Conker's Pocket Tales

Before Conker became the foul-mouthed, boozing antihero famous from the Nintendo 64, he was a cute and quite innocent hero of a family adventure. Conker's Pocket Tales is thus a fascinating glimpse into the alternative past of one of studio Rare's most controversial characters.

The contrast is truly amusing. This pocket-sized little game presents Conker as a sweet squirrel in an adventure suitable for the whole family — that is, in total opposition to his later image from Conker's Bad Fur Day, where he became famous for black humor, alcohol and dirty jokes. Yet Pocket Tales came from the same studio Rare, which makes the pair one of the sharpest character turns in gaming history.

The game itself is a top-down action adventure in the style of the classic The Legend of Zelda installments. You wander through colorful environments, solve simple puzzles, collect items and fight enemies from a bird's-eye view. It's a pleasant, accessible adventure that doesn't try to be demanding — it aims at a younger audience and easygoing exploration.

That's precisely where the main charm of today's look at the game lies: on its own it's a solid but by no means groundbreaking title of its genre. What really makes it interesting is that enormous contrast with the character's later reputation. It's an artifact of a time when Conker wasn't yet what he was to become.

For fans of Rare and gaming history, it's a sweet curiosity — a chance to see an iconic character in a form that's almost forgotten today.

Why play: For a pleasant Zelda-like adventure and, above all, as a fascinating contrast to Conker's later rough reputation.