Summary
Conker’s Pocket Tales is a 1999 adventure game for the Game Boy Color featuring Conker the Squirrel. It combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and action elements as players attempt to thwart the Evil Acorn’s plans and rescue Conker’s friend Berri.
- Release Year: 1999
- Genres: Adventure, Puzzle
- Platforms: Game Boy Color
- Developers: Rare
- Publishers: Rare
Introduction
Conker’s Pocket Tales introduces players to a lighthearted adventure featuring Conker the Squirrel. Celebrating his birthday, Conker finds that his party is crashed, his presents stolen, and his friend Berri kidnapped by the Evil Acorn.
Synopsis
The game begins with Conker and Berri at Conker’s birthday party. Just as he is about to blow out the candles on his cake, his friend Berri is kidnapped by the Evil Acorn. The rest of the game is Conker solving puzzles and finding items to assist him on his journey.
The game is played from a top-down perspective1, with Conker exploring large environments in an attempt to find all his stolen presents. By collecting a certain number of presents in each area and defeating a boss, players unlock access to the next one. In addition to standard running and jumping, Conker can perform a mid-air ground-pounding attack that can hit buttons to solve puzzles. Conker also has the ability to dig up patches of soft dirt, emerging at another predetermined patch to reach inaccessible areas, and uses a slingshot to defeat enemies or hit distant switches.
The game features two game modes: campaign and sandbox. The campaign mode consists of scenarios depicting historical stages of public transit development in various cities throughout the 20th century. In each scenario, the player needs to complete all tasks provided by the city mayor or citizens. The player is given a certain amount of money, can take out loans from different banks with different interest rates, and earn money from the transit system. Loan payments are made monthly until the entire amount is returned to the bank.
The sandbox mode allows the player to run any city, including custom-made cities created in the map editor, for as long as they wish. While in general, the player is simply trying to build a mass transit system, each of the twelve campaign scenarios offers bonus objectives that the player can choose to perform or ignore.
The game ends when Conker rescues Berri from the Catacombs, getting his presents back along the way, and the Evil Acorn getting blasted out of the atmosphere by his own bomb, which was planted in said Catacombs. Conker, Berri, and all of the friends that Conker made throughout his quest gather together for a new birthday party for Conker, and Conker and Berri appear to live happily ever after.
Characters
Conker – The protagonist, a cheerful and adventurous squirrel. Berri – Conker’s best friend, a chipmunk, who has been kidnapped. Evil Acorn – The antagonist who disrupts Conker’s birthday and serves as the primary villain.
Gameplay
The gameplay combines action, adventure, and puzzle-solving elements. Players explore different worlds, collect items, solve puzzles, and engage in combat with a slingshot. The game also includes mini-games and challenges that test the player’s skills.
Conclusion
Conker’s Pocket Tales remains a notable part of Conker’s legacy, offering a glimpse into the character’s origins. While not without its flaws, it provides a solid adventure experience for fans of retro gaming and the Game Boy Color.
Review Score
6/10
Art
Cover Art
Screenshots
Fan Art
Fan Art Style: Normal
Fan Art Style: Retro
Fan Art Style: Modern
