Conker: Live and Reloaded

9.0
Excellent

Gameplay	8.0	"Conker delivers vulgarity in spades on his Xbox debut."
Graphics	10
Sound	9.0
Value	9.0

By Alan Jordan

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Before I begin this review, I will have to point something out, I did not play the original Conker's Bad Fur Day on the Nintendo 64. There I've admitted it to everyone. I am very sorry but by 2001, when the original hit our shores, I had moved on from the Nintendo 64. I was busy playing my shiny new PlayStation 2 and Sega Dreamcast. I was sick of paying so much for cartridge games and so when Conker originally reared his cute, furry little head, I was probably playing Metal Gear Solid 2 or Soul Calibur. Due to this, my review of Conker is from a totally fresh perspective. I believe that is probably the best way to review the game, as I doubt most Xbox owners had the pleasure of the original.

So, after shameful admissions from a 'so-called' hardcore gamer, on to the review; and what a game it is! From the very outset, you realise that this game is something quite special indeed. It isn't perfect, what is though? But, it is a very fine game and one that should find its way into the collections of any self-respecting Xbox gamer.

The game comes in two parts. The first is the 'port' of the Nintendo 64 original; although, it really is far more than a port. The second part of the game is the portion that has been added for Xbox Live play. The multiplayer mode is an incredibly in-depth, tactical team-based shooter. Okay, there are still elements from the single player game that make multiplayer a riot, but for all intents and purposes, the games are quite distinct and separate.

The game begins with 'King' Conker sitting on his throne saying that he is going to tell everyone how he got to be where he is. Film buffs will recognise the obvious nod to Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange.' It is a class touch and the film references only begin here; there are far more! Time then shifts back to Conker trying to call his girlfriend while he is tanked up at the pub. Hilarity ensues and eventually Conker ends up outside, a little worse for wear; lets just say I've never seen a squirrel throw up so much in my entire life. We are also introduced to Conker's adversary, the Panther King. It actually takes a good few minutes until we get into actual gameplay.

For those unaware of Conker's charms, he is a foul-mouthed squirrel with a penchant for alcohol and cigars. Yes you read that correctly, a squirrel. It sounds silly but, in creating such a dichotomy of a main character (cute and nasty at the same time), Rare have made an unbelievably funny game. We have a character that shouldn't exist. Rare have melded two completely polar opposites into something truly unique. The fact that the game is constantly referred to as a video game also shows of its truly unique position in video gaming. In playing most games, we know it is a game but choose to suspend our disbelief. Conker throws this out the window in a way many novels, plays or films have. Conker even mentions the developers during the game. The game refuses to take itself too seriously though!

The story that follows is as bizarre as our main character. 'The Panther King' has lost a leg on one of his tables and he keeps on spilling his milk. The solution? Well according to his German scientist (who is another reference to a Stanley Kubrick film; this time it is Dr Strangelove) the solution is to replace the leg of the table with a red squirrel. I'm not kidding. That is the basic gist of the absolutely insane storyline. It may sound completely silly, but it works through an absolute gem of a script. The game is absolutely hilarious and the characters are so full of life that you will fall instantly in love with them. If you don't 'get' British humour though, you may want to give the thing a miss. The game is lude, crude and completely unapologetic about it. If you are a little sensitive about this kind of thing, then you may want to steer well clear of the game. If you have a sense of humour though, you will lap this up!

While the game has an amazing storyline and some great characters, the gameplay doesn't quite stack up as well. I'm not saying that the gameplay is bad, far from it! But, finding what exactly you are supposed to be doing can be a nightmare. Lets just say that Rare don't give you too much of a helping hand in pointing you where to go. This does stop the game being too linear but, in all honesty, I would rather have some idea of what I am supposed to do next. You will spend a lot of timing trekking back and forth between areas. It reminds me of Banjo Kazooie; not a great surprise really as this title was also an N64 game.

The gameplay is simple yet effective. Rare have kept controls to a minimum and it has worked well. We have a jump key, a key to crouch, a key to pull out your weapon and a key to use your weapon. To handle trickier portions of gameplay, Rare have incorporated a 'Context Sensitive' button. Basically, there are giant 'B' buttons scattered around the world. Standing on one of these and hitting B will let Conker do what needs to be done. You are often given a specific weapon when on a B button in order to proceed through the level. Keeping it simple and not creating a stupidly complex control system allows Conker to rely firmly on its amazing plot. The game is very fun to play. However, as mentioned earlier, finding out where exactly to go can leave you pulling your hair out.

