Conker: Live & Reloaded
Xbox LIVE, squirrel style. With an N64 game that we felt deserved more attention than it got and a team unwilling to serve up just a repackaged port, the result was this: a seam-busting compendium of content, bundling the revamped single-player classic with brand new and LIVE-enabled multiplayer animal chaos. What's not to like?
Conker: Live & Reloaded
A game of two halves, each with enough content to constitute a full game in itself, Conker: Live & Reloaded is Rare's first major foray into Xbox LIVE territory. And a seriously full-blooded venture it is too.
The heart of the game, playable via LIVE, system link or on a single Xbox amidst both human and AI-controlled friends and enemies, charts the bitter clash between the Tediz forces and Squirrel High Command against the backdrop of two distinct settings: Old War and Future War. Accessible through a time machine in the basement of familiar watering hole The Cock and Plucker, these two scenarios bracket the war that was ongoing throughout the game's predecessor, Conker's Bad Fur Day, with Old War soldiers slugging it out on WWII-style battlegrounds while Future War volunteers carry on the conflict through the time streams.
With six selectable character classes for each side in each timezone, there's a choice for every style of play. For instance, the Demolisher lugs massive assault weapons around on his shoulder while the Sneeker aims for kills by stealth. Sky Jockeys, Thermophiles, Long Rangers and no-nonsense Grunts also have their own skill sets, weapons and importance in your fighting team. As the war rages on you'll find that the availability of secondary weapons, destructive gadgets and controllable vehicles also proves handy.
Sequential campaign missions and deathmatches are both part of the finished package, selectable at will to suit the number and attitude of players per game. High-performance soldiers can expect to earn medals, climb through the ranks and ultimately unlock all sorts of new features, so even if the lives of your stuffed squad members mean nothing to you, there's still a lot worth playing for.
Team-based action aside, the remaining part of the game is the extensive single-player mode, which long-time fans (and other persons of considerable taste) may recognise as Conker's original Bad Fur Day, given a drastic audiovisual makeover in its journey forward a generation from the N64. All the old favourites are there, from Berri to Birdy, Gregg to Franky and a whole load of Tediz, and in its shiny new guise it's an essential play for veterans and newcomers alike. It's jam-packed with swearing and crudeness, of course, but there's some top-tier gameplay in there too.
Overall, the two complementary halves of the Conker: Live & Reloaded experience make it a bargain deal, and seeing as we've worked ourselves to borderline insanity putting the whole thing together, we think you ought to ruddy well buy it if you've any interest at all in hectic third-person shooter madness or top-tier sweary platforming action. Launch date was June 21st 2005, so get yourself down to the nearest stockist and grab a copy. Don't argue - we've got Sinurators.
- Platforms: Xbox
- Genre: Platform/Shooter
- Developer: Rare
- Released: 2005-06-21
- Game Rating: US: M | EU: 16+
- Players 1-2
- System Link 2-16
- In-game Dolby Digital
- HDTV 480p
Cast List
Weapons
![]() | Sturm 21 |
Triple-barrelled bundle of fun supplied to the Grunt class. Fires in bursts of three, but can be switched to autofire in a situation where its 50-round capacity needs to be discharged as quickly as possible. Can also fire vehicle-destroying Dum-Dum rounds. | |
![]() | Sabre |
Sneekers naturally favour close-combat melée, so their obvious choice of primary weapon is the Sabre. It can be used in either attack or defence posture, defence offering some protection from enemy strikes plus the opportunity to charge up a more powerful attack. | |
![]() | Bazooka |
