Ever since I can remember, I've been fascinated by games that push a console to its absolute limits. Naturally, this led me to Conker's Bad Fur Day, which not only looks phenomenal for a N64 game but is also genuinely a great game. This is primarily due to its humor, for which the game is best known. However, it also offers a lot of variety in gameplay and environments, and the entire game is very well-paced. No part feels unnecessarily prolonged, which allowed me to complete Conker in one session during this playthrough. Despite a few frustrating moments, the game still provides an incredible amount of fun.
My latest playthrough was with Conker: Live & Reloaded. Just like Bad Fur Day on the N64, it is impressive how much was extracted from the hardware of the original Xbox. While playing, I often forgot I wasn’t playing a Xbox 360 game. Only the unnecessary censorship and frame rate drops, which still occur even on the Xbox Series X, are noticeable drawbacks.
Personally, I am a big fan of the new art style, though I understand why some might prefer the original’s style. However, I believe Live & Reloaded is often unfairly criticized. Although one can certainly debate the general art style; claims that the remake is less well-animated are factually incorrect. There are specific instances where the original excels, but the remake includes numerous new animations where Conker in Bad Fur Day would have just stayed in his default animation. Nonetheless, it’s unfortunate that the remake opted for a different technical solution for the eyes, resulting in more detailed eyebrow and overall facial animations for NPCs, but static pupils.
On the other hand, Live & Reloaded boasts a much more consistent art direction. While Bad Fur Day's art direction is generally good, the game occasionally struggles with fluctuating character detail quality. Although Conker and other key characters (especially early in the game) have very detailed models, this level of detail isn’t maintained throughout. This is perfectly acceptable for a N64 game, but characters like the Tedi Surgeons are laughably low in polygons compared to the Tedi Soldiers. Live & Reloaded does not suffer from such issues. While the N64 version constantly reminds you of its technical limitations, the remake impresses with consistently excellent art direction.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether you play the original or the remake. Both versions are outstanding. It mainly comes down to which one you find visually more appealing. Bad Fur Day is best played in the Rare Replay version. Otherwise, I’d recommend playing it at its original resolution on an emulator. Live & Reloaded is still available in the Xbox Store and is easily playable thanks to backward compatibility (I can’t comment on the multiplayer, as I haven’t played it and am not interested in it).
Conker's Bad Fur Day is definitely a game everyone should experience. It remains fantastic gameplay-wise and is also historically significant. Both on the N64 and Xbox, it showcases what can be achieved graphically when done right. It’s a shame that Rare no longer develops such milestones.

Ever since I can remember, I've been fascinated by games that push a console to its absolute limits. Naturally, this led me to Conker's Bad Fur Day, which not only looks phenomenal for a N64 game but is also genuinely a great game. This is primarily due to its humor, for which the game is best known. However, it also offers a lot of variety in gameplay and environments, and the entire game is very well-paced. No part feels unnecessarily prolonged, which allowed me to complete Conker in one session during this playthrough. Despite a few frustrating moments, the game still provides an incredible amount of fun.
My latest playthrough was with Conker: Live & Reloaded. Just like Bad Fur Day on the N64, it is impressive how much was extracted from the hardware of the original Xbox. While playing, I often forgot I wasn’t playing a Xbox 360 game. Only the unnecessary censorship and frame rate drops, which still occur even on the Xbox Series X, are noticeable drawbacks.
Personally, I am a big fan of the new art style, though I understand why some might prefer the original’s style. However, I believe Live & Reloaded is often unfairly criticized. Although one can certainly debate the general art style; claims that the remake is less well-animated are factually incorrect. There are specific instances where the original excels, but the remake includes numerous new animations where Conker in Bad Fur Day would have just stayed in his default animation. Nonetheless, it’s unfortunate that the remake opted for a different technical solution for the eyes, resulting in more detailed eyebrow and overall facial animations for NPCs, but static pupils.
On the other hand, Live & Reloaded boasts a much more consistent art direction. While Bad Fur Day's art direction is generally good, the game occasionally struggles with fluctuating character detail quality. Although Conker and other key characters (especially early in the game) have very detailed models, this level of detail isn’t maintained throughout. This is perfectly acceptable for a N64 game, but characters like the Tedi Surgeons are laughably low in polygons compared to the Tedi Soldiers. Live & Reloaded does not suffer from such issues. While the N64 version constantly reminds you of its technical limitations, the remake impresses with consistently excellent art direction.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether you play the original or the remake. Both versions are outstanding. It mainly comes down to which one you find visually more appealing. Bad Fur Day is best played in the Rare Replay version. Otherwise, I’d recommend playing it at its original resolution on an emulator. Live & Reloaded is still available in the Xbox Store and is easily playable thanks to backward compatibility (I can’t comment on the multiplayer, as I haven’t played it and am not interested in it).
Conker's Bad Fur Day is definitely a game everyone should experience. It remains fantastic gameplay-wise and is also historically significant. Both on the N64 and Xbox, it showcases what can be achieved graphically when done right. It’s a shame that Rare no longer develops such milestones.