Conker's Bad Fur Day hasn't been in the public eye much (or at all) in recent years, but pop star and rapper Doja Cat just put the bad-mouthed squirrel in front of 24 million people.
Conker's Bad Fur Day has certainly grown into a cult classic thanks to some creative levels, alongside the juxtaposition between developer Rare's Banjo-Kazooie-like cartoony designs and some of the raunchiest scenes you'll find on the Nintendo 64. It was almost a South Park episode wearing a mascot platformer's clothing, and it was kind of a miracle that Nintendo greenlit the project at all.
But Conker's hangover got even worse when the game flopped upon release in 2001, having come out at the very end of the console's life cycle. When Microsoft acquired Rare, an OG Xbox remake tried to spring more attention onto the niche game, though he then went missing again until 2015's Rare Replay, a really odd crossover minigame in the oft-forgotten Project Spark, and an unexciting cosmetic pack in Sea of Thieves.
- This animatronic Banjo-Kazooie puppet showed up for 1 second in a '90s N64 commercial, only to reappear decades later, sell for $2,100, and haunt my dreams forever
- Sanrio Animal Crossing successor Hello Kitty: Island Adventure gets off to a strong start on Steam, and a lot of fans are making the same 19-year-old South Park reference
Fast forward to 2024, Conker has barely been mentioned in years. And, now, the game's gone somewhat viral thanks to Doja Cat, the singer and rapper behind hit songs like Say So and Paint the Town Red, who just yesterday shared her Halloween outfit as the "flower with giant t*** from Conker's Bad Fur Day." See it below, but beware: she wasn't kidding about the giant part.
I'm kind of in love with this Halloween outfit. It's camp. It's exaggerated. It's just niche enough to be cool, but not so obscure that it simply elicits a "huh?". She even has polygonal bees hovering around her for crying out loud. Plus, after posting the cosplay in front of 24 million Instagram followers, Conker probably hasn't gotten this much attention in his entire life. At least any future Conker projects - if they ever happen - will have a guaranteed celebrity endorsement to rely on.
Rare and Xbox Game Studios have yet to comment on these unfolding events.
For something more contemporary, see our new games of 2024 and beyond guide.
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