Fur Fighters
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| Fur Fighters | |
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| Developer(s) | Bizarre Creations |
| Publisher(s) | Acclaim |
| Release date(s) | July 14, 2000 |
| Genre(s) | Third-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen (T) |
| Platform(s) | Dreamcast, Windows, PlayStation 2 |
Fur Fighters is a video game developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Acclaim for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000, then later for the PC.
The game was designed very much as a standard third person shooter, but used a world populated by cute little animals as its setting. As a result, the game's depiction of violence are very cartoon-like without losing any of its intensity.
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[edit] Gameplay summary
In Fur Fighters, the player's job is to rescue the tiny animal babies who have been taken from their parents by the central villain, General Viggo. Viggo has scattered these babies all over the world, requiring the animal parents to explore, confront Viggo's henchmen, and rescue all of them. The gameplay featured many unique aspects for a third-person shooter of the time it was released, most notably making each level an extremely large, expansive area that requires sometimes hours of involved exploration to locate the babies and get rid of the enemies. (Examples include a giant construction site and an entire section of a large city, complete with buildings to explore, including a complete museum of modern art.) Maneuvering through these levels often requires careful observation of the environment so as not to get lost, as well as solving puzzles to figure out where some babies might be hidden or how to gain access to more of the level. Unlike most action games of this type, Fur Fighters distinguishes itself by featuring a system where the player can, at many intervals on a level, switch between one of many animal parents. Each parent has their own advantages and disadvantages, with many having special abilities allowing them to do certain things easier. This switching-out system also makes it easier for players who are low on hit points or ammunition to switch to a more playable character.
[edit] Critical reaction
While Fur Fighters was not a tremendous financial success and went almost unnoticed by the majority of gamers at the time, critically the game was almost universally praised for its size, scope, sense of humour, and attention to detail. The fact that mindless violence was not the sole gameplay element impressed many, and the game went on to become a sort of cult classic. In an attempt to take the series further with a larger audience, a new version of the game entitled Fur Fighters: Viggo's Revenge was released in 2001 on the PlayStation 2. It met with mixed success as it was simply an update of the original game with a few minor features included (such as cel-shading and real voices for the characters). Notably, the first level of the game is the "World Quack Centre", a play on New York's World Trade Center. Some people wondered if the level would be removed from future copies of the game after the events of 9/11, though that never happened. This may be to do with the fact that the game's storyline relies on each and every level to make sense.
[edit] Voice Cast
- Tim Wallers as General Viggo.
- Johnathan Booth as General Bristol.
- Corinne Kempa as Juliette.
- Scott McMurrey as Roofus.
- Guy Taylor as Bungalow.
- Alan Turner as Rico
- Daniel York as Chang and Tweek
[edit] Levels and Worlds
[edit] Fur Fighter Village
The main hub, with pathways leading of to various different worlds.
- The Undermill
This the basic training ground for all Fur Fighters in the beginning of the game. Sgt. Sternhauser is the head and holds the responsibility for training the Fighters in agility, strength, wit, and luck. This involves going through a series of air vents, jumping on boxes more than three times a character's size (excluding Bungalow), swimming underwater, climbing up walls, burrowing underground, and flying. Each of the obstacles involved a specific Fur Fighter, meaning that this is the chance for the player to experiment with the characters' abilities. It is also in the beginning of the Undermill that the player can rescue the first 6 babies.
[edit] New Quack City
A bustling avian metropolis, General Viggo invades this world to steal the priceless Roquefort Diamonds. The city is to the north and in the middle of winter, so a blanket of snow is constantly covering the ground. This does not seem to bother the citizens, since they are more worried about the tanks patrolling the streets and the bears with heavily armed weapons.
- The World Quack Centre: This is the official first level of the game. It resembles the World Trade Center, which after the game was released, was discussed by players and fans if the game would be released again because of the tragedy on 9/11. However, it was not. Anyways, inside the Centre are quite a couple of things. When you first walk in, to the right is a Chinese restaurant. If you choose to go that way, there will be a fish tank that Rico can jump in and swim underwater to retrieve a baby. If you go left, you will eventually find a parking lot where Roofus will have the ability to burrow and get a baby. Also on a notable floor of the level is a pool area. Using Rico, you have the ability of finding plugs to plug up the drain at the bottom of the pool. The water will eventually rise higher and higher until you're able to reach a ventilation shaft. The neat thing about this part of the level is that there are windows you can look out of, and see actually how high up you really are!
- Lower East Quack: The second level of the game. This is more of the nitty-gritty part of New Quack City, with twisting alleyways and disgusting underground sewers.
- Quackenheim Museum
- Quackerfeller Plaza, Boss: Gwyneth
[edit] Beaver Power
Filled with giant machines, General Viggo takes over the construction of the Beaver Dam in order to further his aims. There may also be a passage to another world in the deep rock.
- Furry Forest
- Compound Factions
- God Machine Valley
- Beaver Dam
- Water Tank, Boss: Juanita
[edit] Cape Canardo
A high tech space launch facility, Viggo plans to use this place to launch anvil related attacks on the Fur Fighters.
- VAB Building
- VLF Facility
- Space Station Meer
- Satellite, Boss: Claude the Cat
[edit] Dinotopolis
A futuristic city inhabited by dinosaurs, General Viggo harvests the super-advanced technology to use against the Fur Fighters. The playing area is the home of a dinosaur.
- Dino Upstairs
- Dino Downstairs
- Rumpus room
- Pool, Boss:Esmeralda
[edit] Anatat Tatanatat (The City Of Fear)
A lost ancient city with high spiritual energies, Viggo discovers a portal to The Bad Place, the place where all bad bears go.
- The City of Fear
- The Jungle of Despair
- The Temple of Gloom
- The Bad Place
- Ancient Temple, Boss:Winnie and Mai
[edit] Viggo-a-go-go
General Viggo's formidable lair.
- The H.M.S. Viggolina aircraft carrier
- VHS 1000 Submarine
- Viggo's Secret Island
[edit] James Bond References
- The character General Viggo and his pet Fifi are based on Ernst Stavro Blofeld and his cat, although the roles are reversed.
- Parts of the Cape Canardo world are based on Moonraker.
- The final level has many character references as well as a Goldfinger style tune. They include...
- The device Sergeant Sternhauser is strapped to is similar to the laser from Goldfinger.
- Odebah Bear is based on two characters from Live and Let Die, Baron Samedi and Tee Hee.
- The Unfluffables are based on Bambi and Thumper from Diamonds Are Forever.
- The crater in which you fight Fifi is from You Only Live Twice.
- Mr. Grr and Mr. Arg's fun house is a reference to The Man with the Golden Gun/perhaps a parody on Diamonds Are Forever Henchmen Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd
