Conker's Bad Fur Day is a 2001 platform game created by Rare and released by Rare in North America and by THQ in Europe for the Nintendo 64. The game tells the story of Conker, a greedy, hard-drinking red squirrel who must return home to his girlfriend, Berri, after drinking heavily at a local pub. Most of the game involves completing a series of challenges in order, such as jumping over obstacles, solving puzzles, and fighting enemies. The game also includes a multiplayer mode where up to four players can compete in seven different types of games. It is the second game in the Conker series, following Conker's Pocket Tales (1999).
Although the game looks similar to other Rare games like Banjo-Kazooie (1998), Donkey Kong 64 (1999), and Banjo-Tooie (2000), Conker's Bad Fur Day was made for older audiences. It includes graphic violence, alcohol and tobacco use, strong language, dark humor, jokes about bathrooms, moments where the game breaks the fourth wall, and references to pop culture. The game took four years to develop, with ideas starting during the creation of Killer Instinct Gold in 1996. Originally planned as a family-friendly game titled Twelve Tales: Conker 64 for release in late 1998, the game was changed to an adult version after receiving criticism for being too similar to Banjo-Kazooie during E3 1998.
Conker's Bad Fur Day was released in North America on March 5, 2001, and in Europe on April 6, 2001. An advertising campaign aimed at male college students promoted the game. It was highly praised for its humor, sound, visuals, and gameplay. However, it sold fewer copies than expected due to limited advertising and its release near the end of the Nintendo 64's popularity. Over time, the game gained a loyal fanbase. A remake, Conker: Live & Reloaded, was released for the Xbox in 2005. The original version was later included in the Rare Replay collection for Xbox One in 2015.
Gameplay
Conker's Bad Fur Day is a platform game that includes shooter elements in later parts. Players control Conker the Squirrel as he moves through 3D levels. The game has an overworld map that connects different levels. Some levels are locked and can only be unlocked after Conker earns enough money. Each level is a separate area where players can explore to find tasks. The gameplay involves helping other characters by completing a series of challenges in a set order. These challenges may include defeating bosses, solving puzzles, collecting items, or racing opponents. Completing these tasks always gives players money, which helps unlock new areas in the overworld.
Compared to characters in Rare's earlier games, such as Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64, Conker has simpler abilities. Players can make him run, jump, and hit enemies with a frying pan. He can swim underwater for a short time, climb ladders or ropes, and push objects. To restore health, Conker can eat "anti-gravity" chocolate found in levels. The game uses special pads that give Conker temporary abilities when the "B" button is pressed. For example, early in the game, pressing the "B" button on a pad makes Conker drink Alka-Seltzer to cure a hangover, allowing progress. Other pads can turn Conker into an anvil to smash the ground or give him tools like a shotgun, blowtorch, or slingshot. These pads also show players what tasks to complete next.
The game includes a multiplayer mode where up to four players can compete in seven different game types: Beach, Raptor, Heist, War, Tank, Race, and Deathmatch. In Beach, one team must reach an escape vehicle on a beach while another team tries to stop them by shooting. In Raptor, one team controls raptors to feed a baby dinosaur, while another team of cavemen tries to steal dinosaur eggs. Heist involves robbing a bank by retrieving a cash bag and carrying it to a team vault without being harmed. War can be a capture-the-flag game or a mode where players use gas canisters to release deadly chemicals. In Tank, players fight using tanks and gas canisters that release lethal gas. Race is a two-variation racing game where players can collect items to use against opponents. Deathmatch is a standard fighting mode where players shoot at each other from a third-person view. Players can set rules for each game, such as score limits, lives, and whether computer-controlled bots are included.
Summary
Conker's Bad Fur Day takes place in the Fairy Panther King's Kingdom. Windy is the main area where players can access most other sections, including the farm called Barn Boys, the waste-filled Sloprano, Heist, the spooky Spooky, Bats Tower, and It's War. One other area, Uga Buga, can only be reached by going under Sloprano after paying $1,000 to weasel guards. To access Uga Buga, players must first travel through a sewer pipe that becomes available after defeating a large, opera-singing pile of feces named the "Great Mighty Poo." Windy contains a section filled with fecal matter, including a large Poo Mountain, a Poo Cabin, and a river nearby. Poo balls are needed to enter Sloprano and Bats Tower, which opens only after the river's water is drained. Poo balls can be obtained at the Poo Cabin after completing the Barn Boys section. A dung beetle near the entrance gives Conker poo balls if he can make farm cows excrete in the pasture. This requires turning on a spigot to give cows prune juice, which causes diarrhea, and using a bull to open gates for the cows to exit and later kill them. To enter Spooky, $2,110 must be paid to Mr. Barrel to propel down a slope and break a barrier.