Worth mentioning is the rather unsubtle shift in gaming styles which happens towards the end of the game. While the game is initially a platformer, towards the end , it becomes a third person shooter which is even more fun! Rare aren't ones to stick to convention it would seem. The shooter sections are an absolute riot to play. The shift in styles is quite strange but just go with it. You'll have fun!

Sound is another area where the game scores big points. The voice acting is second to none. The game wouldn't quite work without it so Rare had to pull it off properly. They have more than succeeded! Conker himself sounds so nice and unassuming, with his slight lisp. Get him started though and you'll realise just what a dirty little bugger he is. The rest of the case weigh in well too. I particularly loved the mad German scientist and the Scouser insects; "Alright Barry, lets get him!" Brilliant! The music, again, doesn't let the game down. One of my friends who watched me play, commented that it sounded just like a cartoon. He wasn't wrong. The music, as in classic Looney Tunes cartoons, mirrors what is happening on screen. The music sets the tone perfectly, as all good film or game scores should.

As this is a port of a four year old game, you are expecting the graphics to be appalling right? Well you'd be wrong there. The game looks absolutely stunning! Conker has had a huge amount of attention lavished on him and his fur has to be seen to be believed. The game has stunning lighting effects with the shadow effects being of particular note. The game is absolutely brimming with life and, thankfully, there are very rarely any kind of frame rate issues. The draw distance is also worth mentioning; it is HUGE! You can climb a massive structure miles in the air and you will still be able to see all the characters on the ground below you. Banjo Kazooie did a similar thing on the N64 but with the Xboxes more advanced hardware, it really is a joy to behold. There are no pseudo fogging effects, nothing suddenly disappears; everything is there on the ground below you. Rare have built an incredibly robust engine that is also stunning to look at. Not bad for a 'port' of a Nintendo 64 game.

So how does the single player section stack up? Pretty well actually. Okay, finding out quite what you are supposed to be doing can be a pain, but apart from that, there are few better platformers available on the Xbox. The games storyline also sets it apart from just about any other game on the system. If you've already played the original, then the graphics alone should make this worth another play through.

However, the thing that sets the game apart from its Nintendo 64 counterpart, is the addition of a whole new Multiplayer section. Rare have added a team-based, tactical 3rd person shooter which can be played both on a LAN as well as on Xbox Live. Get into a game and you will have to select whether you are going to play on the Tediz or the SHC team. You will then have to select which class you will play as. There are several options; a standard grunt, a melee fighter, a sniper character, a heavy weapons character and more. Whatever your gaming style is, you will more than likely find a character to suit you.

Once you are in the game though, things start to get difficult. Very difficult in fact. The learning curve is a bit too steep in my opinion. It is an incredibly complex game which belies the fact that the single player portion is so brilliantly simple. Complexity is not necessarily a bad thing; however, going on Xbox Live with the game's community still in its infancy, finding people to show you the ropes can be awfully difficult. As the game hits more markets and picks up a dedicated following online, this aspect of the game will improve. For now though, the game can be a little difficult to get into. The fact that I only had one copy of the game also prevented me from attempting any LAN action with my mates.

Controls in multiplayer can also be a little dodgy. Your crosshair seems to be at an odd angle for one. This makes aiming a tricky thing to do. Another gripe I had was the fact that you cannot jump while firing. It is incredibly annoying!

That said, the multiplayer section of the game has the depth within to really take off on Live. You are rewarded with Campaign Points for doing well online and these can be used to unlock extra online features in the future. As the community develops, the game will become a staple title in anyone's Live gaming roster.

So how good is Conker: Live and Reloaded? Bloody good actually! The single player, while having a few bugs, is an absolute blast to play. You will be in stitches from beginning to end and you will have a lot of fun too. The multiplayer, while hard to get into, has enough depth and complexity to make it one of those games that you will continue to come back to again and again and you will continue to get more from it each time. Rare, after the slightly disappointing Grabbed by the Ghoulies, are back. What would Nintendo give to have them back? Who knows.

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