legs and orders his servant, Professor Von Kriplespac, to solve the problem. Kriplespac suggests the use of a red squirrel as the fourth leg for his table, and therefore the Panther King sends his minions to search for one and capture it. As Conker searches for his way home, he finds himself embroiled in a series of increasingly absurd and often dangerous situations, including having to recover a bee hive from some enormous wasps, confronting a giant opera-singing pile of feces
, being turned into a bat by a vampire, and even getting drafted into a war between gray squirrels and a Nazi
-like group of teddy bear
s known as the "Tediz", which Conker ultimately destroys.
During his quest to return home, Conker finds wads of cash scattered throughout the land, and becomes sidetracked from his goal. In the final chapter of the game, Berri and Conker are enlisted by Don Weaso, head of the Weasel Mafia, to rob a bank. When they enter the vault, they find that the bank scene was an elaborate trap set by the King and Don Weaso in order to capture Conker. In the ensuing confrontation, Berri is killed by Weaso, and a Xenomorph suddenly bursts out of the Panther King's chest, killing him instantly. Von Kriplespac then appears and reveals that the alien is one of his creations, and that he had planned to use this opportunity to kill the king and escape.
Kriplespac activates his spaceship and enters low orbit; from there, he instructs the alien to attack and kill Conker as revenge for destroying the Tediz, which were also his creations. Conker pulls a switch that opens an air lock, pulling Von Kriplespac and Berri's corpse into space. As the alien lunges at Conker, the entire game suddenly locks up
. Conker expresses disbelief that Rare apparently did not beta test the game properly, and breaks the fourth wall
to ask some software engineers to assist him in his current situation. The programmers give Conker a Katana
, and then teleport him to the Panther King's throne room, where he subsequently decapitates the alien. As a result, he is crowned the new king of the land. Conker then comes to the grim realization that Berri is still dead. He attempts to ask the programmers to bring her back to life, but realizes that they have already left. Conker then gives a closing monologue
, in which he discusses appreciating what one already has instead of always wanting more, stating that "the grass is always greener, and you don't really know what it is you have until it's gone".
-platform
game where the player controls Conker the Squirrel through a series of three dimensional levels
. The game features an overworld
where players can transition from one level to another, although many are initially blocked off until Conker earns a certain amount of cash. Each level is an enclosed area in which the player can freely explore in order to find tasks to do. The gameplay mostly relies on figuring out a way to help other characters by completing a linear sequence of challenges. These challenges may include defeating a boss, solving puzzles, gathering objects, and racing opponents, among others. The result is always a cash reward, which aids access to other areas in the overworld.
Conker's abilities are far simpler than those of previous Rare platformers, such as Banjo-Kazooie
or Donkey Kong 64
. The player can run, jump, and smack enemies with a frying pan
. Conker also has a few other physical abilities. He can swim underwater for a while until he runs out of breath, climb ladders or ropes, and is strong enough to push heavy objects. To regain lost health, Conker can eat pieces of "Anti-Gravity" Chocolate that are scattered throughout the levels. Additionally, the game employs "context sensitive" pads that allow Conker to gain different, temporary abilities when pressing the "B
" button atop them. For instance, in the beginning of the game, by pressing the B button on the first pad he encounters, Conker drinks some Alka-Seltzer
to wipe out his hangover, at which point players can proceed forward. Some pads can turn Conker into an anvil in order to slam into the ground, and some are also used to pull out his shotgun, to activate his throwing knives, slingshot
and so on. They serve to inform players of what needs to be done next.
