Jak and Daxter

Jak and Daxter Series
The logo for the series
Genres	Platform
Developers	Naughty Dog (2001-2005) Ready at Dawn (2006) High Impact Games (2009) Nihilistic Software (2011) Mass Media Inc. (2012)
Publishers	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Creators	Andy Gavin Jason Rubin
Platforms	PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3
Platform of origin	PlayStation 2
First release	Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy December 3, 2001
Latest release	Jak and Daxter Collection February 7, 2012

Jak and Daxter is a critically acclaimed and commercially successful video game franchise created by Naughty Dog. The series consists of a core trilogy and three spin-offs, though these are also considered to be part of the main series.

The games are considered story-based platform games, including many puzzles involving jumping, sometimes in conjunction with avoiding enemies, and in later games, using different weapons in third-person shooter style. The story focuses on Jak and Daxter, two friends going on adventures in multiple locations in a fictional world, including jungles, volcanoes, cities and deserts.

The original trilogy was re-released on the PlayStation 3 as part of a HD collection, that included 720p high-definition with crisper visuals, smoother gameplay animation and full stereoscopic 3D, along with support for the PlayStation Network trophy system. The transfer was handled by Mass Media Inc. with Naughty Dog assisting with the conversion of the games.

Games

Year	Title	Platforms
2001	Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy	PlayStation 2
2003	Jak II	PlayStation 2
2004	Jak 3	PlayStation 2
2009	Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier	PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
Spin-offs
2005	Jak X: Combat Racing	PlayStation 2
2006	Daxter	PlayStation Portable
Related titles
2011	PlayStation Move Heroes	PlayStation 3
2012	Jak and Daxter Collection	PlayStation 3

Common gameplay features

While there was a significant change in gameplay between the first and subsequent games of the series, and a noticeable deviation with both Jak X: Combat Racing and Daxter, much of the series shares common gaming elements.

The Jak series is primarily a platformer, requiring the player to control Jak or Daxter in rolling through different obstacles (like slime mazes and nail pits)to reach a final goal while avoiding enemy attacks. The controlled character can only take a few hits before he is down, though health can be recovered using Green Eco. Both characters can double-jump to cross large gaps or reach higher platforms and Jak can perform several melee attacks in combination with his jumping skills. In The Precursor Legacy and The Lost Frontier Jak could use four different colors of "Eco" which would provide him with improved abilities, such as speed and more powerful melee attacks. In Jak II only Dark Eco and Green Eco can be used outside of weaponry, and Jak 3 allows the player to use Light Eco and Dark Eco. Jak II introduced shooting elements to the series, using the "Morph Gun Mod" which can transform into four different guns (twelve in Jak 3) and receive upgrades. Jak II also made driving a core ingredient in the series, with the new and improved Zoomers.

Major characters

The two main characters of the series, Jak and Daxter.

Main article: List of Jak and Daxter characters

• Jak - Jak is the main protagonist of the Jak and Daxter series. He is the main character of all the games except Daxter, although he does make cameos in that game. He accidentally turns his best friend, Daxter into an ottsel (a fictional hybrid of otter and weasel). In Jak II, he is infused with Dark Eco due to being a test subject in Baron Praxis's experiments. In Jak 3, he gets blessed with Light Eco abilities by the Precursors.
• Daxter - Daxter is the secondary character from the Jak & Daxter video game series. He is Jak's sidekick, and is always getting into trouble. In the first game he gets turned into an ottsel. He rescues Jak at the beginning of Jak II, and becomes playable intermittently for the first time in the series (Daxter is also playable in 2 missions in Jak 3). In Jak 3 his role grows, and he gets a pair of pants as a reward for his efforts. His self-titled game details his adventures before he breaks Jak out of prison.
• Samos the Sage - Samos the Sage, most prominent in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, serves as a guide throughout the series. He first appears in The Precursor Legacy as the sage of Green Eco and acts as a rough fatherly figure to the two heroes. In later games, he still serves as a mentor and a source of advice.
• Keira - Keira is Samos' daughter and Jak's main love interest in the series. She appears in every game, acting as a mechanic and inventor, with the exception of Daxter, where she has a non-speaking cameo. In Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, she travels with Jak and Daxter in a flying vehicle in a quest to save the world by finding more eco.

