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Take a dash of Mario 64, sprinkle it with South Park, and mix it with Rare's N64 expertise and you'll get Conker's Bad Fur Day. What started out as just another 3D action/adventure game three years ago has transformed into an adult-only comedic romp through a world filled to the brim with explicit language and outrageous scenarios. Combine the humor with excellent gameplay, fantastic visuals, and incredible sound and you have yourself another great reason to own a Nintendo 64.

Gone is the peaceful and kind squirrel that starred in Conker's Pocket Tales and Diddy Kong Racing. When he was young, Conker's parents always told him, "If you want to get anywhere in life, don't touch alcohol, don't be materialistic, and never, ever urinate in a public place." Conker's parents are, to say the least, a bit disappointed. The game begins with Conker sitting atop his mighty throne. How he came to reign as King of his domain will be told via actually playing through the game. As we flashback one day (which turns out to be a "bad fur" day, hence the title), we see Conker having a good time getting drunk in the Cock & Plucker bar. After drinking himself silly he decides he'd better head home and visit his girlfriend Berri. As the game progresses via cinema cut-scenes we discover that the Panther King is having a small problem that will eventually involve Conker. The story will continue along within the game's various levels and since I don't want to give too much away, let's just say that Conker's in for one hell of a ride.

When you first get to play as Conker you'll discover that the controls are severely hampered due to his intoxication level. Only by getting rid of the hangover will the controls be improved. Right away you'll be introduced to the now-fabled context sensitive "B" pads that you will find scattered throughout the game. Upon stepping on one of these a light bulb will appear above Conker's head signaling that you should press the "B" button on the controller. Depending on his situation, Conker will be able to perform a unique action to help him out of whatever dire situation he may be in. These pads are a great game enhancement since it doesn't require you to go search out items. Instead, the correct items are provided at the right time in the game. Rare has wisely ditched the usual "collect 50,000 items per stage" mindset and instead created worlds that require puzzle solving techniques to conquer. Along the way you'll have to search for stacks of money in order to progress to some of the later stages. Much like the Jinjos in Banjo-Kazooie that whistle at you when you are nearby, the dollar bills also do a little talking of their own, except this time they aren't so polite. Since there are plenty of enemies throughout the game, it's inevitable that Conker will need a source of energy. His health meter is marked with six pieces of a chocolate bar that gradually get chopped off when he takes damage. Only by finding more pieces of chocolate will Conker be able to survive the tortures that await him. To help make his quest easier, there are tails that can be collected so he may continue on his quest. In reality though, there are unlimited continues since the game automatically saves your progress.

I'm not sure how Rare does it, but once again they've proven that the N64 is capable of displaying an awesome 3D world. The details in the surroundings and the textures are some of the best seen on the N64. Likewise, the animation is where the title really stands out. If there ever was a game that should be called an interactive cartoon, this is it. All of the characters exhibit fluid animation and anytime a character speaks, his or her facial expressions are perfect. Not only are lips synched with the words, but Conker's entire face animates with such precision that even if the game were completely silent I could tell what the red squirrel was trying to get across. Little extras, like Conker using floats on his arms before learning how to swim, and blood-shot eyes after having too much to drink are present through the entire game. Even with the huge environments and fantastic special effects the frame rate doesn't suffer. Many will recall that Banjo-Tooie suffered from some graphical hiccups that caused some to dismiss the game altogether. Rare has optimized its graphical engine for Conker and there's nary a sign of slowdown, even when playing the multiplayer modes. From the sparkling blue streams to the stinky piles of poo, the graphics will not disappoint. Oh, and you don't need the expansion pak to enjoy the nice visuals either.

Never before has audio been so important in an N64 game. Every single character that has a role in the story speaks. The actors should be complimented for a job well done (especially since I think most of the voices were provided by the Rare staff). How Rare managed to cram so much quality voice in this cartridge is beyond me. Besides being laugh-your-ass-off funny, it's the quantity and regularity that is most impressive. Without the voice samples the game wouldn't be nearly as humorous as it is. Not to be outdone, the music is fantastically composed as well. There are a great variety of musical pieces to be found in the game. From epic adventure music to techno beats to hillbilly tunes; it's all in there. There's even an epic musical number that is sung by the "Great Mighty Poo" that is sure to leave you in stitches. The game is even presented in Dolby Surround to accentuate all of the special effects, provided of course you have the proper equipment. In short, the audio is just as impressive, if not more so, than the graphics, which is a welcome change for the N64.

The humor present in Conker is the main factor contributing to its mature rating. In order to create the scenes and make them truly shocking and funny Rare had to implement some minor swearing as well as a healthy dose of blood, guts, piss, and poo. Throw in a little sexual innuendo and you've got yourself an "M" label on the box. You can't underestimate the amount of humor contained in this game. Sure, most of it is "toilet humor", but never before have I laughed so much while playing a game. Have a couple of friends over to join in playing and the game gets even funnier since laughter is definitely contagious. Many of the jokes poke fun at movies such as Terminator and The Matrix, but there's plenty of original content to please even the most jaded gamer. There are so many memorable moments throughout the game that Rare has even included a chapter list so you can go back and replay parts of the game you already played. Want to show your friends the proper way to pollinate a flower? Just select the chapter and go at it.

After all the praise I've given Conker's Bad Fur Day, you may be scratching your head in wonder at my B+ score, even though by our standards that score is extremely good (only 2 notches down from perfect). There are a couple of problems with the game that I couldn't let go unnoticed. First of all, there's the frustration level. While I generally don't complain about challenge in a game (I'm all for a difficult game), it's my philosophy that the challenge has to be legitimate. In other words, throwing in a whole bunch of one-kill wonders, as Conker unfortunately does, isn't my idea of a challenging game, but instead is one that takes some of the enjoyment away from playing it. Since the game is relatively short (under 10 hours for most players), I have to wonder if Rare didn't try to compensate for this shortcoming by making some of the areas insanely difficult to beat. Of course, this IS Rare we're talking about, creators of some of the most challenging games ever made (Battletoads anyone?). Another small problem is with the humor itself. I found it to be funny, but there truly are some grotesque moments that I could have done without. Luckily these complaints are very small and shouldn't have an impact on your decision to buy the game.

Rare has created a very unique game in a familiar package. Upon first glance a gamer might pass over this game thinking it's another of Rare's usual 3D platform adventures. After seeing the game in action for a few minutes that theory will be blown away. The game is extremely fun to play, the controls are awesome, and the replay value is enhanced thanks to the humorous nature of the quest. A slew of multiplayer mini-games are available to keep you busy when you have a bunch of friends over. I haven't spent a lot of time exploring these multiplayer options, but according to a couple of friends they offer up some amazing fun, especially "The Beach" level. Besides the few shortcomings listed above, Conker's Bad Fur Day represents a new era of adventure gaming. One can only imagine what Rare has in store for us next on the GameCube. Do yourself a favor and pick up this cartridge, as it truly is one of the last great N64 games that will be released.