The game also includes a multiplayer mode, where up to four players can compete against each other in seven different minigames with their own custom rules: Beach, Raptor, Heist, War, Tank, Race and Deathmatch. In Beach, some players assume the control of the Frenchies and must go up through the beach and into a waiting escape vehicle, while others must stop them by firing at them from fixed positions. Raptor involves players controlling raptors in order to feed a baby dinosaur, while others play as cavemen that have to steal dinosaur eggs. Heist engrosses players in the robbery of a bank, where the goal is to retrieve a cash bag from the center of the level and run with it to the team's vault without being damaged. War can either be a traditional capture the flag mode or Total War, where players have to get the other teams gas canister and use it to release a chemical gas that annihilates the enemy. Similarly, in Tank players fight against each other by using tanks and grabbing chemical canisters that can release a lethal corrosive gas, destroying all the tanks that are outdoors. Race is a racing mode which provides two variations of the same course. Items can be acquired and used against opponents. Finally, there is a standard deathmatch
mode, where players fight against each other in shooting style from a third-person perspective
. Players can set a number of different options for each game, such as score limit, number of lives, and inclusion of optional bots
.
and Diddy Kong Racing
, and at first Conker appeared to be similar. However, Rare started to fear that the game would not be differentiated enough from other titles, and critical mockery of "yet another cute platformer" caused the game design to be overhauled. Several delays, along with almost a year without mention of the game, led to speculation that it was privately canceled. Rare later clarified that the game was "still being worked on by a full team and with the same level of dedication as when it was first announced".
In early 2000, Rare revealed that Conker was retooled into a controversial game with lots of scatological humor. Inspired by South Park
, the game's producer, Chris Seavor
, revamped the graphics and attitude, and the title was changed to Conker's Bad Fur Day. Seavor himself voiced Conker in this new version, along with all the male characters in the game except the Great Mighty Poo, who was voiced by Chris Marlow. Louise Ridgeway voiced the female characters, including Mrs. Queen Bee and the Sunflower. Rare changed several aspects in the game to attract an adult audience. Unlike the Banjo-Kazooie series and Donkey Kong 64
, item collecting was mostly discarded and moves were simplified by having "context sensitive" buttons. The game also differs from other Nintendo 64 games by relying heavily on cutscene
s and featuring a large number of film parodies
, which include The Terminator
, The Matrix
, A Clockwork Orange
, Reservoir Dogs
, and Saving Private Ryan
. Due to its extensive vocal track, Conker's Bad Fur Day is one of the few Nintendo 64 games that features a 64MB
cartridge
.
The game was first released on March 5, 2001 in North America. Advertisements for the game were featured in magazines such as Playboy
, and video commercials were geared towards a mature audience. As Nintendo was known for its family-friendly games like Mario
and Pokémon
, the game was the subject of controversy. Nintendo of America refused to acknowledge the game in its Nintendo Power
magazine. Similarly, KB Toys
, which specialized in toys and video games for children, decided not to sell the title. In Europe, the game was published and distributed by THQ
beginning in April 2001, after Nintendo of Europe declined to publish it.
, the game has an average score of 92 out of 100, which is considered "universal acclaim". It won the 2001 BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award for sound, and was awarded Game of the Month for March 2001 by IGN
.
Many publications and websites declared the graphics were the best on the Nintendo 64. Critics noted that the title featured a number of technical effects that were rare at the time, especially for an N64 game, such as dynamic shadowing, colored lighting, large areas with a long draw distance
, no distance fog
, detailed facial animations, lip syncing, and individually rendered fingers on some characters. Shane Satterfield of GameSpot
said that the game "makes other Nintendo 64 games look like 16-bit software." IGN's Matt Casamassina
praised the detailed 3D worlds, "fantastic" texture work, and cute character designs. He remarked that "Conker himself is equipped with an in-game facial animation system that realistically portrays his different moods as he travels the lands. When he's scared, he looks it, and when he's pissed off players will actually be able to see his teeth showing in a frown." Reviewers noted occasional drops in the frame rate
, but most agreed it did not interfere with gameplay.
