Conker's Bad Fur Day is a 2001
platform game developed and published by
Rare for the
Nintendo 64. The game follows
Conker, a greedy, hard-drinking
red squirrel who must return home to his girlfriend after
binge drinking. Most of the game requires the player to complete a linear sequence of challenges that involve jumping over obstacles, solving
puzzles, and fighting enemies. A
multiplayer mode where up to four players can compete against each other in seven different game types is also included. It is the second installment in the
Conker series, after
Conker’s Pocket Tales.
Although visually similar to Rare's previous games, such as
Donkey Kong 64 and
Banjo-Kazooie,
Conker's Bad Fur Day was designed for mature audiences and features graphic violence, alcohol and tobacco use, profanity, vulgar humour, fourth wall breaks and
pop culture references. Development lasted four years, with concepts originating during the development of
Killer Instinct Gold in 1996. The game, intended for a family audience, was initially titled
Twelve Tales: Conker 64 and was set for release in late 1998, but by the time it received criticism for its kid-friendly tone and resemblance to
Banjo-Kazooie during
E3 1998, the game was transformed into an adult-oriented version of that product.
Conker's Bad Fur Day was released in March 2001, following an advertising campaign that targeted male college students. It received critical acclaim, with praise directed at its humour, sound, visuals, and gameplay. However, the game sold
well below expectations due to limited advertising and a release towards the end of the Nintendo 64's life cycle, but has since developed a
cult following. A
remake,
Conker: Live & Reloaded, was released for the
Xbox in 2005, while the original version was included as part of the
Rare Replay compilation for
Xbox One in 2015.