Jak and Daxter (series)
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Jak and Daxter
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| Genre(s) | Platform game Action game Racing game |
| Developer(s) | Naughty Dog (2001-2005) Ready at Dawn (2006) High Impact Games (2009) |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment (2000-present) |
| Creator(s) | Naughty Dog |
| Official website | http://www.jakanddaxterlegend.com/ |
Jak and Daxter is a video game franchise originally developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 2. Currently, five games in the series have been released, with Jak as the primary playable character in all except Daxter for the PSP.
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[edit] Games
| Title | Release date | Released for | Information |
| Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy | 2001 | PlayStation 2 | Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is the first video game in the Jak and Daxter series. The two characters begin the game as elf-like mischief-makers who are directly disobeying the advice of the Green Sage, Samos. He has warned them to stay away from a mysterious island called Misty Island, home to a legion of creatures known as Lurkers. There, the two discover a pair of villains who are using the Lurkers to fulfill an evil plan involving the substance known as Dark Eco. A Lurker commander attacks them, and by accident, Jak throws a Red Eco precursor artifact at the Lurker and the ensuing explosion sends Daxter into a pit of Dark Eco, which transforms him into an ottsel, an orange animal that is half otter and half weasel. The story unfolds as the duo adventures to find Gol Acheron, a sage of Dark Eco who may have the powers to help Daxter return to normal, as well as fight the menace of Lurkers, however, he has experimented too much with dark eco and has gone mad. Throughout the game, Daxter jokes about Jak being a mute; however, in Jak II and 3, Jak's personality becomes much darker and more mysterious and he utters more than just lighthearted phrases. It was the first platform game to introduce the player with a seamless unbroken 3D world.
Jak and Daxter holds many similarities to platform games such as Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper and Crash Bandicoot. This is true in not only the similar styles of gameplay, but in that the ongoing objective is to complete specified tasks and collect items. The game is different, however, by way of the openness and flow of the game world and its common mechanic of utilizing Eco, a substance which has various uses in both gameplay and story. Here, the completed goals give Power Cells as a reward upon completion, which are needed to progress to new areas in the game world. If 100 out of 101 are collected, an alternate, canonical ending is given. Other gameplay centers around melee combats performed by Jak along with the piloting of a cycle-like hover vehicle known as a zoomer. The game received generally positive reviews from critics and fans. |
| Jak II | 2003 | PlayStation 2 | Jak II, known as Jak II: Renegade in other parts of the world, begins where the storyline left off at the end of the first game. The giant Precursor Ring Jak and his friends uncovered has been moved to the Green Sage Samos's hut. When it is activated by Jak, he, along with Daxter, Keira, and Samos (Jak and Daxter) are confronted by a giant, fierce creature (later on in gameplay known as the Metal Head leader Kor). They escape into the ring and are transported to the hustling and bustling, as well as segregated, dystopia called Haven City. Keira and Samos leave, and, immediately upon arrival, Jak is captured and imprisoned by Erol and the Krimzon Guards, the police of the city, for unknown reasons. Daxter escapes, promising to save Jak soon. For two years, Jak becomes a guinea pig of Dark Eco experiments, which breaks his gentle "silent hero" person and creates an infuriated and embittered personality in him. These experiments are conducted by Baron Praxis, the tyrannical ruler of Haven City, in an attempt to create a supersoldier capable of defeating the Metal Heads, creatures that are threatening the destruction of the city. After finally escaping from prison with Daxter's help, Jak and Daxter join a group known as "The Underground", whose aim is to overthrow the oppressive Baron Praxis and restore the heir apparent. Jak begins his mission to bring down Baron Praxis and destroy the Metal Heads. Although Jak has joined the Underground, he's sent on a mission to deliver dark eco to a 'friend' Krew. Krew is the manager of the Hip-Hog Heaven Saloon in South town Haven City. Krew sends Jak on various missons, taking him in the sewers and outside the city walls. Jak (on arrival of meeting Krew for the first time) meets Sig, a strong wastelander who works for Krew.