Critics also gave high marks for the game's audio and diverse vocal track, which easily outnumbered that of other voiced N64 games such as Perfect Dark
or Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
. The voice acting was praised highly for its different accents and styles, with "cleverly lewd" scripts and "dead-on" movie spoofs. Similar to Rare's earlier Banjo-Kazooie
, the soundtrack was credited for its different arrangements of specific songs that gradually change as players move from one area to the next, and for its rich and creative instrumentation. Reviewers also highlighted the amount of sound effects. Satterfield observed that "there are literally dozens of sounds just for Conker's footsteps".
Gameplay received mixed reviews for its variety and interesting context-sensitive systems. Matt Casamassina credited Rare for reducing the amount of things to collect and simplifying the moves with the context-sensitive pads, as they "help keep the action shifting, refreshing, and always exciting." By contrast, Game Revolution
's Johnny Liu criticized its simplistic action, short length and linear nature. GameSpot pointed out that the game's linearity "cuts its length considerably". A criticism mentioned in numerous reviews was the "defective" camera, which "sometimes gets caught on objects or refuses to obey commands". The multiplayer was identified as "inventive", and was praised for its numerous options. Shane Satterfield, however, remarked, "While the extra [multiplayer] modes do add some longevity to Conker's BFD, the majority of them fail to stand the test of time."
Most reviewers agreed the jokes were clever and funny. According to Casamassina, "Is it over the top? Yes. Is it lowbrow? Yes. And yet, it's also very well delivered and smart too -- and it's funny. Really, honestly, funny". Johnny Liu concluded his review by saying that the game "has its crosshairs directly aimed at the college audience", and that it "works perfectly for the peeps who've grown up with Mario
and are now looking for someone less dorky". In 2009, the Official Nintendo Magazine placed Conker's Bad Fur Day at #97 in their 100 Greatest Nintendo Games Ever list, and GameTrailers
rated it as the #1 funniest game ever on their "Top Ten Funniest Games". In 2010, UGO included the game as the #3 in the article "The 11 Weirdest Game Endings". Overall, although the game fared well with critics in both the UK
and US
, it sold worse than expected (only about 55,000 copies), partly due to its prohibitively high cost, advertisements exclusively to the older audience, and release in early 2001. Despite these factors, the game has enjoyed a cult following
.
A remake with updated graphics, titled Conker: Live & Reloaded
, was released for the Xbox
in 2005. Although its single-player mode is almost identical, many minor obscenities within the voice dialogue that were present in the N64 version were censored at Microsoft
's behest. In addition, the game features a brand new multiplayer mode that can be played over Xbox Live
, which includes different character classes and game missions. Several technical issues were corrected such as the camera control, which was problematic in the original and was improved with a zoom function. An auto-targeting system was also added to the game. The game received generally favorable reviews from critics, though not as high as Bad Fur Day.
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
-platform
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game developed and published by Rare. It was released for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
in 2001 and was Rare's last game published for the console. The game was in development for four years; it was originally intended for a young audience, but was redesigned and marketed to a much older demographic. It features graphic violence, sexual themes, mature language, toilet humor, and several film parodies
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
. A remake, titled Conker: Live & Reloaded
Conker: Live & Reloaded
Conker: Live & Reloaded is an action-platform video game developed by Rare and exclusively released for the Xbox in June 2005. The single player mode is a remake of the 2001 game Conker's Bad Fur Day for the Nintendo 64. However, it includes a new multiplayer mode that is different to the Nintendo...
, was released for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
in 2005. It features enhanced graphics and a different multiplayer mode.
The game stars Conker the Squirrel, who is attempting to return home to his girlfriend. The gameplay is composed of various challenges like solving puzzles or racing vehicles, split across multiple levels. The game includes a multiplayer mode where up to four players can compete in seven different game types. Conker's Bad Fur Day sold poorly due to limited advertising and a release towards the end of the Nintendo 64's life-cycle. Nevertheless, it received very positive reviews from critics, who lauded its graphics and audio, and also earned a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
due to its unique styling.
Plot
The game follows the story of Conker the Squirrel, a greedy, heavy drinking red squirrelRed Squirrel
The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...
