Conker: Live & Reloaded

"Conker's back... and Live... also Reloaded"

The original Conker, appropriately titled Conker's Bad Fur Day slipped off my radar. Actually, in all honesty, it slipped of a lot of people's radar. Why, you ask? Well, Rare did the "wise" thing and released it so close to the end of the Nintendo 64's life. Yes, everyone was pumped up for that new machine titled Playstation 2, thus Conker's Bad Fur Day did not sell as well as planned. A shame really, and I now realize it, as well. I never got to play the original Conker from beginning to end, so therefore I was not too disappointed when it was announced that the new Conker being made for the Xbox was just a remake. Finally, everyone who missed out on the N64 classic would be able to get the chance to pilot this drunk squirrel as he tries to find his way home. But is this game a keeper, or did Rare screw up this "classic"?

Graphics: ... Just look at the screen shots for crying out loud

Truly the highlight of the game, Conker: Live and Reloaded is a visual masterpiece. There is very few flaws in this department. For one, the character models are just absolutely stunning. Starting with the lead character, Conker, from the way his tale moves about, to the awesome looking fur on his body, you can tell that Rare spent most of its time creating the new engine for this game. Every object, every creature in this game (well, in this game, objects also tend to be living creatures), everything is meticulously scaled offering what most other games don't. Very impressive.

Another great aspect of the graphics are the environments. All of the environments are varied, not one looking anywhere near like the last, and all of them are colorful and full of life. There are a lot of environments in this game ranging from beaches of Norm... err... Tediz, to the infamous Poo Cabin. None of them are boring to look. The ol' Windy has been beefed up from Conker's Bad Fur Day, definitely looking Xbox quality. The "cartoony" graphics work well for the atmosphere of this game, giving this game a soul that not too many games have. I was truly impressed by the main area. I would also like to mention that the water effects are also nothing short of amazing.

All the cut scenes are done in real time, which is a good thing, because you get the chance to see for yourself how great the graphics truly are. The animations in the cut scenes, as well as outside them, are very well done, for the most part. Some hiccups here and there, but none of them look so awkward that it ruins the moment itself.

Conker has come a long way since the N64 days. Those that did not have the privilege of playing a Nintendo 64 game didn't have the opportunity to behold the shockingly low frame rates. Playing a Nintendo 64 now, you almost wonder how owners played the games without getting a headache from the abysmal frame rates that were apparent even in the classics. Conker's Bad Fur Day did not escape this fate, and was accompanied by a poor frame rate that made the game run like a glorified slide show. Did Conker: Live and Reloaded dodge this with its amazing graphics? Mostly yes, partly no. For the most part, the frame rate does keep at a consistent pace, and this is good. However, I will not lie and say it is perfect. There was a few moments where the frame rate would take a dip. Fortunately, this occurrence is rare (no pun intended), and does not break the action on screen.

Audio: Definitely an improvement...

Another downfall of having games on cartridges back then was that the sound quality was very poor. Playing Conker back then was a different experience both visually, and audio-wise, because the original's sound came off as very muffled. Fortunately, this is no longer a problem. The sound comes off as crisp as ever. The voice acting is now understandable without the use of subtitles, and the effects have also been given the same treatment. The audio department really comes to play.

For one, the voice acting is both great, and hilarious. The dialogue is very well written, as well as presented. Conker's voice is very fitting for him, making him the "cute bad ass". My favorite voice over is none other than the opera singing Great Mighty Poo. The dialogue is another part of the original, as well as this version, that made the game as funny as it was. The only downside is that they did censor the game more than it originally was. This has created some controversy, but in all honesty it is not that bad.

The music is also great. Sometimes it plays a cartoon-like theme song as you run around the Windy, while other times it spoofs movies such as Terminator. The music, itself, can be hilarious. This says a lot. Conker: Live and Reloaded shines in this department as well.

Gameplay: ... err... after two flawless categories, I think we have come to a few problems..

Conker: Live and Reloaded, if you already did not know, is a remake of the original Conker's Bad Fur Day. While this is good news for this reviewer, as someone who did not play the original to its entirety, it may be bad news for fans of the old. The game has not changed much, aside from the graphics. They added a baseball bat instead of a frying pan, and an added enemy, but really, it is all the same as before just prettier.

One of the main problems of the original was the poor controls. This has not changed much. The camera still is a hassle, and controlling Conker can come up as bit of a chore. Often times, many dead Conkers will ensue as you lose squirrel tale after squirrel tale because the camera or the controls just would not work with you. A few instances that come to mind as I write include the many parts where you are either riding a vehicle or creature. Most of the "vehicles" in this game are very hard to control, and often times will frustrate you more than it will entertain you. This is unfortunate because these are few opportunities to vary the gameplay, and they.... well... are more frustrating than fun.

The camera also is fairly difficult to work with. Some parts of the game require a really solid camera, but when you are confined to a small area, the camera jumps around a lot. One part of the game, you have to jump through a lot of laser grids. The problem with this is that the area you have to jump through is very small, thus the camera moves around like a wild banshee, leaving you clueless where you are, or whether you successfully jumped through the laser grid or not. This is unfortunate, because this part of the game would of been rather fun, had the camera been a tad better.

