Conker: Live and Reloaded

There were tons of games on the Microsoft floor that deserved some serious attention. Amidst high-tech shooters, military simulations, and medieval role-playing-games, one title jumped out at me. The familiar sight of Conker, the cuddly fur bag who should always light a match and wash his mouth out with soap, was too much to pass up. From developers Rare Ltd., who signed an exclusive deal with Microsoft for the Xbox, the twisted world of Conker hits the Xbox, with an amazing multi-player mode that isn’t just for kids who like toilet humor anymore.

Rare, like Microsoft’s other darling Bungie, are the kind of guys who don’t put their stamp on just anything without making sure it rocks. Previously a Nintendo exclusive, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, the Nintendo 64 title that surely had some conservative parents taking the game back to the store, gets a second shot on the Xbox. The game includes the original Conker with revamped graphics and the option to take the ‘bleeps’ and ‘%*$&’ out, but the real story is the rich multi-player mode which was on display on the floor.

As if it’s not fun enough to see a bunch of squirrels in army helmets blow the hell out of each other, the multi-player mode rivals and surpasses even the best multi-player experiences out there – I’m talking the likes of Rainbow Six, Unreal Championship, and Return to Castle Wolfenstein. The squad-based shooter features six classes, each represented by a different rodent. Each class has their own advantages, such as weapon selection, vehicle proficiency, and special abilities. My favorite was the female squirrel, who was lightning quick, could cloak herself, and even feign death.

Various types of vehicles can be attained. Land-based tanks and jeeps with turrets that multiple team members can mount and single-player planes appear at summoning stations if they’re available. Expect the usual repertoire of bombs, rockets, and missiles for the flyers.

The final build of the game will have six mission-based maps (for Assault, Domination, Capture the Flag, and King of the Hill modes) that can also be played in Deathmatch mode, and six exclusive Deathmatch maps for a total of twelve.

The map on display was very impressive. From looking down on the expanse of the valley, the sight was impressive. There were squirrels everywhere – it was as if someone shook an entire forest of oak trees at once. Three towers that were hotspots for Domination were locales of bloodbaths. A few squirrels took to the skies in gliders, some abandoning them by ejecting and parachuting into danger. Action was all over the place, and it was clear that unlike shoot ‘em ups like Wolfenstein, which suffered from too much fast paced action (you respawn, you die, you respawn, you die…) that Conker balanced the game out a little more – Rare focuses on fun. And with the ability to choose your respawn location, spawn camping is a thing of the past.

They new Conker may not have much to offer fans of the first one in terms of a Single-Player campaign (it really is just Conker’s Bad Fur Day with better graphics), but the multi-player mode is just too much fun. Conker: Live and Reloaded comes out of hibernation in March of 2005.

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