, who is attempting to return home to his girlfriend, Berri. Meanwhile, the Panther King, ruler of the land that Conker is lost in, finds that his throne's side table is missing one of its legs and orders his servant, Professor Von Kriplespac, to solve the problem. Kriplespac suggests the use of a red squirrel as the fourth leg for his table, and therefore the Panther King sends his minions to search for one and capture it. As Conker searches for his way home, he finds himself embroiled in a series of increasingly absurd and often dangerous situations, including having to recover a bee hive from some enormous wasps, confronting a giant opera-singing pile of feces
Feces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
, being turned into a bat by a vampire, and even getting drafted into a war between gray squirrels and a Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
-like group of teddy bear
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
s known as the "Tediz", which Conker ultimately destroys.
During his quest to return home, Conker finds wads of cash scattered throughout the land, and becomes sidetracked from his goal. In the final chapter of the game, Berri and Conker are enlisted by Don Weaso, head of the Weasel Mafia, to rob a bank. When they enter the vault, they find that the bank scene was an elaborate trap set by the King and Don Weaso in order to capture Conker. In the ensuing confrontation, Berri is killed by Weaso, and a Xenomorph suddenly bursts out of the Panther King's chest, killing him instantly. Von Kriplespac then appears and reveals that the alien is one of his creations, and that he had planned to use this opportunity to kill the king and escape.
Kriplespac activates his spaceship and enters low orbit; from there, he instructs the alien to attack and kill Conker as revenge for destroying the Tediz, which were also his creations. Conker pulls a switch that opens an air lock, pulling Von Kriplespac and Berri's corpse into space. As the alien lunges at Conker, the entire game suddenly locks up
Hang (computing)
In computing, a hang or freeze occurs when either a single computer program, or the whole system ceases to respond to inputs. In the most commonly encountered scenario, a workstation with a graphical user interface, all windows belonging to the frozen program become static, and though the mouse...
. Conker expresses disbelief that Rare apparently did not beta test the game properly, and breaks the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
to ask some software engineers to assist him in his current situation. The programmers give Conker a Katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
, and then teleport him to the Panther King's throne room, where he subsequently decapitates the alien. As a result, he is crowned the new king of the land. Conker then comes to the grim realization that Berri is still dead. He attempts to ask the programmers to bring her back to life, but realizes that they have already left. Conker then gives a closing monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
, in which he discusses appreciating what one already has instead of always wanting more, stating that "the grass is always greener, and you don't really know what it is you have until it's gone".
Gameplay
Conker's Bad Fur Day is an actionAction game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
-platform
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
game where the player controls Conker the Squirrel through a series of three dimensional levels
Level (video gaming)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
. The game features an overworld
Overworld
An overworld is, in a broad sense, an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other video game genres....
where players can transition from one level to another, although many are initially blocked off until Conker earns a certain amount of cash. Each level is an enclosed area in which the player can freely explore in order to find tasks to do. The gameplay mostly relies on figuring out a way to help other characters by completing a linear sequence of challenges. These challenges may include defeating a boss, solving puzzles, gathering objects, and racing opponents, among others. The result is always a cash reward, which aids access to other areas in the overworld.
Conker's abilities are far simpler than those of previous Rare platformers, such as Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie is a platform and action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998...
or Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64 is a platform game, developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in North America on November 24, 1999 and in Europe on December 6, 1999. The game is a follow up to the Donkey Kong Country trilogy on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System...
. The player can run, jump, and smack enemies with a frying pan
Frying pan
A frying pan, frypan, or skillet is a flat-bottomed pan used for frying, searing, and browning foods. It is typically in diameter with relatively low sides that flare outwards, a long handle, and no lid. Larger pans may have a small grab handle opposite the main handle...
