For the vast majority of its history, Nintendo has been known for publishing family-friendly, non-offensive games, but that all changed in 2001 with the release of Conker’s Bad Fur Day. This was the game that every kid wanted, but no parent (who understood what an ESRB rating of M meant) would buy, as it’s not family friendly, wasn’t made with kids in mind, and it was as uncouth as you can get in a 2000s 3D platformer. It was developed and published by Rare on the Nintendo 64, receiving widespread critical acclaim for its humor, story, sound, gameplay, and visuals. Despite this, it didn’t sell well.
Poor sales weren’t due to its disturbing visuals; instead, they can be attributed to arriving towards the end of the N64’s lifecycle. This makes sense, as gamers were focusing on the next big thing coming down the pike, which was the Nintendo GameCube, so not enough people bought Conker’s Bad Fur Day when it was released on March 5, 2001, which is exactly 25 years ago as of writing. Despite its poor sales figures, Conker’s became a cult classic almost instantly, and players have returned to it in the years since via re-releases and a remake called Conker: Live & Reloaded, released on the Xbox in 2005.
Conker’s Was the Game Adults Needed, and Kids Wanted
Image courtesy of Rare
If you’ve never had the chance to play Conker’s Bad Fur Day, you should try to imagine playing it upon release instead of now, 25 years later. In comparison to what’s released these days, it’s barely PG, but in 2001, the game’s adult-themed humor was considered controversial. It’s filled with toilet humor, fourth wall breaks, pop culture references, profanity, violence, tobacco, and alcohol use. While that all sounds like little more than a Deadpool movie these days, it was a pretty big deal during the game’s development, and most definitely after its release. The advertising campaign didn’t pull any punches, as marketing was driven directly towards male college students.
As it happens, Rare didn’t set out to make a game aimed entirely at adults, and instead, planned to release a kid-friendly title called Twelve Tales: Conker 64. Development of that version targeted a 1998 release date, but it looked a bit too much like Banjo-Kazooie for most, so the team shifted its focus to the game that was eventually released. While parents weren’t excited about their kids getting their hands on copies of Conker’s Bad Fur Day, it was nonetheless critically acclaimed and award-winning. It even won the award for Best Anthropomorphic Game at the Ursa Major Awards (a furry awards event).
To be objective, the first game didn’t have the best camera controls, but its story is absolutely superb, detracting from the camera and other complaints. Most players love its atmosphere, toilet humor, and unapologetic portrayal of its titular lead. It even has a boss battle with The Great Mighty Poo (pictured below), which is a big ole’ pile of crap who resides inside of Poo Mountain. It’s not the cleverest creation in fiction, but it certainly is funny, which is Conker’s main draw. The game’s critical success led to the development of a sequel, but after Microsoft bought Rare in 2002, the project was permanently shelved.
Conker’s Bad Fur Day Is a Cult Classic
Image courtesy of Rare
It’s not uncommon for controversial elements in video games to drive sales, but that only goes so far. Mortal Kombat was incredibly controversial, resulting in the establishment of the ESRB, but it’s also an amazing game that stands on its own merit. The same is true of Conker’s Bad Fur Day — Sure, it’s crude, gross, and offensive, but that’s what makes it so much fun. Add to that great characters and an amazing story, and you’re left with an incredibly well-made game that may not have seen a proper sequel, but it sure carved out a nice niche in popular culture, as it remains a cult classic to this day.
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