Twelve Tales: Conker 64 Rare Retrospective

He may have been pipped to the post of first Rare-published game by the speedy late ’97 release of Diddy Kong Racing, but it’ll take more than that to dampen Conker’s mood. In fact things are working out well for the feisty squirrel, with his debut appearance as a DKR competitor paving the way for his own epic adventures to follow – both on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy (in the upcoming Conker’s Pocket Tales).

The team behind the game (largely made up of ex-KI team members, taking a well-earned break from violence and destruction) is doing everything imaginable to differentiate the antics of their chirpy mascot from those of both Mario and Conker’s stablemate Banjo. The ‘interactive cartoon’ aspect of Twelve Tales in particular is being pushed hard, with the vibrant scenery of the game world and the hugely varied themes of its areas (woodland, seafront, Wild West, Ancient Greek arena etc.) recalling some classic animated screen moments.

The ’emotional’ angle featured in the game has also sparked a considerable amount of interest, finding itself the focus of many a press release. Conker and his female counterpart Berri the chipmunk each bear a range of emotions, just like any cartoon or real-life critter, and also a number of expressions with which to convey their mood: they’re fully aware of the game world and its dangers, and they can react accordingly. However, this also holds true for the bad guys… it’s a revolutionary system, and one which should carry the genre a few steps further up the logical path of its evolution.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg where new features for this type of game are concerned. There’s a simultaneous two-player co-operative mode where separate players take control of Conker and his owl companion, a four-player split-screen deathmatch setup, and markedly different one-player games depending on whether you choose to play as Conker (arcade-style with a wide range of direct attacks on offer) or Berri (more strategy-led with a monster companion doing most of the rough stuff, provided you keep it well-fed and contented).

Twelve Tales: Conker 64 has been designed as an experience for all ages, the ‘moods’ structure allowing the player to manipulate the tone of the game and play in it any way he or she sees fit. If the name doesn’t ring any immediate bells, you may have been more familiar with the working title of Conker’s Quest, which was dropped recently (thanks mainly to overuse of the word ‘conquer’ in modern gaming and the tedious arguments that this can bring about). However, it looks as if the mischievous rodent star himself will be spared the indignity of a name change.