The Bad Boys

A hard-drinking red squirrel's boozy journey home.

Conker's Bad Fur Day is a 2001 platform game developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64. It is the second installment in the Conker series, after Conker's Pocket Tales (1999). The game follows Conker, a greedy, hard-drinking red squirrel who must return home to his girlfriend, Berri, after an evening of heavily drinking at the local pub.

Lore & Background

The game is set in the Fairy Panther King's Kingdom. The main hub is Windy, with entrances to areas such as Barn Boys, Sloprano, Heist, Spooky, Bats Tower, and It's War. Uga Buga is entered from under Sloprano by paying weasel guards $1,000. The plot begins after a night of binge drinking, Conker wakes up lost with a hangover. The Panther King wants a red squirrel as a fourth leg for his throne. Conker seeks to return home to Berri but gets sidetracked by cash. He encounters various characters and situations, including the Great Mighty Poo, Don Weaso, Count Batula, and a war between grey squirrels and Tediz. Berri is killed by Weaso on the Panther King's orders. The Panther King is killed by a creature named Heinrich, created by Professor Von Kriplespac, who then tries to kill Conker.

Reader's Guide

Conker's Bad Fur Day is a platform game with later shooter elements. The player controls Conker through 3D levels. An overworld allows travel between levels, many blocked until Conker earns cash. Gameplay involves completing linear challenges for cash rewards. Conker can run, jump, smack enemies with a frying pan, swim underwater, climb, and push objects. Health is restored by eating anti-gravity chocolate. Context-sensitive pads grant temporary abilities (e.g., Alka-Seltzer, anvil, shotgun, blow torch, throwing knives, slingshot). Multiplayer mode supports up to four players in seven game types: Beach, Raptor, Heist, War, Tank, Race, and Deathmatch.

Did You Know?

The game was originally titled Twelve Tales: Conker 64 and intended for a family audience.
Development lasted four years, with concepts originating during the development of Killer Instinct Gold in 1996.
The game was released in North America on 5 March 2001 and in Europe on 6 April 2001.
A remake, Conker: Live & Reloaded, was released for the Xbox in 2005.