Jak II makes a radical departure from the first game in both tone and gameplay. The environment of Haven City has a grittier, run-down tone that differs dramatically from the colorful areas of the first game, and the characters are generally more hostile, using slightly more mature language. As for gameplay, more melee combos have been added in addition to multiple firearm weaponry that can be upgraded into new type of firearms after acquiring the specified weapon mod upgrade. Combos and firing techniques are integrated, and though Eco is no longer the dominant character booster, Jak now exhibits a transformation known as Dark Jak that comes with a range of powerful moves as well as a gauge for when it can be activated. Since Haven City is so large, more options for vehicles, which the player can hijack, are available to make traveling across the vast metropolis more efficient. The vehicles are capable of hovering at a high altitude or low altitude and come in a variety of styles, with the most bulky car-like ones being more fortified against enemy fire, though slightly slower, and the smaller cycle-like ones lacking armor but are significantly faster. A hover board is also obtainable some time later which allows the player to maneuver effortlessly over dangerous grounds and large areas at a considerable speed and comes with the ability of performing tricks. This game marks the beginning of tournament vehicle racing against other characters operated by the CPU, which becomes a tradition in the later installments as well as the major gameplay in the spin-off Jak X: Combat Racing. The use of accelerator rings returns in bonus missions and a one-on-one between Jak and KG Commander Erol throughout various parts of Haven City. Selectable boosters are available during track racing with all racing, on and off track, being conducted on advanced modernized zoomers. |
| Jak 3 | 2004 | PlayStation 2 | In the next installment, Jak 3, a massive three-sided war breaks out in Haven City between the Freedom League (the city's new police force, headed by members of the former Underground), an emerging army of Krimzon Guard Death Bots who are led by Erol (who survived an explosion caused by Jak from Jak II), and the regrouped Metal Head survivors. Jak is thrown out into the Wasteland by Count Veger, head of the city council and one of Baron Praxis's last remaining lieutenants. They have been outcast from Haven City due to Jak's Dark Eco powers, and are soon found by Damas, Jak's father (although he did not know this at the time) and king of Spargus, a formerly unknown city of outcasts located in the Wastelands.
As Jak and Daxter work to fulfill the life debt they owe to the city and Damas, they learn that the planet's end is coming, from a harbinger of destruction known as the Day Star. The answer to this impending danger is a planetary defense system, which lies deep in a place known as the Catacombs. As Jak and Daxter work to find their way to this place, so too does Count Veger, who is taking dangerous steps to find the Precursors there and receive great power so that he may live out his fanatical dream of becoming a hero of the universe. When Jak and Daxter make their way back to Haven City, it falls on their shoulders to destroy the Metal Heads and the Krimzon Guards as they make their way to the Catacombs before Veger and save the world from the Day Star. In this installment, Jak's attitude to being the hero is once again challenged, with him, at first, holding a grudge against the city for having turned on him, leaving him for dead in the Wastelands. But despite his personal feelings, he chooses to help his friends, and in doing so, learns about himself and the power within him. More of Jak's destiny is revealed, including the secrets behind the world's hero Mar, who is actually an ancestor of Jak, the true nature of the Precursors, who are revealed to be ottsels like Daxter, and the threat the Precursors' enemies- the Dark Makers- pose on the planet with their nearing airship, the Day Star. The gameplay in this game features an upgrade from Jak 2, with even more weapon modifications and combos to perform, along with Jak gaining a new transformation called Light Jak. Light Jak acts primarily as a defensive and healing transformation that is later capable of flight, whereas Dark Jak retains its savage nature with deadly offensive capabilities, both being operated by their individual gauges respectively. Though the hover vehicles are still available in Haven City, much of the city has been destroyed due to the war and thus there is much less traffic than in the previous game. Multiple types of land vehicles become unlockable in Spargus, each with their own unique type of weaponry, and are used to journey across the vast desert expanse for various missions. The hover board is once again available and comes with a few new tricks to perform as well as "stunner" waves that come in handy when dealing with the smaller Metal Heads. Daxter also becomes playable at certain points to solve puzzles and clear routes for Jak to follow. Racing makes another comeback as in the previous installment, except that land vehicles in Spargus are the primary function for all competitions. The Race Dome at Haven City is almost completely destroyed and so the only Zoomer races are done by bonus missions through accelerator rings, while in Spargus accelerator ring-type races are conducted on the backs of animals called Leapers (which also serves as extra modes of transportation throughout the Wasteland city). A new type race-mode mini-game is also available that is playable only with Daxter that involves him riding on a rocket around the harbor section of Haven City. |
| Jak X: Combat Racing | 2005 | PlayStation 2 | In the fourth title, Jak X: Combat Racing, Jak, Daxter, Keira, Samos, Ashelin, and Torn are summoned to the reading of the late crime lord Krew's will, where they are poisoned and forced by Krew to race in the Kras City World Championship for the antidote. Krew's team is pitted against the mercenary racers of rival crime lord Mizo. New characters include Krew's daughter Rayn, the shady race commentator G.T. Blitz, retired racing champion Razor and the deadly Krimzon Guard death-bot, UR-86.