. Conker also has a few other physical abilities. He can swim underwater for a while until he runs out of breath, climb ladders or ropes, and is strong enough to push heavy objects. To regain lost health, Conker can eat pieces of "Anti-Gravity" Chocolate that are scattered throughout the levels. Additionally, the game employs "context sensitive" pads that allow Conker to gain different, temporary abilities when pressing the "B
Nintendo 64 controller
The Nintendo 64 controller is the standard game controller included with the Nintendo 64. Released by Nintendo in late 1996 in Japan and North America, and 1997 in Europe, it features ten buttons, one digital "Control Stick" and a directional pad, all laid out in a "M" shape.-Design:The controller...
" button atop them. For instance, in the beginning of the game, by pressing the B button on the first pad he encounters, Conker drinks some Alka-Seltzer
Alka-Seltzer
Alka-Seltzer is an effervescent antacid and pain reliever first marketed by the Dr. Miles Medicine Company. It was developed by Treneer in Elkhart Indiana. Alka-Seltzer is marketed for relief of minor aches, pains, inflammation, fever, headache, heartburn, sour stomach, indigestion, and hangovers,...
to wipe out his hangover, at which point players can proceed forward. Some pads can turn Conker into an anvil in order to slam into the ground, and some are also used to pull out his shotgun, to activate his throwing knives, slingshot
Slingshot
A slingshot, shanghai, flip, bean shooter or catapult is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame held in the off hand, with two rubber strips attached to the uprights. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket which holds the projectile...
and so on. They serve to inform players of what needs to be done next.
The game also includes a multiplayer mode, where up to four players can compete against each other in seven different minigames with their own custom rules: Beach, Raptor, Heist, War, Tank, Race and Deathmatch. In Beach, some players assume the control of the Frenchies and must go up through the beach and into a waiting escape vehicle, while others must stop them by firing at them from fixed positions. Raptor involves players controlling raptors in order to feed a baby dinosaur, while others play as cavemen that have to steal dinosaur eggs. Heist engrosses players in the robbery of a bank, where the goal is to retrieve a cash bag from the center of the level and run with it to the team's vault without being damaged. War can either be a traditional capture the flag mode or Total War, where players have to get the other teams gas canister and use it to release a chemical gas that annihilates the enemy. Similarly, in Tank players fight against each other by using tanks and grabbing chemical canisters that can release a lethal corrosive gas, destroying all the tanks that are outdoors. Race is a racing mode which provides two variations of the same course. Items can be acquired and used against opponents. Finally, there is a standard deathmatch
Deathmatch (gaming)
Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...
mode, where players fight against each other in shooting style from a third-person perspective
Virtual camera system
A virtual camera system aims at controlling a camera or a set of cameras to display a view of a 3D virtual world. Camera systems are used in videogames where their purpose is to show the action at the best possible angle; more generally, they are used in 3D virtual worlds when a third person view...
. Players can set a number of different options for each game, such as score limit, number of lives, and inclusion of optional bots
Computer game bot
A bot, most prominently in the first-person shooter types , is a type of weak AI expert system software which for each instance of the program controls a player in deathmatch, team deathmatch and/or cooperative human player. Computer bots may play against other bots and/or human players in unison,...
.
Development and marketing
Development of the game was announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June 1997. The game was originally going to be titled Conker's Quest, and later Twelve Tales: Conker 64. Early screenshots suggested the game would feature cute characters and colorful settings. Rare had a history of making games of this sort, such as Banjo-KazooieBanjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie is a platform and action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998...
and Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing is a 1997 racing game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Rareware. 800,000 copies were ordered in the two weeks before Christmas 1997, making it the fastest selling video game at the time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It is the first game to spin off from the...
, and at first Conker appeared to be similar. However, Rare started to fear that the game would not be differentiated enough from other titles, and critical mockery of "yet another cute platformer" caused the game design to be overhauled. Several delays, along with almost a year without mention of the game, led to speculation that it was privately canceled. Rare later clarified that the game was "still being worked on by a full team and with the same level of dedication as when it was first announced".
