Conker: Live & Reloaded

Conker: Live & Reloaded
File:Conkerbox.jpg
Developer(s)	Rare
Publisher(s)	Microsoft Game Studios
Platform(s)	Xbox
Release	June 21, 2005 June 24, 2005 June 30, 2005
Genre(s)	Third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer

Conker: Live & Reloaded is a video game for Microsoft's Xbox console. It was released on June 21, 2005 as a remake of the Nintendo 64 game Conker's Bad Fur Day. In addition to a completely new Live multiplayer portion, the game was revamped to take advantage of the increased power of the Xbox, and additional "uncensored" content (which was unlocked via earning medals on Xbox Live), and a new chapter "X". The game received generally good reviews; however, it was criticized in some circles for being little more than a remake.

With the December 14, 2006 backwards compatibility update for the Xbox 360, the Xbox release of Conker Live & Reloaded can now also be played on the Xbox 360.

Gameplay

The game has a new combat system for single and multiplayer modes. It includes a third-person camera perspective and controls similar to Halo: Combat Evolved, Unreal Tournament, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, and Ratchet: Deadlocked. It retains the platformer elements from Conker's Bad Fur Day.

Xbox Live

Live and Reloaded has an extensive multiplayer component, which was touted as the main component of the game. The multiplayer portion of the game revolves around a war between the Tediz and the SHC (short for "Squirrel High Command"), several aspects of which parody various movies, such as Saving Private Ryan and the Terminator series.

Both the Tediz and the SHC have 6 classes, the weapons and abilities of each class being identical on both sides, only with different appearances and voices. There are two modes: Team and Deathmatch. Team has each side attempting to achieve a series of objectives unique to each mission. The missions are typically either in head-to-head format, where each team must compete for the same objectives (i.e. Capture the Flag), or in an "assault" style mode, with one team defending an objective (usually the Tediz) and the other attacking (usually the SHC). There are 8 missions, bound together by a loose storyline that consists of little more than brief cutscenes. The same maps can be played in the aforementioned Deathmatch mode, where the objective is simply to eliminate the other team or score a higher total number of kills, depending on the server options.

Classes

Each class has its own special equipment, special abilities, and physical capabilities. Each class is designed for a distinct purpose, and more often than not, the class a player chooses will determine that player's fighting strategy. The classes also come with a sort of Rock, Paper, Scissors mentality, with each class designed to have advantages against certain classes while being vulnerable to others. For example, the Thermophile's flamethrower inflicts extreme damage on Sneekers and Long Rangers, who have less health, but is virtually useless against the high-vitality Demolisher. Each class comes equipped with a primary weapon with unlimited ammunition, (although reloading of the weapon is still required), a limited stock of grenades, and at least one special ability. The classes also can choose from several special ordinance items and vehicles unique to each class, which can be obtained at stations in team bases (however, an option is available to the host of a server to disable one or both features). Abilities common to all classes are the ability to shoulder all weapons for extra running speed, and a can of spray paint that can be used to apply the player's avatar image to walls to mock human opponents. Scattered throughout the arenas are yellow Upgrade Orbs, which grant a player more equipment and abilities when obtained. A player loses his orb upon death, allowing another player to obtain it.

Grunt: The most versatile class available, novice players often underestimate them because of their short stature and lack of any specialization. Grunts use a "Sturm" 21 SMG which can be set to fire in bursts, fully automatic, or single anti-armour rounds. They carry frag and stun grenades, a medgun for healing allies, and have the coveted self heal ability. When upgraded, they receive an EMP grenade and a powerful "Hogster" grenade launcher, which can be set to fire bouncing, impact, or remote detonating grenades.

Sneeker: The most tactical class, Sneekers are the fastest moving class available, but are also the weakest. They carry a sabre (resembling a Japanese katana), limiting their attacks to mêlée range, but they can achieve combos which can behead an opponent. When using the sabre, Sneekers can offensive or defensive stance, defensive mode rendering them invulnerable to normal bullets, and allowing them to power up a powerful spin attack. Sneekers can cloak or feign death for "Sneek" attacks. They carry EMP and stun grenades, a device for hacking locked doors and terminals, and a remote controlled robotic camera known as the "Snoopa" for spying on the enemy. The Snoopa also has the ability to self destruct, injuring or killing nearby players. The Snoopa normally takes five seconds to self destruct, but once a player has achieved 500 backstab kills on Xbox Live, the Snoopa is upgraded to detonate instantly (there is also a well known exploit, or glitch, which allows the Snoopa to be used indefinitely without needing to "recharge"; needless to say, this tactic draws the ire of many players online). When upgraded, Sneekers receive a set of daggers which can be thrown or stabbed with, a gas grenade, and the ability to disguise themselves as an enemy.

