Conker's Quest

***Cosmonautical*** · 02-28-2011, 11:36 AM

Waaayy back around the launch of the N64, Rare announced what would eventually become "Conker's Bad Fur Day"

As the years passed by, there was nothing to show for it but the occasional magazine article detailing Rare's intentions to make good on the title. Most of us know that the game finally did release, well to the end of the N64's lifespan in 2001, the same year the Gamecube launched.

The release of Conker's Bad Fur Day was sadly eclipsed by the new PS2, Gamecube, and Xbox hardware which launched consecutively, as N64 titles were by then looking quite dated even to console gamers used to years of blocky PS1 titles. It was gorgeous for an N64 game, but it went largely unappreciated by its "Mature" target audience, who had by then eschewed the N64 and PS1 for greener pastures.

Have you ever wondered what the game would have been like, or what success it might have seen, had it been released a year or two earlier in its lifespan? Well, thanks to NESworld, here's a glimpse at some of the mid-term screens from well before the mature themes were incorporated into the game's plot:

(Click for larger version)

Would this game have sold well, or would it have just been lost in the shadow of the multitude of family friendly platformer and adventure titles available on the N64? We can hardly know for certain, but Rare had a change of heart. They banked against the "childish" platformer trend, and created something that has been described as taking inspiration from the South Park cartoon series.

Due to its later release date, and absent audience, the title failed to sell as well as Rare hoped. Strangely, Rare had begun preliminary work on a sequel. When they were swept into the gears of "software giant" Microsoft, and made to serve up a well-polished port of Conker's Bad Fur Day playable on the Xbox, its cancellation became a cliffnote in the history of the larger parent company's continued rise to power in the gaming industry.

Feel free to share your thoughts, comments and criticisms.

**Valigarmander** · 02-28-2011, 11:48 AM

I'm a fan of Conkey's Bad Fur Day (a bit less of the crummy X-Box remake), but I have wondered what Conket's Quest might have turned out like. I imagine something similar to Banjo-Kazooie, but maybe with less emphasis on learning new moves. I would've played it.

I've also wondered what Dinosaur Planet would have been like if Nintendo hadn't made the decision to shoehorn Star Fox into it to make Star Fox Adventures.

Jere · 02-28-2011, 05:05 PM

I knew that Rare got lot's of flack due to the game looking a bit to much like a kiddy version of Banjo-Kazooie and they decided to change it but if it would manage to sell as it originaly intended to look like, im doubtful.

It's Rareware you know that it will be a relatively stable game experience but i don't think the kiddies would go for a completley new game without some kind of umph in it.

And about dinosaur planet, im one of a few persons that thinks that Dinosaur planet (DP) is a good game, maybe not in the league of Lylat wars but the short time i have played the game i think it have been good.

So to ansver the DP question i would say it would be a good game but would probably not sell as good as it did because of they got Star fox in it.

And quite frankly i don't think that they made some weird decisions with the series before the DS game, which the gameplay was a bit wonky but the worst parts is the endings!

***Marilink*** · 02-28-2011, 10:05 PM

I've never played Conker's Bad Fur day, so I don't have much to speculate. I kinda want to, though, just to say that I have. And I've heard it's quite fun.

***Booyakasha*** · 02-28-2011, 11:58 PM

CBFD's multiplayer had some legs on it. Doubt if anything in TT would have hooked me the way Beach, War and Heist did.

Robotazy · 03-01-2011, 01:38 AM

Personally, I find that making Conker's Quest dark and mature was a nice deconstruction to what was basically the cutesy 3d platformer (I believe "Fur Fighters" kind of did that as well, but not to the same degree). Would Conker's Quest have sold if it were released beforehand? Maybe, but it probably wouldn't be remembered so fondly today if it was.