As the player progresses, a 'friendly' man named Razor keeps on threatening Jak and Daxter that Mizo and his 'dream' team would kill them. Eventually he goes out of retirement just "for you, Jak" and joins forces with Mizo's group to race. Later in the game, old faces return to aid/damage Jak's team for different reasons. Sig, the new king of Spargus after Damas' demise, comes to help his unlucky friends out on the track, despite he (ironically) missed the meeting that would have poisoned him because of his reigning duties; and Kleiver, a demanding and shallow Wastelander who wants to even the score between him and Jak which settled during the events of Jak 3 (whether Jak liked it or not). Pecker also makes a reappearance, but as a partnered commentator alongside G.T. Blitz, much to Daxter's dislike, and relays information he hears about the bets of the races to Jak's team in an effort of assistance. After Jak's car was sabotaged in a race, Keira and the others find out that they were the same weapons used to kill G.T. Blitz's own father. They tell Blitz about this, but remain surprised that Blitz wasn't in the least bothered about both the tight situation and the participants safety. Later on, an important call comes in from the crime lord Mizo, telling them to back off from the race while they still had the chance. Since none from Jak's team had a choice to participate the championship race in the first place (with the exception of Sig), Jak declines the 'offer' in his team's name. Near the very end of the game G.T. Blitz states that a new unknown driver is on the track for the final race. Almost immediately it is known that the 'phantomatic' driver is no other than Blitz himself. After Jak and co. finally win the final race, thus achieving the antidotes for the poison and winning the Kras City World Championship race for jigs, G.T Blitz snaps. Blitz reveals to over 2 million spectators (unknowingly to him) that he was the infamous crime lord Mizo himself, then proceeds by stealing the antidotes and dashes away from the race. Jak then hunts him down in order to retrieve the vaccines needed for him and his friends to live. After retrieving said antidotes, Mizo was literally left to be blown up in his wrecked car. During the victory celebration, when everyone has been cleared of the poison, Rayn congratulates them and leaves Krew's will behind her. It reveals that she knew about the poison all along and that she manipulated them in her father's fashion, her never actually being poisoned to begin with. Rayn is then shown driving off ordering for all the other major crime lords to gather together since she now ruled Kras City among ordering for her friends to be left alone. Despite the clear betrayal, none seem to be too fazed by it and all continued the celebration. During the final scene, Jak and Keira finally kiss. The gameplay is centered completely around racing in customizable land vehicles that are capable of having purchased or prize upgrades. There are three basic types of vehicles per tournament: speed, agility, and armored; with several of each being available as the game progresses while others must be unlocked. Multiple parts of the cars can be modified, including the color scheme, to give the vehicle a unique look that may or may not have an effect on the driving experience. The Power Cells and various types of Eco make a comeback (as in Jak 2 only Dark Eco and Green Eco were prominent, with the addition to Light Eco in Jak 3). The Power Cells and other Precursor artifacts are used in specialized mission races as either objects to hunt for or as unique weaponry in which the booster charges and fires at whomever is ahead of the player. The Eco's are obtainable simply by driving through them. Green Eco replenishes health lost when the car is damaged, Yellow Eco is used as a frontal offensive mechanism (which ranges in a variety of weaponry from Machine Gun rounds to Rockets and Energy Blasts to eliminate those in front of the player), while Red Eco is a defensive mechanism that also features in attacking from behind (ranging from creating a shield around the car to having a turret hover above to shoot all at close range and leaving behind highway dangers such as Oil Slicks, Smog, and Land Mines). Blue Eco is an exceptional piece as it runs on a gauge that can be filled either by collecting said Eco or charging it by powersliding around tight curves on the track, which allows for the player to give their vehicle a tremendous speed boost until the gauge runs out. Dark Eco is hardest to gain, as it can only be obtained through defeating opponents, or to a lesser extent when your car takes damage. When the Dark Eco gauge is filled both Red and Yellow Eco weapons are upgraded to a more powerful varient, such as burning oil slicks or missile turrets. The Eco powerups have to be used in order to make room to obtain new ones, each of which are random. The game's story mode is centered around the Kras City Championship that is split into 4 tournaments, each with a colored Eco Grand Prix. The player must win first place in each of the lesser races before moving on to the Grand Prix races where the system is 2 out of 3. Afterward, the next tournament becomes available with the 4th tournament acting as the last in the Grand Championship. Multiplayer mode is available with a large cast of selectable characters, some of which aren't available to play as in story mode, and a scene selector is also available for purchase (as it is with Jak 2 and Jak 3) with bonus materials added. |
