Graphics

For the sake of fairness, I try to review the graphics based on the time of release and how they still stand. Back in 2001, I remember being astounded at the quality of graphics that were coming from a Nintendo 64 compared to the graphics seen on Playstation 2 and the Dreamcast. Whether it was the in-game cutscenes with voice acting as well as the lips of the characters syncing to what was said, or the little details like the noxious fumes in Poo Mountain or the honey pouring from the inside of the Wasps' lair, the graphics were drool-worthy. Even now, they haven't aged that badly. Sure, we've undoubtedly seen better graphics in current and last-generation games, but Conker's Bad Fur Day's graphics really showed me what Rare would be capable of in the Xbox/Gamecube generation. Simply put, it's no contest: Bad Fur Day's graphics are the best graphics on the N64, bar none.

9

Sound

To this day, I believe that Conker's Bad Fur Day is Robin Beanland's most accomplished work to date. Since the nature of the game itself relies on variety, this gave Beanland the opportunity to compose beyond the normal means of a game with its typical constrained settings and themes. Thankfully he pulled it off, regardless of the scenario in the game. No song ever feels out of place in its respective environment; his music truly enhances the experience of playing Bad Fur Day. Apparently the British Academy of Film and Television Arts agrees with me, because Beanland won the BAFTA award for the game back in 2001. Like Grabbed by the Ghoulies, you can take a listen to a good chunk of the Bad Fur Day soundtrack on Rare's website. On another note, I have to give credit where credit is due for Rock Solid, which is not only my favorite song from the game, but a song that you can actually hear in front of your friends and not feel humiliated that it stems from a video game. This may not apply so much now in 2009, what with games not carrying the major stigma it used to, but back in 2001, it was, like Ron Burgundy, kind of a big deal. Bad Fur Day's music isn't just one of the best soundtracks in the DKU, but one of the best soundtracks in the history of video games.

10

Play Control

At first, Conker's control scheme is typical for a platformer: use A to jump (and A again to do the Helicoptery-Tail Thing), Z to shoot/duck when applicable, and the C buttons to control the camera angle. However, what make this game different was the use of the B button. With it and a Context-Sensitive pad, Conker can summon anything he needs that was, you guessed it, sensitive to context. This ranged from confidence pulls to using Matrix-like moves near the end of the game. While I feel that the dual-analog sticks in current (and past-generation) controllers really outdate the C buttons in general, the controls aren't that bad overall.

8

Originality

It's not often that you see games spoofing and/or paying tribute to other games and movies, but BFD did so in spades, which makes it truly stand out. In terms of storyline, I'd also say it's original, since it doesn't have anything to do with the leading lady being kidnapped; instead, Conker's simple (on paper or, er...monitor) mission is that he needs to find his away home after a massive hangover. As mentioned earlier, the idea of context-sensitivity was unique and fun before it evolved into the love-it-or-hate-it Quick-Time Events. Lastly, the game had an opera-singing pile of excrement. You don't get that much originality in popular games nowadays!

9

Final Word

I really love Bad Fur Day. Even if the age I got it at wasn't what the label on the boxart explicitly said, it still remains one of my favorite games that I got due to the sheer luck of being born near its release date 13 years before 2001. While it may have its faults (the criminally short single-player mode when taking into account the four-or-so years in development, for example), the overall experience combined with the replayable multiplayer modes made Bad Fur Day a hell of a game, as well as what I believe was the final truly great Rare game. To me, Conker's Bad Fur Day was to the N64 what the Donkey Kong Country trilogy was to the Super NES in terms of showing what each respective system could do. If there's any justice in the world, Rare and 4J Studios will pretend that Conker Live & Reloaded never existed and re-release this on the Xbox Live Arcade with Achievements and Online Multiplayer. Until then, if you haven't played this yet, forget Live & Reloaded; hunt the original down. By now, you're probably old enough to play it, and it'll be worth your (non-talking and cussing) cash.

9

Overall Score: 9/10