Demolisher: Physically, the demolishers are the slowest of the six classes, however they also have the most health to counterbalance this disadvantage. Demolishers carry a bazooka, giving them devastating firepower at the cost of a slow reload time. They can fire either straight missiles, or anti-aircraft missiles. They can enter a berserk state, which shoulders their weapons in exchange for more health, faster movement, and a deadly pound attack. Demolishers carry frag and smoke grenades and an arc weld for repairing vehicles and terminals. When upgraded, they can fire guided missiles, which are controlled from a first-person view, receive a frag grenade, and a powerful, but awkward, "Strayfur" chaingun.

Long Ranger: The anti-thesis of the Sneekers, Long Rangers carry a "Widow Maker" sniper rifle that has two zoom modes (three with upgrade), and can fire either anti-infantry or anti-armour rounds. The bullets inflict limited damage with body hits, so only head shots are a guaranteed kill. The widow maker also has a combination laser sight/overcharge which increases damage and accuracy, but the very visible laser beam reveals the player's position. Long Rangers carry EMP and stun grenades, a medgun, and have the “infravison” ability. When upgraded, they receive the self heal ability, an extra zoom for their widow maker, a frag grenade, and a pair of "Krotch" 45 pistols for close quarters combat. It is generally regarded as the most difficult Sniper in any shooting game to master.

Sky Jockey: Sky Jockeys are a very specific class, being virtually useless on foot. Their only armament is a pair of weak DP 500 pistols, which can be set to fire in bursts or single concentrated shots. Their only grenade is an EMP. They are, however, the only class that can use flying vehicles, giving them an unprecedented advantage on maps with air vehicles. They carry an arc weld to repair their vehicles, and a parachute so that they can bail out if need be, or jump safely from a great height. They also receive the infravision ability with an upgrade, which is nearly identical to that of the long ranger.

Thermophile: Represented as being pyromaniacal, Thermophiles are the best suited for close quarters combat. They carry a "Sinurator" flame thrower, which can fire either flaming napalm for setting enemies aflame, or acid for destroying armour. A single Thermophile can engage multiple enemies, but they are limited to short range, are one of the slower moving classes, and are very prone to causing friendly fire. They carry incendiary and gas grenades, a medgun and also have the self heal ability. When upgraded, they receive a frag grenade and a "Fauster" lasergun, which is very powerful against vehicles but awkward to wield and requires pin-point accuracy to kill infantry.

During a game, players can earn Career Points (CP) by killing enemies, completing objectives, and various other tasks that contribute to the team. On Xbox Live, CP accumulates and if a player earns enough CP, the player will reach a higher rank. A player's rank does not affect gameplay, but it does show how experienced a player is. Players can also gain medals with more specific requirements (500 kills, 500 Victory Condition CP, etc.) Medals provide bonuses to the player, such as faster reloading or a larger magazine.

Terminals

Terminals are found in every mission, usually near a base. Terminals are computers that dispense useful items or vehicles, and can be accessed by a player during the game. When accessed, the player is given a menu of the available items. When an item is chosen it can be picked up at an adjacent dispenser area. The objects received from the terminals disappear upon the death of the player that obtained them. Terminals may be neutral and available to both sides, or under the control of one side. Terminals can be attacked and disabled, but not destroyed. If damaged or disabled, they can be repaired with an arc weld, issued to the Demolisher and Sky Jockey classes. Neutral or enemy controlled terminals can be hacked with a Sneeker's hacking device. There are two types of terminals: Special Ordinance Terminals, and Mobile Units terminals.

Special Ordinance Terminals provide useful items to the player. They also restock any used grenades when accessed. A player may use only a limited number of items. The items available from a SO Terminal are:

Mines: Available to Demolishers, Thermophiles, and upgraded Long Rangers. Mines are dispensed in stacks of three for Demolishers and Long Rangers, and stacks of 2 for the Thermophile. They are invisible to the enemy and are not triggered by allies, but will detonate prematurely if caught by an EMP grenade.

Earth Guard: Available to Grunts, Long Rangers, and Thermophiles, and Demolishers with an upgrade, Earth Guards are automated turrets that attack any ground unit in range. Very powerful, but can be temporarily disabled by EMP grenades.

Sky Guard: Available to Sky Jockeys, Grunts, and Long Rangers; these are similar to the Earth Guard, but attack aircraft instead of ground units.

Gate-Maker: Available only to the Sneeker, Gatemakers are a set of two gates that form a one-way teleportation field. The "Out" gate is placed before the "In" gate.

