Conker’s Bad Fur Day is difficult for me to talk about, only having played it for the very first time 22 years after its initial release. There’s a number of reasons for this. First off, I feel that most people who really, really love this game met one of the following two criteria: they first played it in the 2000’s and/or they were around 13 years old when they did. I don’t mean this as an insult. I, myself found out about it online when I was probably around 13 years old and thought it was very funny at the time. It’s a game that I’ve seen multiple playthroughs of over the years. Over time though, with every playthrough that I watched, I had this ever-growing feeling. No matter how happy the person who played it was, no matter how much they loved the game, I kept having the same thought: this game does not look very fun to play. Even as a platformer fan, I sort of held off on playing this game simply because I didn’t think I would enjoy it very much. However, seeing as I’m playing through Rare’s library with games like Banjo and Yooka, I figure I should probably give this game a shot since it’s also considered a classic. Overall, I’m a little disappointed with it.
Conker is a game that to me, seems to rely heavily on its writing and scenarios rather than the actual gameplay itself. The gameplay is really nothing special. The controls aren’t too bad (minus the last chapter), the whole “Context-Sensitive” system is silly and fun, but I never really found any of it to be satisfying. Most, if not all of the game consists of “Walk to this area. Complete this task 3-5 times. Go to the next area. Complete this task 3-5 times. Go to the next area. Complete this task 3-5 times.” Before you know it, you’re at the end of the game. If you die while performing one of these tasks, your progress on it gets reset. This can get a bit frustrating at times, especially when Conker takes fall damage if he falls from 3 feet and explodes into a bloody pulp if he falls from 6 feet. The Context-Sensitive pads are a refreshing little break from the other tasks, but they never really went wild with them. Additionally, there were times where I was left endlessly wandering because the game seldomly makes it apparent what your next goal is. Regardless, the objectives and gameplay almost feel like an afterthought that takes a backseat to the writing.
As for the writing, it’s the hardest part for me to find appreciation for. I’ve seen the blanket term “offensive humor” thrown around to describe it, but I wouldn’t say that’s the appropriate word. It’s more along the lines of “juvenile” and “vulgar.” Blood, poop, beer, sex, movie references, and swears are the only punchlines. Humor is subjective of course, but for me personally, it’s all stuff that I joked about when I was 13. I don’t really find this sort of humor funny anymore, or at least this much of it crammed into 1 game. Especially since I’ve grown desensitized to it with the rise of the Internet; you can go on Newgrounds right now and find something on the front page that will have the same amount of wit as Conker’s writing. It’s just not for me. I won’t lie though, there were a few parts that made me smile or chuckle. Ultimately though, considering that the gameplay clearly isn’t the main attraction, once you remove the crutch of the humor, this game has nothing to stand on. And if you feel the same way, that this sort of humor isn't for you, then I assure you that you will get nothing out of playing Conker’s Bad Fur Day. You’ll probably have more fun watching someone else play it.
In terms of the positives, I don’t have too much much to elaborate on. I think it’s pretty neat that this was one of the few N64 games with full voice acting. I like the variety and designs of the environments. The music is memorable and catchy. I think a lot of the character designs are well-done and exude the classic Rare cartoon style with even a little bit of Disney thrown in there. The concept of switching genres in the last chapter at a click of a button was sort of neat. I cant help but wonder how this game would’ve turned out if they just went with the initial idea before they got worried that it was too similar to Banjo. Nevertheless, despite how little enjoyment I got out of it, I have respect for it and its spot in Video Game History.
Conker is a game that to me, seems to rely heavily on its writing and scenarios rather than the actual gameplay itself. The gameplay is really nothing special. The controls aren’t too bad (minus the last chapter), the whole “Context-Sensitive” system is silly and fun, but I never really found any of it to be satisfying. Most, if not all of the game consists of “Walk to this area. Complete this task 3-5 times. Go to the next area. Complete this task 3-5 times. Go to the next area. Complete this task 3-5 times.” Before you know it, you’re at the end of the game. If you die while performing one of these tasks, your progress on it gets reset. This can get a bit frustrating at times, especially when Conker takes fall damage if he falls from 3 feet and explodes into a bloody pulp if he falls from 6 feet. The Context-Sensitive pads are a refreshing little break from the other tasks, but they never really went wild with them. Additionally, there were times where I was left endlessly wandering because the game seldomly makes it apparent what your next goal is. Regardless, the objectives and gameplay almost feel like an afterthought that takes a backseat to the writing.
As for the writing, it’s the hardest part for me to find appreciation for. I’ve seen the blanket term “offensive humor” thrown around to describe it, but I wouldn’t say that’s the appropriate word. It’s more along the lines of “juvenile” and “vulgar.” Blood, poop, beer, sex, movie references, and swears are the only punchlines. Humor is subjective of course, but for me personally, it’s all stuff that I joked about when I was 13. I don’t really find this sort of humor funny anymore, or at least this much of it crammed into 1 game. Especially since I’ve grown desensitized to it with the rise of the Internet; you can go on Newgrounds right now and find something on the front page that will have the same amount of wit as Conker’s writing. It’s just not for me. I won’t lie though, there were a few parts that made me smile or chuckle. Ultimately though, considering that the gameplay clearly isn’t the main attraction, once you remove the crutch of the humor, this game has nothing to stand on. And if you feel the same way, that this sort of humor isn't for you, then I assure you that you will get nothing out of playing Conker’s Bad Fur Day. You’ll probably have more fun watching someone else play it.
In terms of the positives, I don’t have too much much to elaborate on. I think it’s pretty neat that this was one of the few N64 games with full voice acting. I like the variety and designs of the environments. The music is memorable and catchy. I think a lot of the character designs are well-done and exude the classic Rare cartoon style with even a little bit of Disney thrown in there. The concept of switching genres in the last chapter at a click of a button was sort of neat. I cant help but wonder how this game would’ve turned out if they just went with the initial idea before they got worried that it was too similar to Banjo. Nevertheless, despite how little enjoyment I got out of it, I have respect for it and its spot in Video Game History.