Rare is an interesting company. They seem to make some of the most iconic games for whatever console they made it on. For example, there is Battletoads on the NES, and Banjo Kazooie on the Nintendo 64. Though a lot of their more popular games like Kameo and the Donkey Kong series are iconic, too. Well, for my 100th review special, I am going to do a review of one of my most favorite games, and one of the best games on the Nintendo 64, Conker’s Bad Furday. Is this gem for the Nintendo 64 as shiny as a diamond? Or is there a reason no one has heard from this squirrel?
The plot of this game is so unique. It first starts off where Conker is now king of all the land, and he then starts talking about how he got the position. It shifts a few days back, where Conker was drinking one night with his friends. He leaves the bar, drunk as hell, and gets lost. It is up to you to get Conkers back home to his girlfriend, Berri. This story might sound childish, but there are multiple shenanigans in his way.
The game play is in the form of a combination free-roaming and linear environment, where you take on multiple tasks. They range from simple to just flat-out random. You have your basic jump, and a special jump that can make Conker spin his tail to float. He also has a frying pan, but you only use it once. It can’t hurt anyone else. You can also jump on contact-sensitive areas, and perform stuff, like throwing knives and other stuff. Later in the game, you do wield guns and a robot suit. You also do stuff like drive a tank, ride a surfboard, and even ride a raptor. There are a lot of styles of game play, which is really unique, since I haven’t see this much variety in game play before. There are also some multiplayer games, which are fun and interesting.
The graphics are the best on the Nintendo 64. Like I said in a past review, Rare has always pushed the limits on the console they make the game for. They used all 64 bits of the cartridge, and it works out just right. The voice acting is also very well done. There is more voice work in this game than in any other N64 game I have seen. The movie references are just outstanding. The first movie they reference in the beginning of the game is a Clockwork Orange. Clockwork Orange?! One of the most R-rated and most disturbing movies of all time is the first reference! There are also a lot more, like Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan, The Matrix, and even the Godfather. The humor is also flat-out hilarious. There are so many crude jokes and characters so full of life, that it’s just amazing! The music is also very good. It fits the whole child-like environment. They also make references to one of their past games, Banjo Kazooie, but you will have to find out where the reference is for yourself. The difficulty is kind of varied. There are areas that are going to be easy, but there are also areas that are going to be tough. Some are even super tough. Then again, Rare made Battletoads, and that’s considered one of the hardest games of all time, and who doesn’t love a good challenge.
Now, it is time to pick up the pieces and find the bad parts. First off, you can’t really kill anyone with the frying pan. It seems kind of pointless to put it in, if you can’t hurt the goblin-like creatures in the game. Some of the challenges are hard, but it seems like some of them will just make you not want to play it. I have felt like that since the escape part of the military level. This is just a minor gripe, but I think they could have made the health bar a lot stronger. You lose health too quickly, and it’s rather annoying in the final fight of the game.
All and all, this is a hallmark game next to Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64. I say if you were old enough, I would recommend buying a copy for the Nintendo 64 or downloading it off the Xbox Live Arcade. I truly wish for another Conker’s game. I don’t see why Rare just doesn’t make another Conker’s or another Kameo. If they did that, I would totally buy a Xbox360 Elite.
This game gets an 8.9 out of 10
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