After a night of drinking with friends before being drafted into a war, Conker wakes up lost in an unfamiliar land with a severe hangover. Meanwhile, the Panther King, ruler of the land, discovers his throne's side table is missing a leg and sends his servant, Professor Von Kriplespac, to fix it. Von Kriplespac suggests using a red squirrel as the fourth leg, so the Panther King sends his minions to capture one. During his journey to return home to his girlfriend, Berri, Conker finds scattered money and becomes distracted by pursuing wealth. This leads him into increasingly absurd and dangerous situations, such as recovering a beehive from wasps, confronting the Great Mighty Poo, bombing a village of cavemen at the request of Don Weaso, being turned into a bat by his ancestor Count Batula to feed a villager, and being drafted into a war between grey squirrels and a teddy bear group called the Tediz, which he destroys.
When Conker finds Berri, Don Weaso asks for their help in robbing the Feral Reserve Bank. Inside the vault, Conker and Berri discover the bank was a trap set by the Panther King. During a confrontation, Berri is shot by Weaso on the Panther King's orders and dies in Conker's arms. The Panther King then suffers chest pain and calls for Von Kriplespac. The professor watches as a creature resembling a Xenomorph bursts from the Panther King's chest, killing him. Von Kriplespac reveals the creature, named "Heinrich," is his creation and explains he planned to kill the Panther King and escape. He reveals they are inside a spaceship, which he activates and takes into low orbit. He instructs Heinrich to attack Conker for destroying the Tediz. Conker opens an airlock, sending Von Kriplespac, the Panther King, and Berri's body into space, then battles Heinrich with a robotic suit.
Despite being cast into space, Heinrich crawls back aboard the ship. Conker loses hope but notices the game freezes. He criticizes the developers for not testing the game properly. After communicating with the programmers, Conker agrees to keep the game's glitch secret if they help him defeat Heinrich. Using a katana provided by the programmers, Conker enters the Panther King's throne room and decapitates Heinrich. With the Panther King's servants freed, Conker is crowned king but refuses the title. He realizes he should have asked the programmers to bring Berri back but learns they have already left. Conker delivers a closing speech about valuing what one has, stating, "the grass is always greener, and you don't know what you have until it's gone."
After the credits, Conker is shown back at the pub where he began drinking, now alone because his friends died in the war. As it storms outside, he drunkenly leaves the bar, heading in the opposite direction of where he came, presumably returning home.
Development
After the success of Nintendo's Super Mario 64 in 1996, a team at Rare began planning a new 3D game while working on Killer Instinct Gold in 1996. Tim Stamper wanted the game to feature a cute squirrel named Conker to attract a wide audience. The team working on Project Dream saw the early version of the game and decided to change their project from an RPG to a platformer, inspired by the style of Killer Instinct Gold. Both games, later named Banjo-Kazooie and Conker's Quest, were first announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June 1997.
N64.com described Conker's Quest as a game similar to Super Mario 64, where players guide Conker through large, colorful worlds to collect nuts and battle enemies. A female squirrel helps him during the journey. Reporters found the game's visuals and gameplay unfinished and hard to tell apart from Banjo-Kazooie, though they preferred Banjo. Another writer noted that Conker's gameplay was "competent and even addictive" and praised the game's improved graphics compared to Rare's earlier projects. However, the writer criticized the game's "disturbing" cuteness, which might turn off older players, and said the gameplay was not original enough compared to Super Mario 64.
At the 1998 Expo, the game's title was changed to Twelve Tales: Conker 64, with a planned release in fall 1998. The name change was likely to avoid confusion with another Nintendo 64 game, Quest 64. Twelve Tales would have included single-player and multiplayer modes. In single-player, players could choose to play as Conker or Berri. Conker's segments would involve fast-paced action, while Berri's segments would focus on solving puzzles with her dinosaur companion. The multiplayer modes included a co-op game with Conker and an owl, and a four-player battle mode where players fought with acorns. Unlike a later version, Conker moved on four legs in Twelve Tales.
