IMPROVING CONKER

How Rare made Bad Fur Day better for Live & Reloaded

TEAM FORTRESS CONKER

Multiplayer did make up a chunk of the N64 release, but by the time Live & Reloaded rolled around, Xbox Live had taken off. While Rare could have halfheartedly bolted on a perfunctory multiplayer mode, it instead crafted a Team Fortressalike with surprising depth that established a healthy playerbase.

CENSORSHIP

A dash of censorship across the board for Conker’s remake meant it was family friendly! Alright, it still wasn’t. At all. And actually the censorship was a step in the wrong direction – the original had bleeps at times anyway, so it wasn’t a new introduction, but the removal of some extra swearing was just a bit too nanny state for some.

FUR

Graphically, Conker Live & Reloaded took things up a notch in every area – higher resolution textures, better lighting, brighter colours. But it’s the fur that really blew everyone away, with Conker himself getting one of the most impressive makeovers of anyone or anything in the whole game. He’s just so… fuzzy.

THE LOCAL TOUCH

For those who weren’t yet privy to the world of online gaming through Xbox Live, Rare also saw fit to throw in some good old classic local multiplayer options. System link, co-op and PVP all made the cut and could be played by up to four people on the same TV, no need for any of that fancy pants internet stuff.