Conker's Bad Fur Day
Reviewed by Danielle L.
How could such a wholesome game like Conker's Twelve Tales, a secret
project initiated by Rare turn into the store of a drunken red squirrel who
podies and swears his way through wild levels with truly disgusting bosses?
I don't know and I don't care! This game is truly something special, first
and foremost for having the nerve to go where no video game has ever gone
before. You are Conker, a cuddly little squirrel who has a bit too much to
drink one night and finds himself in a strange land, hangover and unable to
find his way home. As he travels towards the comfort of his bed, he
encounters evil monsters, and the minions of a brutal king who want to
kill him! Will the fluffy, little foul-mouthed, little squirrel ever survive?
Let's hope so!
Graphics: 10 out of 10
Absolutely amazing! There is so much attention to detail with these
graphics. When Conker speaks, his face and lips move appropriately,
and when he jumps, you can even see the little hairs on his tail move
with him. The cinematic cut scenes are also remarkably well done. Its
easy to forget you're playing a video game and think you're watching a
masterpiece of a cartoon! Bright colors, highly detailed landscapes, no
frame-skipping, and no visible polygons make these graphics truly excellent!
Music and Sound: 10 out of 10
Also amazing, and definitely the best feature of Conker's Bad Fur Day. The
music is always very appropriate with many catchy tunes. There are also
great sound effects (like the bone crunching sound when Conker falls from
a high peak and dies). But the best part of all is the dialogue. This game has
actual dialogue. Yes! All of the dialogue is voiced and you can hear it! You
can hear it when Conker converses with people, during the cut scenes, and
you can even hear Conker ad-libbing throughout the entire game. I'm still
amazed that the designers managed to fit all of the dialogue onto a cartridge
with such limited memory. This game has the best sound of any Nintendo
game I've ever played.
Game Challenge: 10 out of 10
It's not too hard. Getting through the levels isn't too difficult once you
figure out the puzzles, but the bosses do add a challenge. This isn't a game
that's so easy a five-year old could beat it in a day, but you won't rip it out
of your system and stomp on it in sheer frustration, either. It is a game
that has a perfect balance.
Game Play-Fun: 10 out of 10
You'll play it just to hear Conker talking. Its great. The bosses are
completely original (whoever heard of an opera singing lump of poop for
a boss? Show of hands, please), and you have some really wacky level
objectives such as rolling balls of poop, fighting a psychotic pitchfork, or
pretending you're Neo from the Matrix. There are also many enjoyable cut
scenes and events that parody movies like Dracula, The Matrix, Gladiator,
Saving Private Ryan, and more. Best yet is the totally awesome multi-player
mode that's sure to keep you entertained for awhile.
Frustration
No, its not frustrating. If you're stuck at a boss, they're are passwords you
can enter to get to the next level. This game isn't anything to sweat over.
Replayability: 10 out of 10
You'll love it, you'll love it, you'll love it. There isn't an emphasis on
collecting anything, so that won't be the reason you replay it. You'll
love replaying it to see all of the cut scenes again, to fight the wacky
bosses again, or just to hear Conker talk. There are some parts of the
game I've played five or six times, just because I like them so much.
This game will definitely grow on you.
Game Value: 9 out of 10
Well... this game is like $60 in stores. I pretty much think that the price
is too much for ANY game. But Conker is so good its almost worth it (and
you're talking to an incredible cheapskate). Its fun if you're alone, its fun
if you're with friends... its just plain awesome. The $60 might just be
worth it to you once you've played it and are addicted.
Multi-player: 10 out of 10
This game, along with Perfect Dark, is the absolute best game for multi-player!
You and 1-3 friends can race on surfboards across lava, battle with tanks,
play capture the flag, rob a bank, and more. This game kept my brother, my
cousin, and me occupied until five o'clock in the morning one time. Its
really great. Multi-player is one area where this game definitely shines.
Originality: 10 out of 10
This is the most original game out there. It has the guts to swear a lot and
be disgusting, but it has the artsiness to have great graphics and sound.
Conker's Bad Fur Day is truly one of a kind, and it will definitely be the
oddball of your collection if you decide to buy it.
Overall: 9.5 out of 10
Overall, this game is great. The only thing that kills it is its way too
inflated price tag, but its forgivable. For great dialogue, music, graphics,
fun, originality, and multi-player, Conker's Bad Fur Day is among the best.
See past the swearing and poop jokes for what this game really is: an
avant-garde gem that you would be insane not to want to play. And to the
team at Rare who made this great game, I salute you!