Conker’s Bad Fur Day is a platformer video game developed by Rare and released for the Nintendo 64 console in 2001. As part of the Conker series, the game follows the story of Conker the Squirrel; a greedy, heavy-drinking red squirrel who attempts to return home to his girlfriend. It features a single-player mode where the player must complete challenges that involve jumping over obstacles, solving puzzles, and fighting enemies, and a competitive multiplayer mode that supports up to four players.
Although Conker’s Bad Fur Day is visually similar to Rare’s previous Nintendo 64 games Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64, it was designed for mature audiences and features graphic violence, alcohol and tobacco use, profanity, vulgar humor, and pop culture references. The game was developed over four years and was originally intended for a family audience; it was retooled into its current form because previews were criticised for being both too cute and similar to Rare’s earlier platform games.
Upon release, Conker’s Bad Fur Day received critical acclaim from video game journalists, who praised its visual appeal and smart, funny humour. The game sold well below expectations due to limited advertising and a release towards the end of the Nintendo 64’s life cycle, but has since earned a cult following due to its unique styling. A remake, Conker: Live & Reloaded, was released in 2005. In 2015, the game was included as part of the Rare Replay compilation for Xbox One.
