In a new commercial for the Microsoft HoloLens, the long awaited return of an old and beloved character and IP has been made. That’s right folks, Conker is back!
I’d like to start off by saying that, while we’re aware that Conker is not Nintendo by any means, his first appearance was in a Nintendo character’s game, and his first two games were also for Nintendo devices exclusively. Because of this, we feel it’s important to report on this return of Conker, as many of his older fans are also Nintendo players, much like Banjo-Kazooie.
Conker the Squirrel seems to be returning in a new title called Young Conker, which sees the squirrel as a younger version of himself, exploring the world around you. Yes, you. Using the technology of the Microsoft HoloLens and Windows Holographic, Young Conker is an augmented reality application that has Conker and all his enemies, collectibles, etc. laid out in whatever space you may be in at the time.
The concept of this is fascinating, and admittedly really cool. To have you send Conker up onto your couch, where he’ll recognize it as a couch and start bouncing, is amazing, and to have the game constantly adapt to your surroundings is a whole new advancement in where games could potentially go. If the room you’re playing in is on the smaller side, then Conker may just run up the walls, for example. The developers describe it as a game that runs on context, which is an idea that’s, at the very least, cool in theory.
However, despite the advanced technology that’s bringing Conker back to life, the reception to his new look has been… almost unanimously negative. Taking one look at the NeoGaf forums where this link was shared will show you that. However, what’s exciting about this title is that it looks like Microsoft and Rare are taking an interest in the character again. And if that’s the case, then we may just see more of him, albeit in a more positively received light.
You can check out the full video featuring Young Conker here!
Written by George Comatas
As a wannabe social media personality and professional in the world of sarcasm, George does his best to always adapt to the changing world around him. He considers himself a maverick: a true-to-heart gamer with the mind of a pop star. Whether this makes him revolutionary or a setback, he's yet to find out. But one thing’s for sure; he's one-of-a-kind.