| Daxter | 2006 | PlayStation Portable | Daxter is the fifth game released in the Jak and Daxter series, made available on March 13, April 14, and April 28 in 2006, although it takes place second chronologically. The game begins at the end of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy and during the starting events of Jak II. The first scene in the game involves part of the first scene in Jak II, when Jak and Daxter arrive in Haven City, and Daxter abandons Jak when Erol and the Krimzon Guards appear. Nearly two years later, during Jak's time in prison during the events of Jak II, Daxter appears in a bar telling a greatly exaggerated version of his life story while being laughed at by a bunch of city folk. Osmo, head of the Kritter Ridder Extermination Company, spotted Daxter while he was in the bar and hired him to work for him as an exterminator.[1] The main reason that Osmo hired Daxter for the job is because he's small, and can get through small passageways and areas to collect things. The gameplay is similar to Jak II in the sense that and the area Daxter travels through is Haven City, but he explores the unseen parts and unexplored places that Jak did not go through. Throughout the game, Daxter is sent to places to complete difficult tasks by Osmo and the other exterminator crew. The game involves enemies from previous Jak and Daxter games, including Baron Praxis, Erol, Kor, and Count Veger. The storyline explains how the Metal Heads started attacking the city, and how the underground war started. A few old characters are spotted: Jak appears in the game four times, and Keira is spotted several times along with Samos, who appears at the very start of the game. Krew is also mentioned as well.
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| Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier | 2009 | PlayStation 2 and Playstation Portable | Jak And Daxter: The Lost Frontier is the sixth game in the Jak And Daxter series is due to come out on September 25th. The events in the game are after Jak 3 meaning that it takes place before Jak X: Combat Racing. In the videos there are scenes of Jak And Daxter and Keira in a aircraft attacking a Pirate Ship aircraft. |
[edit] Common gameplay features
While there was a significant jump in gameplay between the first and subsequent games of the series, and significant 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 jumping puzzles 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 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 and Jak 3 allows the player to use light eco. Jak II introduced shooting elements to the series, using the "morph gun" which can transform into four different guns (twelve in Jak 3), and receive upgrades. Jak II also introduced driving to the series.
[edit] Major Characters
Jak: Jak is the main protagonist of the Jak & Daxter series. He is the main character of all 5 games excluding Daxter (game), although he does make cameos in that game. Not much is known about Jak's childhood from the original Jak and Daxter timeline. He spent time living with his Uncle, and hanging out with his best friend Daxter. He originally had an easy going and simple personality. However, after getting sent into thefuture and being imprisoned, Jak loses his innocence and becomes a much more serious and vengeful person. During Jak 3, he matures and develops a more heroic personality. Young Jak : It is revealed in the end of Jak II that Jak was actually born in the future. To keep the timeline correct, Jak & friends had to send the younger version of himself & The Shadow (younger Samos from the future), back to Sandover Village so that Samos could raise Jak safe from harm until his adventures led him into the future. Also in Jak 3 it's revealed not only that Damas is Jak's father, but that Jak is Mar or maybe a descendant. Meaning he traveled through time to basically set up all of his adventures. As a young 3 year-old boy living in Sandover Village, Jak could often be found hanging out with his best friend Daxter. Usually they would be caught doing dangerous things that their guardian, Samos the Green Sage, forbid them from doing. In Jak & Daxter: TPL, Jak (who was then 15) & Daxter were in Ollie's speed boat sailing to Misty Island, a place Samos warned them to avoid. Once they arrived, they discovered an army of Lurkers taking orders from a mysterious man & woman. One of the Lurkers noticed Jak & Daxter's presence as they moved on. They continued wandering until they came upon a vat of Dark Eco, where they located a Dark Eco artifact. The aforementioned Lurker approaches, picking a fight with them. Jak threw the Red Eco artifact at the Lurker, but the explosion threw him backward, causing him to knock Daxter into the Dark Eco where instead of being killed, he transforms into an ottsel. Upon arriving at Samos' hut, he tells them to seek out a sage named Gol Acheron in order to change Daxter back to his human form. Samos would teleport them to his site, but strangely the other sages had their teleporters deactivated. With the aid of Samos & his daughter Keira Hagai, Jak & Daxter set out on a journey across the island in search of Gol. First Jak & Daxter practice at Geyser Rock & Jak learns how to channel Green Eco & Blue Eco. When Jak & Daxter return Keira & Samos tells them to look for Power Cells to power Keira's A-Grav Zoomer to get past Fire Canyon to Rock Village where the Blue Sage lives. Jak & Daxter do missions in Sandover Village, Misty Island, Forbidden Jungle, & Sentinel Beach for people like Ollie, Tweedledove Perch, Explorer, Sculptor, Mayor Manac, & Farmer Zeb. In Sentinel Beach Jak & Daxter meet the Flut-Flut & in the Forbidden Jungle they battle the Dark Eco Plant & also learn how to channel Red Eco on Misty Island.
