10/06 Update: Since we no longer write for the Edmond Sun, this section is temporarily housing our podcast links for our iTunes feed. All of the columns are in the archives menu if you feel like exploring.

These columns (as well as the 'releases') come from weekly content that we write for the Edmond Sun, out of Edmond, OK (though we live in Chicago). This page contains the archives for said column, many of which are in their pre-published, unedited state. Some titles and editing by Brendan Sinclair.

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Conker: Live and Reloaded review
Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Sometimes I feel that Rare is purposely trying to make it difficult to love them. My favorite developer of all time, who has churned out such undeniable classics as Anticipation, Blast Corps and It's Mr. Pants through the years, has simply refused to release any games at all since being sold by Nintendo to Microsoft more than three years ago. Aside from the charming though simple Grabbed by the Ghoulies, they have not released a single console title since becoming an Xbox exclusive developer. And now that they finally decided to release a game it turns out to be a remake of a N64 title that is a mere four years old - and the remake is somehow worse than the original. Nevertheless, I still purchased this title as soon as possible since every Rare game, no matter how poorly thrown together, is at least worth playing. And aside from some gripes in the multiplayer mode, it is actually a rather enjoyable experience.

First, for those who have no idea what Conker is, allow me a small paragraph to describe where such a surly character came from. Back in the N64 days Rare was basically at Nintendo’s beck and call. While the company was more adept at making family friendly titles anyway, Nintendo urged them to keep churning out the E rated hits. At one point, Rare was developing both Banjo-Kazooie and Conker at the same time. Both were 3D platformers that were quite fun but possibly too cute for their own good. While Banjo eventually came out in its sugar-coated form, Rare apparently got fed up with the pastel laden games and decided to turn Conker from a lovable squirrel with a penchant for hats to a foul-mouthed, womanizing anti-hero. Needless to say, the game, appearing on the kid-friendly N64, came as a shock to gamers around the world and received praise from critics more for its attempt at being different than the actual gameplay found within.

Four years later, with games like Psi Ops and Alien Hominid sweeping the nation, a game with excessive swearing and drug use cannot shock the jaded masses. The question remains: can a title with four year old gameplay and some of the best graphics around hold up to the newest and best games of the modern era? The answer is a decisive kinda.

For those who are used to what passes as a 3D platformer in this generation of gaming, Conker: Live and Reloaded may come as a bit of a shock to you. For some reason the genre has taken a rather sharp shift towards action on today’s consoles, favoring gun-toting animals blasting everything in sight rather than the jumping and exploration which have been the foundations of the genre since the very beginning. For the most part, Conker offers a mix of gameplay that should satiate the needs fans of both styles of gaming demand. However, because of an odd choice in pacing, gamers who prefer to simply shoot everything that moves will have to play through the majority of the game before they encounter the shooting which later levels offer. For those who are content to stroll aimless around a colorful world - solving puzzles at leisure while taking in the various sights - the first half of Conker will be right up your alley. While the title never reaches the unbridled excellence of either the exploration of Mario 64 or the action of Ratchet and Clank, it is still fun enough, even four years after conception, to keep most gamers enthralled.

And, since this is a Rare made title, the production values are as good as anything else out there. The updated graphics are simply astonishing this time around. In fact, Conker: LaR looks almost as good as Rare’s upcoming Xbox 360 adventure Kameo. Considering the huge amount of untapped power still locked away in the Xbox and the fact that Rare had little to do other than work on graphics while porting this game over for the last two years, it's not surprising Conker is currently the best looking game on the market. Even keeping those ideas in mind, I am still continually blown away by just how fantastic everything in Conker looks. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the sound bites and music have simply been reused. While the music is as humably good as anything Rare composes, I would have preferred an original score.

My biggest complain with the game lies in the multiplayer. The original offered some of the most unique and funny matches around. From mowing down helpless French refugees with a gattling gun to devouring cavemen with a savage raptor, the modes were pure candy. For some reason, even though the single player is just a remake of the original, the multiplayer is completely new... and unfortunately not nearly as fun. Rare threw away my beloved dinosaurs for an overly complicated war between squirrels and teddy bears. While the ability to play with up to 15 other players both online as well as offline is a welcome addition, the game trades in Rare's trademark quirkiness for a game that just about any developer could have churned out. Playing variations of capture the flag on an assortment of maps is still fun, but I miss the simple joys of robbing banks with a weasel.

It's hard to recommend this game across the board simply because it does cost $50 and the N64 version, which is superior in many ways, is only around $10. The single player adventure still relies more on humor than actual gameplay and the multiplayer requires hours of dedication and practice to get everything out of it. However, if you love pretty graphics or somehow missed Conker the first time around, this is sure to fill your gaming needs in this excessively long summer gaming drought.

- Tom


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