Rare was once one of the most iconic developers in the video game industry. In the 90s, the company was known for its colorful platformers, and most notably, introducingDonkey Kong’s modern incarnation withDonkey Kong Country. By the time the Nintendo 64 hit the shelves, Rare was one of the biggest contributors to the platform’s library, with games likeBanjo-Kazooie,Goldeneye 007, andConker’s Bad Fur Day.Conkerin particular stood out among the wave of kid-friendly platformers that 90s gaming culture was so fond of. Taking an inspiration fromSouth Park,Bad Fur Dayused the juxtaposition of vulgar, inappropriate content and cute, colorful aesthetics for humorous purposes.
Despite the abysmal marketing and sales,Bad Fur Day’s approach to platformers was unique enough to warrant it a cult classic status. It even got a remake on the Xbox after Rare was bought by Microsoft, which was polarizing due to its decision to censor curse words despite ironically being on a system that usually targets teenagers and adults. After that, Conker was left alone, but his dormant series still has a devoted fanbase. To this day, there is stillConker-themed merchandise being made. With that in mind, in addition to the countless remakes and modern sequels gamers have gotten, a newConkergame would not be shocking.
RELATED:7 Great Games That Sold Poorly
Conker Could Continue The Comeback of Platformers
The 90s were a bastion of platformers, with most of them attempting to copy the success ofSonic the Hedgehog, which in itself was only created as a way to endSuper Mario’s own quasi-monopoly on the genre. By the end of the decade, most of these games fell into obscurity, and by the 2000s, the entire genre fell into obscurity as well. Out of the pre-existing franchises, onlyMarioandSonicmanaged to stay relevant despite the latter’s notorious dark age. EvenDonkey Kong, whose eponymous star is one of the oldest and most famous video game characters in the world, was reduced to having representation inMariospinoffs until the release ofDonkey Kong Country Returnsover a decade afterDonkey Kong 64came out. Other beloved series, such asBanjo-Kazooie,Crash Bandicoot, andSpyro the Dragon, became a shadow of their former selves, much to their fans’ dismay.
The late 2010s saw a resurgence in interest in platformers, both 2D and 3D. BothMarioandSonichad their most acclaimed mainline entries in years in the form ofSuper Mario OdysseyandSonic Mania. The originalCrashandSpyrotrilogies were remade from the ground up, withCrashalso being blessed with aCrash Team Racingremakeand a brand-new original entry inCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. WhileBanjohas yet to get a new game, the titular duo got a modern redesign by becoming part of the roster inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, implying a newfound interest in the property on Microsoft’s part. To top it all off, plenty of indie games, fromShovel KnighttoA Hat in Time, were made as a tribute to the genre’s classic entries.
Now that Microsoft will buy Activision-owned properties, includingCrashandSpyro, a new space for platformers has been created within the company’s lineup. If Microsoft plays its cards right, aremake ofBanjo-KazooieandBanjo-Tooieor a newBanjogame seems inevitable. While not as iconic as his peers, Conker is popular enough that Microsoft should take advantage of its ownership of the classic platformer series, capitalizing on the nostalgia for the Nintendo 64 era through a newConkertitle.
WhileBad Fur Day’s “mature” content may seem juvenile to some, its edge is still enough to distinguish theConkeruniverse from the rest. Considering that the audience for these family-friendly games clearly partially consists of adults that grew up with these very titles, an irreverent and vulgar game could create an interesting market. AnotherBad Fur Dayremakethat fixes the problems of both the original and Xbox versions, or a newConkergame in general, has serious potential.
CrashandSpyroare not the only games being remade, as other, more niche titles likeKao the Kangarooand evenKlonoaare also making a comeback. The interest in platformers, especially nostalgic ones, is huge. A newConkergame that modernizes the raunchy, cartoony antics ofBad Fur Dayand addresses the criticisms of said game has the potential to be unique, even in a world where works that contrast violent vulgarity with kid-friendly visuals are not nearly as subversive as they once were. IfConkerwere to ever come back, now is the time.
MORE:All the Rare-Developed Nintendo 64 Games That Could Come to Switch Online