Coverage of Twelve Tales at the 1998 E3 event was mostly positive. Reviewers praised the game's graphics, characters, and the way characters reacted to the environment. Some compared the visuals to Nintendo's Zelda game, calling them "gorgeous." The game's multiplayer modes and Berri's puzzle levels were also highlighted. However, some critics disliked the game's "Americanized" writing style and its cheerful music. Others called the idea of a squirrel collecting acorns in forests "stunningly unimaginative," comparing it to an older game, Mr. Nutz. Concerns about the game's appeal to younger audiences also arose, as other family-friendly games like Banjo-Kazooie had already been released. These concerns led Rare to change the game's design.
Conker was originally planned to take two years to make, but delays occurred due to disagreements among the team. Some workers, like artist Don Murphy, thought the game was not well developed. Software engineer Chris Marlow said the game had many ideas but lacked cohesion. At the same time, the market for Mario 64-style games was becoming crowded, and Rare had already released Banjo-Kazooie, which was successful. These challenges led to delays and eventually the cancellation of Twelve Tales.
After Twelve Tales was canceled, artist Chris Seavor proposed a new idea to Rare's leaders: a game called Bad Fur Day, where Conker helps others but causes problems. Seavor wanted the game to include mature humor, and the leaders supported the idea. Seavor changed the game's direction, adding a humorous twist to the story, such as a beehive shooting guns at wasps. This approach became the foundation for later levels, combining storytelling with unexpected punchlines. The game's style shifted to a platformer with a cute character in a world filled with edgy, adult humor.
Rare announced in January 2000 that the game was still being developed by a full team. In 2000, Twelve Tales: Conker 64 was rebranded as Conker's Bad Fur Day, featuring a lot of humor involving bodily functions.
The game's development involved a creative, flexible process. Team members worked without strict planning, often coming up with ideas spontaneously. Only the game's introduction was scripted, while most dialogue and gameplay were developed on the spot. Developers used notes to track ideas and a special tool to make changes quickly. The story was written in parts at the same time, with later events influencing earlier ones. To save space, the game was divided into chapters. As project lead, Seavor focused on making the story and gameplay work together, ensuring that actions in the game had clear reasons. For example, hitting an object with a brick was more engaging if it helped solve a problem.
Release
Conker's Bad Fur Day received an M (Mature) rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board because of "animated violence," "mature sexual themes," and "strong language." It became the second Nintendo-distributed M-rated title after another Rare-developed game, Perfect Dark (2000). Nintendo's decision to release adult-themed games aimed to keep older players interested in its products. Nintendo of America spokeswoman Perrin Kaplan explained that "kids who were 6 when they played the first Mario game are now 26." Less than a year before Conker's release, 58% of console players were 18 years old or older, and 21% were 35 years old or older. This change in the age groups of players was partly due to the popularity of adult-themed PlayStation games like Tomb Raider and Resident Evil. Nintendo realized it could not compete with Sony solely by focusing on children's games.
Nintendo was known for making family-friendly games. In 2000, about three-fourths of its revenue came from selling child-friendly video games. This made Conker's Bad Fur Day a topic of discussion. Rare, the game's developer, said Nintendo was initially worried that children might think the game was made for them. The Los Angeles Times reported that some parents were upset, including a mother in Schererville, Indiana, who bought the game for her 15-year-old son. She said, "This is disgusting, sophomoric humor, and I'm disappointed in Nintendo. It's like Disney releasing pornography." Nintendo of America did not mention the game in its Nintendo Power magazine. Other official Nintendo publications outside the United States covered the game. Strategy guides for the game were packaged in black polybags with warnings similar to those on the game's cover. KB Toys, a company that sold toys and games for children, also refused to sell the game.
Starcom, the company that promoted Conker's Bad Fur Day, targeted college-aged men and groups like fratboys. Advertising for the game appeared in bars, colleges, late-night television, and adult magazines. Starcom won two International Advertising Festival awards for using mixed media and for creating the best campaign for adult males. The game's marketing budget was $5 million.
