Almost 14 years ago exactly Conker’s Bad Fur Day released on the Nintendo 64. Then four years later Microsoft and Rare remade it into Conker Live & Reloaded. Between the two versions of this game Conker sold around 1.5 million copies and even though it wasn’t a big time seller, it drew a cult like following for the quirky little squirell and his big adventure with crude humor and platforming. It’s just too bad that it has been 10 years since we have seen the little guy until seeing him re-introduced into Microsoft’s Project Spark made by Team Dakota. This wasn’t exactly met with great reception as many people wanted a complete game sporting Conker, but instead of getting into all that let’s focus on if what we did get and see if it justifies the name Conker carries.
If you have already played Project Spark you should be able to jump right into the adventure of Conker’s Big Reunion where you play as Conker 10 years after the events of Conker’s Bad Fur Day where you’re trying to meet up with your friends at Conker’s old hangout The Cock and Plucker. On the other side of things, if you haven’t played Project Spark yet, you will have to play Project Spark’s tutorial before playing Conker which can take a considerable amount of time. This is where it makes you wish that Conker was sold as an individual package and just using the Project Spark engine, that way you can jump into the action right away.
However once you do start playing Conker, youre met with old faces like Birdy who plays your tutorial guide in conker, the key you have to chase down, the cash Conker is obsessed with, and of course Chris Seavor returning to voice Conker. Even the music by Robin Beanland returns. And this is the thing about Conker’s Big Reunion. It feels like Conker, it sounds like Conker, and it is Conker. Sure it may be in Project Spark, but right away you realize that this is exactly the game you have been waiting for. As you take your first steps onto a context sensitive button you will be taken back to a world of nostalgia.
It’s important to note that Conker’s Big Reunion is an episodic adventure though. Meaning that what we have received so far is very short. In fact a little too short. The first episode runs at about an hour long. In the first world you will find yourself doing about three missions to earn cash so you can pay your tabs at The Cock and Plucker. And just like the old Conker it includes parodies, crude humor, and quirky gameplay. The mission that it pokes fun at Metal Gear Solid was especially fun and actually had me smiling and laughing to myself as he is talking to Birdy just like Snake would be talking to Otacon. Though sadly the mission where you are shooting tediz with a gun was especially dull, and considering the game is already short, its something you don’t want to sit through.
On the technical side of things the game looks and feels really good. Its surprising on how much this game looks like Conker, and Conker looks better than ever. Its interesting that Team Dakota based Conker’s design around the original Bad Fur Day rather than Rare’s remake of Live & Reloaded, but with the art direction of Project Spark it couldn’t be any more fitting. That isn’t to say its all good as it does have some frame rate issues at times, but beyond that I can’t find any complaints with the art direction.
And speaking of Project Spark, the one good thing about Conker being in Project Spark is that the community can create their own Conker levels and games. Its interesting as you see the community’s own take on Conker, even going so far as remaking levels from the original game. Going against the Great Mighty Poo was an absolute delight, not only feeling like the original but really showing off what you can do with enough creativity and talent.
So with Conker’s Big Reunion it may not be what we asked for, but its what we got, and its surprisingly done very well. This is Conker in its truest sense. Its unfortunate that it is just so short though, but luckily there is more to come being only the first episode. While I’d prefer Microsoft come out and announce a full Conker game, and with Team Dakota proving their worth I woudn’t mind them working on the full game if it did happen, but until then just know that Conker’s Big Reunion is a good game even if on the short side. After waiting 10 years, it’s a little upsetting turning off the game only an hour in, but in the end even the small dose was worth it.
Conker’s Big Reunion I give a 7.8