In early 2000, Rare revealed that Conker was retooled into a controversial game with lots of scatological humor. Inspired by South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, the game's producer, Chris Seavor
Chris Seavor
Christopher "Chris" Seavor is a British game designer and voice actor who has done work on several video games, particularly in the context of an artist.-Biography:...
, revamped the graphics and attitude, and the title was changed to Conker's Bad Fur Day. Seavor himself voiced Conker in this new version, along with all the male characters in the game except the Great Mighty Poo, who was voiced by Chris Marlow. Louise Ridgeway voiced the female characters, including Mrs. Queen Bee and the Sunflower. Rare changed several aspects in the game to attract an adult audience. Unlike the Banjo-Kazooie series and Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64 is a platform game, developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in North America on November 24, 1999 and in Europe on December 6, 1999. The game is a follow up to the Donkey Kong Country trilogy on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System...
, item collecting was mostly discarded and moves were simplified by having "context sensitive" buttons. The game also differs from other Nintendo 64 games by relying heavily on cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
s and featuring a large number of film parodies
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
, which include The Terminator
The Terminator
The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
, The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
, A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
, Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs is an American crime film marking debut of director and writer Quentin Tarantino. It depicts the events before and after a botched diamond heist, but not the heist itself. Reservoir Dogs stars an ensemble cast: Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, and...
, and Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
. Due to its extensive vocal track, Conker's Bad Fur Day is one of the few Nintendo 64 games that features a 64MB
Megabyte
The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...
cartridge
ROM cartridge
A ROM cartridge, sometimes referred to as a cart, is a removable enclosure containing read-only memory devices designed to be connected to a computer or games console....
.
The game was first released on March 5, 2001 in North America. Advertisements for the game were featured in magazines such as Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, and video commercials were geared towards a mature audience. As Nintendo was known for its family-friendly games like Mario
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
and Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
, the game was the subject of controversy. Nintendo of America refused to acknowledge the game in its Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
magazine. Similarly, KB Toys
KB Toys
K·B Toys was a chain of mall-based retail toy stores in the United States. It was founded in 1922 by the Kaufman brothers. K·B operated 605 stores in 44 U.S. states, Puerto Rico as well as Guam. It was privately held in Pittsfield, Massachusetts...
, which specialized in toys and video games for children, decided not to sell the title. In Europe, the game was published and distributed by THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
beginning in April 2001, after Nintendo of Europe declined to publish it.
Reception and legacy
Conker's Bad Fur Day was given very positive reviews from game critics. On the review aggregator GameRankings, the game has an average score of 89%, making it the 15th best reviewed N64 game. On MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the game has an average score of 92 out of 100, which is considered "universal acclaim". It won the 2001 BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award for sound, and was awarded Game of the Month for March 2001 by IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
.
Many publications and websites declared the graphics were the best on the Nintendo 64. Critics noted that the title featured a number of technical effects that were rare at the time, especially for an N64 game, such as dynamic shadowing, colored lighting, large areas with a long draw distance
Draw distance
Draw distance is a computer graphics term, defined as the maximum distance of objects in a three dimensional scene that are drawn by the rendering engine. Polygons that lie behind the draw distance won't be drawn to the screen....
, no distance fog
Distance fog
Distance fog is a technique used in 3D computer graphics to enhance the perception of distance by simulating fog.Because many of the shapes in graphical environments are relatively simple, and complex shadows are difficult to render, many graphics engines employ a "fog" gradient so objects further...
, detailed facial animations, lip syncing, and individually rendered fingers on some characters. Shane Satterfield of GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
said that the game "makes other Nintendo 64 games look like 16-bit software." IGN's Matt Casamassina
Matt Casamassina
Matt Casamassina is a video game journalist who worked for IGN until April 23, 2010. In his time at the site, he was the author of many reviews and previews of Nintendo games. He resides in Los Angeles, California, is married and has two daughters, Zoe and Fiona Jade, and a son named Rocco Archer...
praised the detailed 3D worlds, "fantastic" texture work, and cute character designs. He remarked that "Conker himself is equipped with an in-game facial animation system that realistically portrays his different moods as he travels the lands. When he's scared, he looks it, and when he's pissed off players will actually be able to see his teeth showing in a frown." Reviewers noted occasional drops in the frame rate
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
, but most agreed it did not interfere with gameplay.