The campaign included a video ad called "Girl Talk" (also known as "69 Uncensored Seconds") that showed a half-naked girl and a squirrel in bed after a party. For several months, urinal mats with the game's website URL were placed in bathrooms in major cities. Starcom associate media director Gina Broderick said, "Like Conker, our target's focus is on his social life. Being in bars is absolutely being in their element, and because urinating is part of game play, it made total sense."
From March to April 5, 2001, Playboy magazine hosted its first video-game-related event. It organized Conker's Bad Fur Day "Beach"-mode multiplayer competitions at 20 colleges in the United States, hosted by Miss March 2001 Miriam Gonzalez. Winners received green Nintendo 64 consoles, copies of the game, and Nintendo and Playboy merchandise. The player with the highest score across all competitions won trips to two Playmate of the Year parties at the Playboy Mansion. Spring break parties were also held at Club La Vela and South Padre Island's Louie's Backyard. Events included "King of Tail" tattoo contests with free giveaways, such as Conker condoms, copies of Conker's Little Black Book (a collection of the game's print ads), and t-shirts with "Got Tail?" on the front and the game's logo on the back.
Three "coloring book" advertisements were printed in magazines like Maxim. One showed Conker and a woman next to a tree with acorns on the ground, with the squirrel's head near her breasts. The tagline read, "Conker is a squirrel. Squirrels hunt for acorns. Can you help Conker find some acorns?" Another ad showed Conker peeing on flames with the tagline, "Help Conker stop the bullies. Use your Yellow crayon." A third ad showed Conker lying in a toilet with the text, "Shhh! Conker is taking a nap."
Conker's Bad Fur Day was first released in North America on March 5, 2001. It was the highest-selling mature-rated video game in its first month of release, and its website had 300,000 unique visitors in the first two weeks. However, the game was not a commercial success, selling about 55,000 copies in its first month. Possible reasons for this included its high price, advertisements aimed at older audiences, and its release near the end of the Nintendo 64's popularity.
In Europe, Nintendo of Europe decided not to publish or distribute the game after a review, saying it was not "commercially viable" to localize due to its heavy use of text. On March 3, 2001, Nintendo and Rare announced that THQ would publish and distribute the game in Europe. It was released there on April 6, 2001.
As of February 2020, Conker's Bad Fur Day is the fourth rarest Nintendo 64 title. New copies sell for about $500 to $700 on bidding sites. Its value is influenced by its unusual genre, poor initial sales, costly 64MB cartridges, its release near the end of the Nintendo 64's lifespan, and leftover copies purchased after the release of Live & Reloaded.
Reception
Conker's Bad Fur Day received high praise from critics, with an average score of 92 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on reviews from 19 critics. IGN editor Matt Casamassina gave the game a 9.9 out of 10, saying it is "one of the most humorous video games ever made." He noted the game includes many jokes, violent scenes, and adult themes, but also praised its detailed level design, smooth controls, excellent graphics, and high-quality sound.
Many reviewers said the game had the best graphics on the Nintendo 64. Chris Slate of Next Generation wrote that the game has "top-notch graphics" and "incredible worlds." Official Nintendo Magazine called the game's visuals "drop dead gorgeous," even describing the gross-out levels as visually impressive. Critics pointed out that the game used special effects that were rare for the Nintendo 64 at the time, such as clear textures, dynamic shadows, colorful lighting, and detailed character animations. GameSpot said the game's visuals made other Nintendo 64 games look outdated. Casamassina praised the game's 3D environments, texture work, and character designs, noting that Conker's facial animations show his emotions clearly, such as fear or anger. Some reviewers mentioned occasional slowdowns, but most said they did not affect gameplay.
The game's audio and voice acting were also highly praised. Critics said the voices used different accents and styles, with scripts that were humorous and closely imitated movies. Nintendojo noted that some voices sounded exactly like the characters they were copying. The soundtrack was praised for being clear and varied, with music that changed based on the player's location. Reviewers also highlighted the many sound effects, such as Conker's footsteps changing sounds as he moves, which helped create immersive environments.