Specialist heavy weapon available only to the burly Demolisher. Standard missiles fire directly ahead, the Fire & Forget type automatically lock on to air targets, while Guided missiles (available as an upgrade) use an on-board camera for maximum accuracy. | |
![]() | Widowmaker |
Tailor-made for Long Rangers, this elite sniper rifle fires standard 7.68mm tips or hardcore DU (depleted uranium) tips for taking out vehicles and heavy artillery. Comes with two fixed zoom modes plus a third via upgrade, and can be used while standing, crouching, or prone. | |
![]() | DP 500 |
Cutting-edge standard firearm and standard weapon of the Sky Jockey. Its light weight allows for a matching pair to be wielded simultaneously, and with 20 shots per round and built-in Standard (one-shot) and Burst (three-shot) modes, this is a dangerously versatile piece of kit. | |
![]() | Sinurator |
Faithful and fearful weapon of the Thermophile, which can discharge either a funnel of flaming Napalm (for use on enemy troops) or a vicious stream of Acid (for vehicular destruction). It may not be elegant, but both modes get the job done in fairly short order. |
Wallpaper
![]() | Conker: Live & Reloaded Design 1 |
Available in the following resolutions: 1280 x 1024 (414k) | 1024 x 768 (275k) | 800 x 600 (201k) | |
![]() | Conker: Live & Reloaded Design 2 |
Available in the following resolutions: 1280 x 1024 (427k) | 1024 x 768 (280k) | 800 x 600 (204k) | |
![]() | Conker: Live & Reloaded Design 3 |
Available in the following resolutions: 1280 x 1024 (382k) | 1024 x 768 (255k) | 800 x 600 (175k) | |
![]() | Conker: Live & Reloaded Design 4 |
Available in the following resolutions: 1280 x 1024 (279k) | 1024 x 768 (212k) | 800 x 600 (148k) | |
![]() | Conker: Live & Reloaded Design 5 |
Available in the following resolutions: 1280 x 1024 (268k) | 1024 x 768 (203k) | 800 x 600 (139k) | |
![]() | Conker: Live & Reloaded Design 6 |
Available in the following resolutions: 1280 x 1024 (289k) | 1024 x 768 (217k) | 800 x 600 (149k) | |
![]() | Conker: Live & Reloaded Design 7 |
Available in the following resolutions: 1280 x 1024 (303k) | 1024 x 768 (230k) | 800 x 600 (160k) |
Critics' Quotes
"This is an indication, and reintroduction of sorts, to Rare’s creative genius, although some will still be looking for greener pastures on the Xbox 360. As one of the last Microsoft Game Studios titles produced on the Xbox, Conker: Live and Reloaded is one of the best." – TeamXbox
"Conker's just as cute and hilarious as he was several years ago, and the fact that Rare has sprinkled its charm across this improved semi-sequel (and included some kick @$$ online play) makes Live & Reloaded a must buy/rent." – GameDaily
"Conker: Live & Reloaded is a mostly enjoyable romp that's sure to get more than a laugh or two out of most, especially with a friend or two around." – 1UP
"The single-player is a 9+ experience and the multiplayer is more like a 7. So, Conker: Live & Reloaded falls somewhere in the middle overall... If you can find joy in the multiplayer, this could last you until Xbox 360." – IGN
"If you didn't get to play the original Conker, you definitely want to give this new squirrel a chance." – Kikizo
"If you lack Xbox Live! and have already played Bad Fur Day for the 64, this might only warrant a rental, otherwise it’s a pretty easy purchase. Go nuts." – Game Revolution
"Rating such a schizophrenic beast is tough. But one thing's for sure: If you're in the mood for a retro-styled, light-hearted platform game, you'll love Conker. Equally, if you're looking for high-adrenaline Xbox Live thrills, it'll be right up your street." – Games Domain
"Conker: Live & Reloaded is a great package overall. It's got its fair share of single- and multiplayer foibles, but being one of the funniest and best-looking games for the system -- along with the enjoyable multiplayer component -- makes it more than worth your time." – GameSpy
Top Quote
"Not everyone will grasp the raw sense of humor in Conker. There are some who will wonder, why the hell am I rolling this giant ball of poo up a dung hill? But honestly, who cares about those people?" – IGN




























