Mobile Units Terminals are only found in a select group of missions and have huge dispenser areas. Vehicles are obtained from MU Terminals and Each class may use only one or two types of vehicles. Upon obtaining a vehicle, the driver must move it out of the dispenser area or it will self-destruct, and the other players will need to wait for a few seconds before they will receive their chosen vehicles. Vehicles are damaged by anti armour ammo, and explode when destroyed, so heavily damaged vehicles should be avoided. The vehicles available from a Mobile Units Terminal are:

"Toad Mark" II: Available only to the Grunt, the Toad is a Jeep similar to Halo's Warthog: It has a gunner position in the back that can be controlled by another player or by the driver. The Toad has a good mix of speed, armour, and firepower, and is free of any serious flaws, aside from the flaw all vehicles in the game retain of being huge compared to the size of the soldiers, much like the class that uses it.

"Dragon" Mark IV: Available only to Thermophiles, the Dragon is similar to the Toad, but the rear turret is replaced with a flamethrower.

R-Hog: Available to Long Rangers, Sneekers, and upgraded Grunts, the R-Hog is an ATV that is very fast, but difficult to control and is completely unarmed (except for its bumper), and is meant for quickly getting around. The R-Hog also has a speed boost ability. If the R-Hog crash and tips upside down there is a high probability the driver can get killed so drive carefully.

Tankus: Available only to Demolishers, the Tankus is a slow-moving, but very powerful, tank (obviously.) It can turn on the spot, making it easy to control. It is the toughest of all vehicles, but presents a large target that is usually prioritized by the enemy. Unfortunately, the Tankus has no targeting reticule for its dual mortar cannons and is best used for long range bombardment. Like the Toad and Dragon, the turret can be controlled by another player.

Steed: The bread and butter of the Sky Jockey, the Steed is a fighter that fires missiles, chainguns, and anti-aircraft missiles. The Steed is very fast, extremely manoeuvrable, and is capable of hovering, strafing, and boosting.

Mule 52: Another form of aircraft, the Mule is only available in New War missions. The Mule is a combination Dropship/Bomber. The pilot can only drop bombs, but another player can operate a gunner turret. Six other players may ride in the Mule, allowing for fast deployment, but putting them at serious risk, as the Mule is sure to attract a great deal of enemy fire. The pilot can bail out if necessary but can end up killing any passengers as they can't bail. Rarely used to transport troops due to the attention it attracts and the lack of parachutes for non sky-jockeys.

Other Gameplay Objects

Apart from terminals, players may encounter these other objects during a mission.

Turrets: Large, powerful chaingun turrets that can be controlled by a player. Turrets can both deal and endure a lot of damage, but the operater is exposed and vulnerable to well aimed attacks. Turrets are damaged by anti-armour ammo, and because they so powerful, they are often a prioroty target and usually will be destroyed in the first few minutes of a game.

Exploding Barrels: Obviously, they explode when hit by anti-armour ammo. They can be very effective traps, but players should note that the enemy can also exploit them.

Force Field Doors: Only encountered in Future War missions, these doors guard key points around the map. Like terminals, they are either affiliated with one faction, or neutral and thus bar access to both sides. Doors can be hacked via a nearby locking terminal. Doors only work one-way; a player can pass through an enemy door from behind. In some missions, similar doors will guard primary spawn-points. These cannot be hacked.

Auto-Guns: In some missions, these automated turrets guard primary spawn-points to discourage oppertunistic players from killing enemies as they respawn. Autoguns are invincible and can slaughter entire scores of enemies in mere seconds, so it is prudent to avoid going near them.

Parodies

A number of popular and classic movies are parodied in Conker: Live and Reloaded.

