Conker
| Conker | |
|---|---|
| |
| Full name | Conker the Squirrel[1] |
| Species | Squirrel |
| First appearance | Diddy Kong Racing (1997, overall) Conker's Pocket Tales (1999, home series) |
| Latest appearance | Minecraft (as a skin via an update for Wii U and Nintendo Switch) (2018) |
| Latest portrayal | Chris Seavor (1997–present)[2] |
Conker is the protagonist of the Conker series of games made by Rare Ltd. He is a friend of Diddy Kong's, and he made his debut appearance in Diddy Kong Racing alongside Banjo. Just like Banjo, he would later appear in a series of his own games. While currently portrayed by Rare as a vulgar adult-oriented figure (as seen in mature-rated games such as Conker's Bad Fur Day and its Xbox remake), Conker debuted as a cheery and playful character, as seen in his debut appearance and his first starring role in Conker's Pocket Tales.
In 2002, Rare was sold to Microsoft, which acquired the rights to both Conker and Banjo. As a result, in Diddy Kong Racing DS, Conker is replaced by Dixie Kong. Despite Conker's absence, his theme music is still incorporated into the selection screen theme song.
History
Diddy Kong Racing
In the storyline of Diddy Kong Racing, Diddy Kong, with help from Squawks the Parrot, manages to contact Conker, asking for help in defeating Wizpig. Conker answers Diddy's plea and ventures to Timber's Island to help in the quest to drive Wizpig off the island.
Conker is a middleweight racer, featuring average speed and below-average acceleration and turning. His top speed without bananas, shared with Bumper and Timber, is 56.5 miles per hour.
N-Gang
Freeze Frame
Conker briefly makes a cameo in the N-Gang comic "Freeze Frame."
Mario Artist: Paint Studio
Conker's Diddy Kong Racing artwork appears as a stamp in Mario Artist: Paint Studio.
Mario no Bōken Land
Conker makes a brief, unspeaking cameo in the Diddy Kong Racing segment of Mario no Bōken Land, titled "Go Go Diddy!" He is shown competing in a race while in fifth place.
4-koma Gag Battle
Conker appears throughout the 4-koma Gag Battle manga adaptation of Diddy Kong Racing.
Minecraft
Originally exclusive to the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions of the game, Conker and a few other Microsoft-exclusive characters (including Banjo) appear as playable skins in the Wii U and Nintendo Switch versions of Minecraft through an update on January 30, 2018. Technically, this marks Conker's first game appearance alongside Diddy Kong since Diddy Kong Racing.
Profile and statistics
Diddy Kong Racing
- Character stats
- Weight: Middle
- Acceleration: 2.5/5
- Handling: 2.5/5
- Top Speed: 3/5
- Vehicle Color: White
- Instruction booklet bio (page 24): "(Medium acceleration, medium weight, good handling, medium top speed) Another friend made by Diddy Kong on one of his endless adventures with Donkey Kong, Conker is an exploration nut who’ll jump at any chance to break free of a squirrel’s less than exciting daily routine. He’s eager to join up with Banjo as the bear passes through."
- Player's Guide (page 7): "Before heading back, Squawks made one more stop at the home of a certain devil-may-care squirrel named Conker. He may not end up with many nuts in his winter store, but Conker couldn’t pass up the chance for some excitement. Besides, he figures he might pick up a few pointers from the others before starting his own quest for adventure."
- Nintendo Power Volume 103 (page 14): "Conker the courageous squirrel is biding time until his own game comes out next year, but in the meanwhile he has a thing or two to prove. His attributes are identical to Timber’s, making him a solid racer in any vehicle."
- Diddy's Drivers Ed: "Light-heavyweight Conker also does well on courses where there is room to maneuver. Combine Conker's good top speed with decent acceleration and you have the makings of a good choice for the power courses."
- Nintendo 64 Game Secrets, 1999 Edition Prima's Official Strategy Guide (page 35): "Another good middle-of-the-pack character, Conker probably has a slight edge when it comes to acceleration and handling, though his weight is somewhat less than every animal except Pipsy. As with the mouse, that means Conker is easily shoved aside when the animals start trading elbows in a tight turn, and his medium top speed keeps him in the thick of things."
- Rarewhere: "Another friend made by Diddy on one of his endless adventures with DK, Conker is also an exploration nut who’ll jump at any chance to break free of a squirrel’s less than exciting daily routine. He’s all ready to fall into step beside Banjo as the Honey Bear passes through..."
Gallery
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing in-game model
Diddy Kong Racing driver mugshot
Cast of Diddy Kong Racing, Japanese commercial
Conker RareRacers spinning pin
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | コンカー Konkā |
Conker |
| Chinese | 库克 Kùkè |
|
| Russian | Конкер Konker |
|
| Spanish | Conker |
|
Trivia
- A rejected 2004 video game pitch idea would have included Conker (in his Conker's Bad Fur Day appearance) racing in Diddy Kong Racing Adventure. He would have had explosive nuts as his special move.
References
- ^ XCageGame (July 7, 2016). Conker's Bad Fur Day ( Rare Replay ) The Movie ( All Cutscenes ). YouTube.
- ^ Twitter confirmation by Chris Seavor
- ^ Official Nintendo french magazine N3, page 25
External links
- Conker on Conker Wiki
