Conker
| Conker | |
|---|---|
 Artwork from Diddy Kong Racing | |
| 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 developed by Rare. He is a friend of Diddy Kong, and, like Banjo, he made his debut appearance in Diddy Kong Racing. Also 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 the mature-rated Conker's Bad Fur Day and its 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 the Conker and Banjo-Kazooie series. As a result, in Diddy Kong Racing DS, Conker is replaced by Dixie Kong. Though he is absent, Conker's theme music is still retained in 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. His instrument on the character select screen is a flute.
N-Gang
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.
Unused appearances
A rejected 2004 video game pitch idea, Diddy Kong Racing Adventure, would have included Conker (in his Conker's Bad Fur Day appearance). He would have had explosive nuts as his special move.
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: "(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."[3]
- Player's Guide: "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."[4]
- Nintendo Power Volume 103: "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."[5]
- 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."[6]
- Nintendo 64 Game Secrets, 1999 Edition: "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."[7]
- 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..."[8]
Gallery
Diddy Kong Racing in-game model
Diddy Kong Racing artwork of Conker driving his car
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing driver mugshot
Cast of Diddy Kong Racing, Japanese commercial
Conker RareRacers spinning pin
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | コンカー[?] Konkā |
Conker | |
| Chinese | 库克[?] Kùkè |
Transliteration of his Japanese name | |
| French | Conker[9] | - | |
| Russian | Конкер[?] Konker |
Conker | |
| Spanish | Conker[?] | - |
Trivia
- In Conker's Pocket Tales, leaving Conker idle for a while will make him play on his Game Boy. He is heard to be playing Donkey Kong Land, as the music as he does so is an arrangement of the "Simian Segue" theme.
- That song itself is an arrangement of the "Bonus Room Blitz" theme from Donkey Kong Country.
References
- ^ XCageGame (July 7, 2016). Conker's Bad Fur Day ( Rare Replay ) The Movie ( All Cutscenes ) (00:29:05). YouTube. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Twitter confirmation by Chris Seavor
- ^ Nintendo (1997). Diddy Kong Racing manual. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 24.
- ^ Swan, Leslie (1997). Diddy Kong Racing Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 7.
- ^ December 1997. Nintendo Power Volume 103. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 14.
- ^ Diddy's Driver Ed. Nintendo of America (American English). Archived December 6, 1998, 06:57:14 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine.
- ^ April 7, 1999. Nintendo 64 Game Secrets, 1999 Edition Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games. ISBN 0-7615-2103-7. Page 35.
- ^ DKR Cast List | Conker. Rarewhere (British English). Archived July 5, 1998, 00:52:38 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ February-March 1998. Official Nintendo french magazine N3. Page 25.
External links
- Conker on Conker Wiki
