Twelve Tales: Conker 64 Nintendo Retrospective

The celebrated developer Rare has a special treat in store for game players this holiday season. Twelve Tales: Conker 64 follows the adventures of Conker the squirrel and Berri the chipmunk as they seek to recover stolen booty and rescue lost friends.

Always the innovator, Rare has squirreled (sorry, we had to say it) two games into one Pak. Choosing the ebullient Conker results in a full-blown action title, as the scampish squirrel is always ready to duke it out with any troublemaker who crosses his path. Banking on Berri results in a strategy game, with the diminutive chipmunk nourishing and commanding a monster who does all the fighting for her.

Traditional video-game characters have been saddled with poker faces or, at best, an extremely limited range of emotions. Not so with Conker 64! The hero’s expressions will range from happy to sad to angry to terrified, depending on what’s happening in the game.

Both Conker and Berri will have full freedom to roam in vast 3-D environments, smashing crates, toting rocks and climbing and shaking trees. Expect plenty of secrets and bonus stages.

As with every Rare game, Conker 64 will be crammed with dazzling graphic touches, such as the footprints Conker leaves when he walks out of water. Conker 64 will feature more than 50 villains, ranging from Acorn Troopers to the ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex, each controlled by shrewd artificial intelligence.

Rare also promises an option-rich battle mode for as many as four players. All right, we’ll say it: Players will go nuts for this game!