• Van Helsing — Conker's costume in the Spooky Chapter. This parody wasn't seen in Conker's Bad Fur Day because that game predated Van Helsing by three years.
• Saving Private Ryan — D-Day segment. The Fortress Duex level of the multiplayer is somewhat of a parody of the sections of the movie in which they are in the two towns. The SHC side of the level is much like the end of the movie, in which the squad is in the destroyed French town, with French music playing. The Tediz side is like the town that they enter after the D-Day scene, very similar to the last scene, only with a Propaganda speech playing over the loudspeakers. Plus, it is raining.
• The Terminator — When the Haybot's face is burned, it reveals a robotic eye. Then it scrolls through a list of insults and says "Buff you, arsehole." The Tediz have robotic insides, which may also be a reference to The Terminator. The music is also very similar to The Terminator Main Theme.
• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines — The futuristic multiplayer campaign
• Jaws — The bullfish and its camera movements along with the way the great mighty poo reacts to the corn in his bowl
• Godzilla— The bullfish chasing Conker up the pier while destroying it
• The Matrix — The bank lobby battle against weasels
• Alien — The final boss scene, and in the multiplayer map "Three Towers", in which the destruction device in the hands of the Tediz looks like the device the space jockey was found in. Also, in the excavation there are exit signs which have an alien figure instead of a human figure
• Reservoir Dogs — One of the many influences on the weasel "mafia"
• The Exorcist — The little girl & The Robot Boss in "It's War"
• A Clockwork Orange — The opening and closing cutscenes
• Star Wars — The Panther King's first appearance in the vault and the Panther King's final appearance in the multiplayer level Doon. The entire level of Doon is thought to be based off of Star Wars, as well. The opening cinematic reveals the SHC's starship looks very much like Han Solo's Millennium Falcon, the city is made to look like Mos Eisley, and the music is meant to mimic the composing style of John Williams.
• Dune: The name of the level Doon is quite obviously a parody of the book and movie of the same name.
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day — The 2004 E3 Demo
• Full Metal Jacket — Birdy giving Conker the manual. Specifically his quote, "Long time, you love manual long time". Para quote from "Da Nang Hooker" (Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket).
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail — Upon entering the dining room, Count Batula quotes the landlord of the swamp castle.
• Dracula — Count Batula's greeting, appearance, and mannerisms.
• Blue Velvet — Conker climbs to the top of a mountain and meets with a talking barrel. The barrel says:

"Hey, you wanna go for a ride?"

To which Conker replies:

"Errr, no thanks."

"No thanks what?"

"I don't want to go."

"To go for what?"

"A ride."

"A ride? Yeah! - let's go for a ride!".

This is a pastiche of a scene in the David Lynch film 'Blue Velvet'.

• Event Horizon - A multiplayer stage resembles the Event Horizon ship from the film. Also, the flag used for capture the flag resembles the core of the ship from the movie.
• The Wizard of Oz — the Great Mighty Poo's death scene is a parody of when the Wicked Witch of the West is killed.
• A Bridge Too Far — "A Bridge Too Narrow" is a rather obvious parody of this move's name.
• The Untouchables — When the mob boss beats one of his goons to death with a baseball bat.
• Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb — Prof. Von Kriplespac is a parody of Dr. Stranglelove in this film.
• Kill Bill — After defeating all the Tediz surgeons in the "It's War!" stage, a mutant Tediz furiously bursts free from a glass chamber. Upon exiting, the exact 'warning siren' sound from "Kill Bill" when The Bride first encounters Vernita Green is heard.
• Halo (video game series) The multiplayer level The Three Towers, mentions in the briefing "The Big Rim," refering to Halo, also in the level you can see the mimick ring.

Censorship

The game was originally to be titled Conker: Live and Uncut and feature a completely uncensored single player experience. Some time during development this was removed and the game was released in a heavily censored form that bleeped many minor obscenities (such as "shit", "twat", and even non-obscenities such as "fellatio") that were present in the original N64 version. This drew heavy criticism from fans of the original, especially as it detracted from comedic highlights such as The Great Mighty Poo Song.

According to the Conker Tepid Seat, a code to uncensor the words in the single player game was created, but removed from the final product, due to concerns that some retailers would refuse to sell the game. The accuracy and truthfulness of this statement was questioned by some for several reasons.

Like the original, the game was rated M by the ESRB and carried warnings about its content as well as Rare's promotional spoof warnings that advertised the fact that the content of the game was explicitly 'adult'. Profanity and strong sex scenes are permissible and common place among M rated games, particularly in the years since the game's original release, and sold by retailers without incident. The audio files on the game disc were "pre-censored" and contained the bleeps, meaning they were not censored by the game engine. This indicated that the ability to play an uncensored version of the game (whether by default or an unlock code) was removed at an early point in the game's development.

The multiplayer portion of the game is completely uncensored and features heavy use of obscenities such as fuck, cunt, and cocksucker making the censorship of the single player, especially to a much stricter level than that of the N64 original, extremely puzzling.

Even in its censored form, Wal-Mart refused to sell the game.

Trivia

• On a Rare fan forum, the brain behind Conker, Chris Seavor, confirmed that there were ideas for a Harry Potter parody. This idea was scrapped, however, because Seavor said they'd have never gotten away with it, referring to possible legal actions that would have been taken by J.K. Rowling, if it were to be included in the game.

Cameos

• Banjo can be seen above the fireplace inside the pub, while the protagonist from Grabbed by the Ghoulies, Cooper, can be seen throwing up in the toilet in the Game 3 section. Kazooie, who appeared in the first game as a 2D umbrella in the Chapters section, reappears in this remake; however, she has not been updated.

External links

• Conker: Live & Reloaded at MobyGames
• Preview at The Adrenaline Vault