Critics also gave high marks for the game's audio and diverse vocal track, which easily outnumbered that of other voiced N64 games such as Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is considered the spiritual successor to Rare's earlier first-person shooter GoldenEye 007, with which it shares many gameplay features...
or Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil is a first-person shooter video game originally released for the Nintendo 64 in late 1998. A port was released for Windows OS shortly afterwards, in 1999. It is the sequel to the successful Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and was followed by the 2000 entry in the series, Turok 3:...
. The voice acting was praised highly for its different accents and styles, with "cleverly lewd" scripts and "dead-on" movie spoofs. Similar to Rare's earlier Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie is a platform and action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998...
, the soundtrack was credited for its different arrangements of specific songs that gradually change as players move from one area to the next, and for its rich and creative instrumentation. Reviewers also highlighted the amount of sound effects. Satterfield observed that "there are literally dozens of sounds just for Conker's footsteps".
Gameplay received mixed reviews for its variety and interesting context-sensitive systems. Matt Casamassina credited Rare for reducing the amount of things to collect and simplifying the moves with the context-sensitive pads, as they "help keep the action shifting, refreshing, and always exciting." By contrast, Game Revolution
Game Revolution
Game Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...
's Johnny Liu criticized its simplistic action, short length and linear nature. GameSpot pointed out that the game's linearity "cuts its length considerably". A criticism mentioned in numerous reviews was the "defective" camera, which "sometimes gets caught on objects or refuses to obey commands". The multiplayer was identified as "inventive", and was praised for its numerous options. Shane Satterfield, however, remarked, "While the extra [multiplayer] modes do add some longevity to Conker's BFD, the majority of them fail to stand the test of time."
Most reviewers agreed the jokes were clever and funny. According to Casamassina, "Is it over the top? Yes. Is it lowbrow? Yes. And yet, it's also very well delivered and smart too -- and it's funny. Really, honestly, funny". Johnny Liu concluded his review by saying that the game "has its crosshairs directly aimed at the college audience", and that it "works perfectly for the peeps who've grown up with Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
and are now looking for someone less dorky". In 2009, the Official Nintendo Magazine placed Conker's Bad Fur Day at #97 in their 100 Greatest Nintendo Games Ever list, and GameTrailers
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
rated it as the #1 funniest game ever on their "Top Ten Funniest Games". In 2010, UGO included the game as the #3 in the article "The 11 Weirdest Game Endings". Overall, although the game fared well with critics in both the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it sold worse than expected (only about 55,000 copies), partly due to its prohibitively high cost, advertisements exclusively to the older audience, and release in early 2001. Despite these factors, the game has enjoyed a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
.
A remake with updated graphics, titled Conker: Live & Reloaded
Conker: Live & Reloaded
Conker: Live & Reloaded is an action-platform video game developed by Rare and exclusively released for the Xbox in June 2005. The single player mode is a remake of the 2001 game Conker's Bad Fur Day for the Nintendo 64. However, it includes a new multiplayer mode that is different to the Nintendo...
, was released for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
in 2005. Although its single-player mode is almost identical, many minor obscenities within the voice dialogue that were present in the N64 version were censored at Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's behest. In addition, the game features a brand new multiplayer mode that can be played over Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
, which includes different character classes and game missions. Several technical issues were corrected such as the camera control, which was problematic in the original and was improved with a zoom function. An auto-targeting system was also added to the game. The game received generally favorable reviews from critics, though not as high as Bad Fur Day.
External links
- Conker's Bad Fur Day on MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...