Most reviewers said the game's jokes were clever and well-written. GamePro called the game's missions "sublime satirical genius," even though the gameplay was linear. However, some critics said the humor was too childish, offensive, or filled with inappropriate content. Chris Slate said the shocking moments would lose their impact after a short time. Seth Stevenson of Slate magazine said the game was an example of the lack of truly "mature" games for adults who enjoy video games. Official Nintendo Magazine described the game as "a monster-sized experience" that would either make players laugh or take months to complete.
The gameplay was praised for its unique control system, which changed based on the situation. Casamassina said the controls kept the action exciting and refreshing. GameRevolution described the gameplay as having short bursts of action and cutscenes, with players enjoying figuring out what to do next. Chris Slate said the game's creative scenarios kept players interested, but he found it hard to know where to go next, which made some parts confusing. Edge magazine said the controls made the game feel like a series of loosely connected mini-games.
Some critics criticized the game's camera system, which made it hard to see the player's surroundings. N64 Magazine said the camera made it difficult to judge position, while GameSpot said it sometimes got stuck on objects or ignored commands. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the camera occasionally blocked the player's view, making it hard to control Conker, especially during tricky jumps.
The multiplayer modes had mixed reactions. Casamassina and Gameplanet said the modes were creative and added replay value. However, GameSpot said most modes were not very fun long-term. GameRevolution said the multiplayer was a "welcome bonus" but criticized it for not being as responsive as the single-player mode, which made it less enjoyable for fast-paced battles.
Accolades
Conker's Bad Fur Day was named Nintendo 64 Game of the Month by IGN. It won the Best Sound award at the 2001 BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards, Best Platform Game at the GameSpot Best and Worst of 2001 awards (where it was also put forward for Best Story and Best Nintendo 64 Game, but lost to Final Fantasy X and Paper Mario, respectively). It also received the Best Anthropomorphic Game award at the Ursa Major Awards, a furry media event. During the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences put forward Conker's Bad Fur Day for the "Console Action/Adventure" and "Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development" awards, but it lost to Halo: Combat Evolved and Ico, respectively.
In later years, professional gaming critics have called Conker's Bad Fur Day one of the best video games of all time, one of the greatest Nintendo games, and one of the best Nintendo 64 titles. In Uproxx's 2021 list of the top 100 Nintendo 64 games, based on 250,849 user ratings from various websites, Conker's Bad Fur Day ranked number 12. It placed number six on a list of Rare games by Shacknews (2018) and on a ranking of best games featured on Rare Replay by Ginx. The game was also named the first and seventh funniest game by GameTrailers (2009) and God is a Geek (2011), respectively. UGO included the game at #3 on their 2010 list of "The 11 Weirdest Game Endings," and in 2013, Gaming Bolt named the water tube level the 64th most challenging level in all video games. Despite poor sales at its release, the game has since gained a cult following because of its unique style.
Legacy
After the release of Conker's Bad Fur Day, Rare began working on a direct sequel called Conker's Other Bad Day. The game was meant to follow Conker's time as king, during which he wasted money on beer, parties, and other activities. After being imprisoned and facing execution, the story begins with Conker escaping from a tower while chained. However, in 2002, Rare was bought by Microsoft, which decided not to support the project.
A remake of Conker's Bad Fur Day, titled Conker: Live & Reloaded, was released for the Xbox in 2005. Critics generally praised the game. Developers found it challenging to adapt the original game for the Xbox because its special optimizations were designed for the Nintendo 64 hardware. The remake included improved graphics, a multiplayer mode that worked with Xbox Live, and changes to the single-player experience. Some mild language from the original game was removed at Microsoft's request. The camera control was also improved, and an auto-targeting system was added.
After Live & Reloaded was released, Rare started working on another game in the Conker series called Conker: Gettin' Medieval. This game focused on multiplayer gameplay and did not feature Conker as the main character. Rare planned to highlight other characters from the series, but the game was canceled. Later, Conker returned in an episodic campaign for the sandbox game Project Spark, titled Conker's Big Reunion. The story takes place ten years after the events of Bad Fur Day, and the original voice actor, Seavor, returned for the role. The first episode of the campaign was released in April 2015, but the remaining episodes were canceled in September of the same year.
Conker's Bad Fur Day was also included in the Rare Replay compilation for Xbox One, which marked the game's first official re-release. The compilation was released on August 4, 2015.