Universe

• Eco - One of the trademarks of the series is being able to manipulate Light & Dark Eco. The main plot of The Lost Frontier is that the world is running out of Eco.
• Vehicles - Given the enormousness and variance in terrain of the Wasteland, vehicles play a large role as off-road transportation is introduced, fueled by a true-to-life physics engine.
• Weapons - Jak II introduced the "Morph Gun," a weapon with four main "mods": the Red Eco-powered shotgun called the Scatter Gun, a Yellow Eco rifle called the Blaster, a Blue Eco machine gun called the Vulcan Fury, and a Dark Eco-powered lightning gun called the Peace Maker. Jak 3 adds two mods for each gun, giving the gun a total of twelve forms. In The Lost Frontier the player wields a customizable Gunstaff, which makes use of the same basic mods as the Morph Gun.

Locations

• The Old World - A fictional planet, which was the setting for the first game, The Precursor Legacy. It contains a multitude of very different locales for the player to explore, ranging from jungles to volcanoes.
• Haven City - A dystopia ruled by Baron Praxis and his Krimzon Guard law enforcers. Haven City often serves as a hub, where the player is given tasks that must often be fulfilled outside of the city in places that are separated via airlocks. In Jak 3 the city is engulfed in war for control of the streets. This city is the successor of Sandover Village.
• The Wasteland- A desert environment five times the size of Haven City with multiple areas including mines and a volcano. Given the enormousness and variance in terrain, vehicles play a large role as off-road transportation is introduced, fueled by a true-to-life physics engine. It ranked 8th place on IGN's "The Wednesday 10: Gaming Dystopias." The city Spargus is also located in the Wasteland, which is one of the main hub worlds in Jak 3.
• Kras City- Kras is located near to Haven City. It is featured only in Jak X: Combat Racing. Racing is a huge sport in the city, and Kras seems to be completely made up of race tracks.
• The Brink- The brink is the edge of the world and is found in the Lost Frontier. The eco here is highly unstable, and there are a lot of eco-pirates. There is also a people called the Aeropans here. The most common form of transportation appears to be aircraft.

Jak and Daxter Collection

Jak and Daxter Collection
Developer(s)	Naughty Dog Mass Media Inc. (port)
Publisher(s)	Sony Computer Entertainment
Series	Jak and Daxter
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3
Release date(s)	NA February 7, 2012 EU February 22, 2012 AU March 8, 2012
Genre(s)	Platform
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	ESRB: E–T OFLC: PG PEGI: 12 USK: 6
Media/distribution	Blu-ray Disc, download

Jak and Daxter Collection is a video game that contains high-definition remastered port of the PlayStation 2 games Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II and Jak 3, for the PlayStation 3 on a single Blu-ray Disc as a Classics HD title, published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The games were originally developed by Naughty Dog, and who have assisted in the remastering alongside Mass Media Inc. to provide support for high-definition monitors, higher frame rates, stereoscopic 3D, and additional features for the PlayStation Network.

Games

Main article: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

The story begins with Samos the Sage, the master of Green Eco, speaking cryptically of the Precursors, the masters of the universe and creators of all life on the planet. As he still has questions of their existence, Samos is searching for answers. He elaborates on two young boys, the fifteen-year-old Jak (who refuses to heed Samos' teachings) and his best friend Daxter. The two decide to make their way to Misty Island, the one place Samos told them not to go.

Main article: Jak II

The game features new weapons and devices, new playable areas, and a storyline that picks up after the events of The Precursor Legacy. The game's plot is much darker than its predecessor's, set in Haven City, a dystopia ruled under the iron fist of Baron Praxis, who is engaged in a war against a techno-organic group of organisms known as the "Metal Heads". As in the previous game, the player takes on the dual role of recurring protagonists Jak and Daxter. There are also a new array of characters such as Torn, Erol, Krew, Kor, Ashelin, and Sig, as well as some returning ones, such as Samos and Keira. Jak II is both a sequel and prequel to the first game.