One last complaint that I have about this game is that the controls can be rather imprecise. While the "jump" button works well enough, I would of hoped that other parts of the game would work as well. For example, much like the original, there are a lot of "Context Sensitive" pads. For those Conker terminology-deficient, these pads are where Conker can access a special move only available when he stands upon this pad and presses the "B" button (such as sling shots, flamethrowers, etc...). Anyways, there were quite a few times where I would have to press B several times before it would actually activate. This kind of frustrated me when I needed to access his special move quickly. Sometimes, this very complaint would carry over into other parts of the gameplay including using something as simple as the attack button, where I would press it but nothing would happen. This was not so much a major flaw as it was just a pet peeve I had with the game, but it still should be noted. It does not happen so much that it makes the gameplay broken, but it is rather annoying.

So much bad, but what about the good? Do not worry, there is plenty of good here. Plenty of it. For one, the humor. Oh my, the humor. Conker has always been known for it's bizarre sense of humor, and I am here to say that this has not changed a bit. The game is still freakin' hilarious. Mixing so many styles of humor including movie spoofs (in my opinion, the best part of the game), dark humor (taboo subjects such as death, you know, those moments you should not be laughing at but are, you sicko), crude-raunchy humor (sex jokes), or even the beloved fart/poo jokes. There is not one moment in this game where you will not be laughing. When you are starting to get mad at the game, the game always turns the frown upside down with the next cut scene. In fact, if it is one thing that will keep you playing, it would be the incentive to see the next hilarious cut scene.

Like mentioned, there is a lot of variety in the gameplay. I said my favorite part of the game was the movie spoofs, and this is true. Some of the movie spoofs in this game are just drop dead hilarious, and are made funny by watching a serious part of this or that movie being played out by obnoxious squirrels/weasels/Tediz (mutant Teddy Bears... really, I'm being serious). Another good addition is just the sheer amount of creativity that was used to make this game. If you have not heard of the Great Mighty Poo, then come out from underneath your rock. Any game that has an giant opera singing turd as one of the bosses deserves some kudos. Your weapon to defeat him? Toilet Paper, anyone?

All the complaints aside, the humor is what makes this game shine. But the action is still fun to play, do not get me wrong there. The platforming is solid, often times very fun, and the shooter levels are just a blast to play. All of this comes together to make Conker a very playable game from start to finish. If you are not having fun at some point, or are not laughing, then I do not want to know what entertains you.

Overall, Conker is most definitely a playable game, and a fun game. It has a few set backs that could make the experience more frustrating for what it is worth, but if you can look past the obvious flaws, this game becomes the platformer this system has craved for.

Story

The story is hilarious. It is about a squirrel that had one too many at the ol' bar, and is now trying to find his way home. Unfortunately for him, he just keeps getting side tracked. Along the way he meets a pitchfork with an attitude problem, a midget grim reaper that despises cats, mutant Teddy Bears called "Tediz" created by a cynical-milk-addict "Fairy Panther King" that is looking to use Conker as an extra leg for his table (no.. really), amongst many, many other oddballs. One of the most bizarre plots in any game, but it is just so damn funny that it is hard not to fall in love with it.

Everything just ties in so well, and you are wondering where the game is going to take you next, or if you played Conker's Bad Fur Day before, anticipating the next area. If it is one thing that will keep you playing, it is the hilarious plot that this game has to offer.

Replay Value: The unfortunate part...

Unfortunately, the multiplayer is not as well done as it could have been. After playing a lot of offline multiplayer, I have reached the conclusion that it is fun, but not as fun as it might have been. The HUD is overcrowded (online and off), and the screen is way too small, even on a relatively large TV.

For you online junkies, there is Live capabilities. Basically, it works kind of like a Halo crossed with Battlefield where you choose a class on either the squirrel or Tediz side, and you work together as a team to complete the objective, or you could always play death match, and kill each other. The community also plays an important role in making the online game fun, but that can be said about many, if not all, Live enabled games.

Overall, the multiplayer (offline) is good, but it might not keep just everyone coming back for more.

But what if you want to play through the single player game? Relax, you can now choose which specific chapter and section you want to play through without starting the whole game over. Want to play a certain part of the game, but nothing before or after it? Just go to the chapter section of the main menu, and choose which one you want to play through. It is that simple. This is a blessing if you want to play your favorite part over and over again. So go, and give that Great Mighty Poo another whoopin'.

Buy or Rent

A few thoughts come to mind when making this decision. If you have played through the original, you might want to rent it. Most of the puzzles remain the same, so no doubt that N64 veterans will go through this game a lot quicker than the newer players. If you have played Conker's Bad Fur Day, there is very little surprises outside the massive make over the graphics have been given. I would say rent it, just as a nostalgia trip.

If you are new to the series, I would say at least give this game a rent to behold what everyone is laughing about. It truly was the funniest game in the day, and this still holds true today. I will also say rent it even if you have not had the privilege to play through the original.

Closing Comments:

Conker: Live and Reloaded is a reminder that games can be hilarious if done right. I cannot stress enough how funny, creative, or even ingenious this game is. From the dialogue right down to the odd bosses, there is a lot to love here. There are a few quirks, especially in the controls, but for every thing you frown upon, there is something waiting to make you laugh later on in the game. This is what made Conker very hard to put down. If you can look past its obvious flaws, you will find that the Xbox has craved for a game like this.

For all you veterans of Conker's Bad Fur Day, you might be just as impressed with how well the graphics are done. Sure little has changed, but you owe it to yourself to battle the Great Mighty Poo again with Xbox quality graphics.

Overall, the game is far from 10/10 that some had hoped for. However, Conker: Live and Reloaded stands the test of time as one of the funniest, and most original games Rare has ever made.

8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/29/05