To be fair, I've heard that what set Rare down that Bad Fur Day path was critics saying that it was just another 3d Platformer by Rare full of cute animals. It was either that or something towards Banjo Tooie. One or the other

02-28-2011, 11:36 AM	#1
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,156 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Conker's Quest Waaayy back around the launch of the N64, Rare announced what would eventually become "Conker's Bad Fur Day" As the years passed by, there was nothing to show for it but the occasional magazine article detailing Rare's intentions to make good on the title. Most of us know that the game finally did release, well to the end of the N64's lifespan in 2001, the same year the Gamecube launched. The release of Conker's Bad Fur Day was sadly eclipsed by the new PS2, Gamecube, and Xbox hardware which launched consecutively, as N64 titles were by then looking quite dated even to console gamers used to years of blocky PS1 titles. It was gorgeous for an N64 game, but it went largely unappreciated by its "Mature" target audience, who had by then eschewed the N64 and PS1 for greener pastures. Have you ever wondered what the game would have been like, or what success it might have seen, had it been released a year or two earlier in its lifespan? Well, thanks to NESworld, here's a glimpse at some of the mid-term screens from well before the mature themes were incorporated into the game's plot: (Click for larger version) Would this game have sold well, or would it have just been lost in the shadow of the multitude of family friendly platformer and adventure titles available on the N64? We can hardly know for certain, but Rare had a change of heart. They banked against the "childish" platformer trend, and created something that has been described as taking inspiration from the South Park cartoon series. Due to its later release date, and absent audience, the title failed to sell as well as Rare hoped. Strangely, Rare had begun preliminary work on a sequel. When they were swept into the gears of "software giant" Microsoft, and made to serve up a well-polished port of Conker's Bad Fur Day playable on the Xbox, its cancellation became a cliffnote in the history of the larger parent company's continued rise to power in the gaming industry. Feel free to share your thoughts, comments and criticisms.

02-28-2011, 11:48 AM	#2
Valigarmander The Bee's Knees Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The land of rain and trees (Oregon) Gender: Posts: 29,755 Thanks: 1,649 Thanked 5,701 Times in 2,581 Posts Blog Entries: 20	I'm a fan of Conkey's Bad Fur Day (a bit less of the crummy X-Box remake), but I have wondered what Conket's Quest might have turned out like. I imagine something similar to Banjo-Kazooie, but maybe with less emphasis on learning new moves. I would've played it. I've also wondered what Dinosaur Planet would have been like if Nintendo hadn't made the decision to shoehorn Star Fox into it to make Star Fox Adventures.

02-28-2011, 05:05 PM	#3
Jere Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sutme Gender: Posts: 3,648 Thanks: 404 Thanked 331 Times in 256 Posts Blog Entries: 3	I knew that Rare got lot's of flack due to the game looking a bit to much like a kiddy version of Banjo-Kazooie and they decided to change it but if it would manage to sell as it originaly intended to look like, im doubtful. It's Rareware you know that it will be a relatively stable game experience but i don't think the kiddies would go for a completley new game without some kind of umph in it. And about dinosaur planet, im one of a few persons that thinks that Dinosaur planet (DP) is a good game, maybe not in the league of Lylat wars but the short time i have played the game i think it have been good. So to ansver the DP question i would say it would be a good game but would probably not sell as good as it did because of they got Star fox in it. And quite frankly i don't think that they made some weird decisions with the series before the DS game, which the gameplay was a bit wonky but the worst parts is the endings!

02-28-2011, 10:05 PM	#4
*Marilink* Gotta catch 'em all! Supermod! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Location, Location. Gender: Posts: 29,118 Thanks: 2,535 Thanked 1,823 Times in 1,008 Posts	I've never played Conker's Bad Fur day, so I don't have much to speculate. I kinda want to, though, just to say that I have. And I've heard it's quite fun.

02-28-2011, 11:58 PM	#5
*Booyakasha* SuperMod of War Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wisconsinland Gender: Posts: 9,945 Thanks: 157 Thanked 1,481 Times in 763 Posts	CBFD's multiplayer had some legs on it. Doubt if anything in TT would have hooked me the way Beach, War and Heist did.

03-01-2011, 01:38 AM	#6
Robotazy PRESS ANY KEY TO PANIC! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: A Tiny Shed Gender: Posts: 16,483 Thanks: 529 Thanked 1,254 Times in 897 Posts Blog Entries: 46	Personally, I find that making Conker's Quest dark and mature was a nice deconstruction to what was basically the cutesy 3d platformer (I believe "Fur Fighters" kind of did that as well, but not to the same degree). Would Conker's Quest have sold if it were released beforehand? Maybe, but it probably wouldn't be remembered so fondly today if it was. To be fair, I've heard that what set Rare down that Bad Fur Day path was critics saying that it was just another 3d Platformer by Rare full of cute animals. It was either that or something towards Banjo Tooie. One or the other