Main article: Jak 3

Jak 3 begins with Jak being banished from Haven City by Count Veger for his supposed crimes towards Haven City, that caused the war. Ashelin gives Jak a beacon before she leaves with Veger and the guards. Pecker and Daxter stay behind with Jak as he is left to die in the Wasteland. As they trail along the painful deserts, they all pass out from the heat and lack of water. They are found by a group of Wastelanders due to the beacon, and they are taken to the city of Spargus. Jak and Daxter then meet Damas, king of Spargus, who has an important missions for Jak; if Jak completes these missions, Damas will allow Jak to stay in Spargus.

Remastered features

The core game and story for all games remains unchanged with the remastered versions. For the remastering, all three games have had a graphics overhaul to allow them to support modern 720p HD resolution with smoother gameplay animation. With the more powerful PlayStation 3, all three games feature a fixed frame rate of 60 frames per second in normal mode, while in 3D mode the games run at 30 frames per second. All three games have PlayStation Network trophy support.

Development

In May 2011, Naughty Dogs Co-presidant Evan Wells said he'd love to make another in the series, but the studio is busy with Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. In October 2011, according to Digital Spy, an online business in South Africa known as BT Games had a "Jak and Daxter HD Collection" listed for release in January of 2012. According to Gematsu.com, which spotted the South African listing, also pointed to a source hinting that a "Jak Collection" was in the works back in May. Naughty Dog’s Game Director, Justin Richmond, apparently confirmed that a Jak and Daxter HD Collection for PS3 is in development, and will be releasing sometime in 2012. After much rumor, speculation and fans request, a HD Collection of the Jak and Daxter series was confirmed for a February 2012 release.

Reception

Aggregate review scores

Game	GameRankings	Metacritic
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy	(PS2) 90.22%	(PS2) 90
Jak II	(PS2) 87.90%	(PS2) 87
Jak 3	(PS2) 85.42%	(PS2) 84
Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier	(PSP) 72.49% (PS2) 69.50%	(PS2) 72 (PSP) 71

The series has received very strong reviews from critics. The two spin-off games were also well received by critics, with Jak X holding a Metacritic score of 76/100 on the Playstation 2 and Daxter receiving a score of 85/100 on the PSP.

The "Remastered Collection" was met with with acclaim from critics, who praised the overall graphical transformation, and noted that "Though some aspects of the games are dated now, the Jak games still stand up as epic adventures." It holds a Metacritic score of 83/100 and a Gamerankings score of 85/100.

IGN called the series "the best action platformers of (that) generation." and gave praise to the "Huge worlds, memorable characters, action packed stories, and great gameplay."

Gamespot gave a similar review, saying "its tight execution and heavy action elements ensure that things never become dull." and that "it manages to provide a rewarding gameplay experience that shouldn't be missed."

Game Informer felt "the series was driven by a restless sense of innovation" and also praised the graphics and "Naughty Dog’s work in this franchise" for creating "great characters, finely tuned gameplay, and a unceasing inventiveness." and felt "the Jak games stand up as epic adventures.

Awards

The success of the Jak and Daxter series resulted in Guinness World Records awarding the series 7 world records in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008. These records include, "First Seamless 3D World in a Console Game", "Most Successful Single Format Platform Series", and "Largest Number of Cutscenes in a Platform Game" for Jak II, in which there are 131 cutscenes. In Jak 3, there are 213 cutscenes.

Future

In early February of 2012, Evan Wells stated that Naughty Dog had consider making a new Jak and Daxter game for the PlayStation 3, but the idea was put off in favor of the development of The Last of Us.

See also

• List of voice actors in the Jak and Daxter series
• Naughty Dog
• Ready at Dawn
• High Impact Games
• Sly Cooper
• Ratchet & Clank
• PlayStation Move Heroes
• HD Collections
• Nihilistic Software
• Mass Media Inc.