Video game review – Conker’s Bad Fur Day for the Nintendo 64

It seems like I’m tapping into my mature games quota a lot recently.  Could it be a pattern?  Nope.  It’s just me talking about games within my age range.  Having said that, let’s look at one of the most controversial, yet entertaining games to debut at the end of the N64’s life cycle, Conker’s Bad Fur Day.  A game so raunchy, so nasty, and so dirty, that the mature rating icon on the box is twice it’s normal size, right next to another warning that the game is not for anyone under the age of 17.  Yes, Nintendo wanted to make doubly sure you weren’t buying this game in error.  Sure, it has a cartoon squirrel on the cover, but he’s holding a pint of beer, next to a scantily clad female squirrel.  That should be more than enough reason to avoid it.  So, let’s not waste any time and dive into the debauchery!

Graphics

When it comes to Nintendo games made by Rare after Donkey Kong Country, the graphics have usually surpassed anything developed directly by Nintendo, if not by a small margin.  When it comes to Conker’s Bad Fur Day, the game may very well surpass Banjo Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64 in graphical presentation.  It has been said it’s one of the best looking games on the N64, and I’m inclined to agree.  Suffice to say, there are some issues, as with most Rare games on the N64, like slowdown and some sound miscues.  But, that seems to be par for the course when dealing with most games for the N64, if not Rare games.  Thankfully, it’s not a deal breaker, and the game doesn’t falter greatly due to it.  For a game that doesn’t need something like a 4MB expansion pak, it looks really solid.  The game really captures the aspects of a cartoon come to life, with a very dark and mature twist.  Also, the hub world really blends together with the different worlds connecting them.  Good presentation, to say the least.

Sound

The music to the game is very catchy.    It’s upbeat when it needs to be, dark when it needs to be, and so on.  The music will match the atmosphere it is within.  Leave it to Rare to give us another solid music score.  Sound effects are spot-on, with very good comical timing.   We then come to voice acting.  The group is an all-English group of voice actors.  Their impersonations of non-English characters sound just as goofy as you’d expect it to be, while Conker sounds rather pithy in his approach. The “Sloprano” episode serves as a pretty good indicator of how kooky the game can be.  And, I’m pretty sure you’ll find yourself singing along or too yourself the entire score once you get there.

Control

The controls are simple enough.  You jump, control the camera, center it behind you, and shoot with the Z button when asked.  However, the real focal point of control lies with the B button.  That is the “context” button.  This game utilizes a unique system known as the context sensitive system.  What it does is give a button or buttons multiple functions based on the scenario you are involved in.  Initially, all the B button does is standard melee attacks like swing a frying pan (standard) or fire an Uzi (It’s War Episode), or a shotgun (Haunted house episode).  When you see a B pad on the floor, a light bulb will appear.  Press B and you will do a random task, activate a certain mechanism, or even obtain some very interesting goods like a pint of beer to consume…for urination purposes.  Yup, it’s that crude.  This could not have been a better addition to the game as it adds to the cartoon-style approach, violence and all.  It also make it easy to traverse the game without having to worry about picking up items or the like.  It’s an interesting approach to gaming, to say the least.

Etc.

Now, we get to the rest of the game, and I have to tell you, this is where the fun truly lies.  The story is told by Conker, as he sits atop a throne with a glass of milk and a crown.  He just went through what he calls a “bad fur day” and somehow it ties into his new found fame.   After a night at the bar, complete with pints and “drunk dialing” his girlfriend, Berry, Conker stumbles out drunk on a dark and stormy night.  He stumbles across a talking scarecrow named Birdy who assists him in sobering up and learning about the game’s context sensitive system.  After learning this, our crazy story begins, as Conker wanders aimlessly into a new land, where it is chock full of crazy goings-on including drunken king bees, giant dung-throwing beetles, cavemen with big body parts, stone people who dance at raves, zombie squirrels, and even cyborg bales of hay.  All this, and Conker can’t find his way home to Berry.  He also doesn’t know he’s being hunted.  Quite the “bad fur day” to say the least.  The extras lie in a few things.  Firstly, you have the chance to access any episode and its chapters once you finish the episode in story mode.  Also, you can utilize different cheats that give you power ups in and out of story mode.  Lastly, we have multiplayer.  This game works a bit like a fellow Rare video game, Goldeneye 007, with split screens and various weapons.  The different modes include deathmatch, heist, and even “capture the flag”.  Unfortunately, you are mostly limited to just using Conker and a bunch of weasels.  Regardless, it makes for a surprisingly fun experience.

Final Verdict

Conker’s Bad Fur Day is a ground-breaking title that every N64 enthusiast should own.  It takes the genre of platform gaming and turns it on its ear with its mature content, dark humor, and innovative system.  It’s very clever and self-referential, with catchy music, great graphics, and crisp gameplay.  I put this over the Xbox version of the game, only due to the fact that this version has everything in its original form, with no added censorship.  In truth, that’s how the game should be when of this caliber.  If you don’t own this game, make it a point to do so.  You may never get a game this clever, this raunchy, and this well-designed ever again.  If you think you have found one, let me know if it has a “sloprano” in it.  That alone is enough for the N64 to have.