Eventually they get enough Power Cells to power the Zoomer. Jak & Daxter flew through Fire Canyon & opened the warp gate at the Blue Sage's hut in Rock Village. Keira & Samos come to the hut & learn that the Blue Sage is gone & Klaww, a massive rock giant, is attacking the village. Keira needed Jak's help to find more Power Cells to work the Blue Eco Rock Lifter to get to the Mountain Pass. Like in the Village, Jak & Daxter do missions in Boggy Swamp, Lost Precursor City, & Precursor Basin for the Warrior, Boggy Billy, Gambler, & Geologist. Jak also learns how to channel Yellow Eco. Jak & Daxter get to the Mountain Pass & battle Klaww. After defeating Klaww, Jak & Daxter continue through the Mountain Pass to the Volcanic Crater.
Upon arriving to the Red Sage's hut, Gol Acheron presents himself along with his sister Maia & their twisted plans of reshaping the world with Dark Eco. As it turned out, Gol & Maia were the very same people who were commanding the Lurkers on Misty Island. Gol & Maia kidnapped the Blue & Red Sages. After Gol & Maia return to their lair, Jak & Daxter continue finding Power Cells to power the Zoomer to pass the Lava Tube. Jak helps Willard & Gordy & finds Power Cells in Snowy Mountain & Spider Cave. After, he enters the Lava Tube which leads to Gol & Maia's Citadel. Shortly after arriving at the Citadel, Keira tells them that Samos has been kidnapped by Gol & Maia. Lurker armies were also growing across the land. Jak & Daxter then set out to Gol & Maia's Citadel to free the four abducted Sages. After they succeed, the Sages use their power to deactivate the barrier surrounding an ancient Precursor Robot, which Gol & Maia intended to use to open the Dark Eco Silo. Jak managed to destroy the robot with the aid of White Eco, & Gol & Maia were imprisoned within the silo, presumably destroyed. An important, running joke later in the series, is that Jak is never actually seen kissing anyone; at the end of the game, he & Keira attempt to kiss, but are interrupted by Daxter. It was then that Jak opened an ancient Precursor door with the aid of 100 Power Cells that would reveal a large door with a mysterious white light inside.
Right after the events of Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II starts off with Jak, Daxter, Keira & Samos the Sage find out that the Rift Rider interacted with a Precursor Ring. When they open it, both the Rift Rider & the passengers are transported 300 years into the future, to a dystopia, (as learned later in the game) called Haven City. Jak was immediately arrested by the Krimzon Guards & experimented on with Dark Eco for 2 years (making Jak 17) by Baron Praxis, Haven City's tyrant. This gave him the ability to morph into a darker, more powerful version of himself, which never directly referred to, however outside the game this form is known as Dark Jak. The experiment also resulted in him no longer being a mute. It could be arguable however, that Jak was not mute in TPL, as he can be seen several times opening his mouth as to speak, upon which he was usually interrupted by Daxter, and he would be seen shaking his head afterwards(On the other hand he could of been a mute because when Daxter was talking to Jak about Torn he said "Hey, maybe this guys a mute, just like you used to be" although jak seems to get a little mad (seen by his facial expression) but dosen't say anything) . He also seemed to gain a thirst for vengeance (evident by his first words, which were "I'm gonna kill Praxis")& compared to his younger self from the first game he has become much more serious in terms of personality. Daxter found Jak in the KG Fortress & freed him. The duo were reunited & escaped the Fortress out into the city streets. Jak ended up in the Slums where he met Kor & the last heir to the throne of Haven City (the Kid). Jak fought more Guards to defend them & realized they were on the hunt for him, so he had to keep a low profile. Kor told them about the Underground & that they were looking to recruit skilled fighters like Jak.
Jak & Daxter went to the Underground and found Torn and Tess. Torn gave Jak & Daxter a mission to go to Dead Town and steal the Baron's Banner. Jak succeeds the task & becomes a member of the Underground resistance. Jak, however, would be caught in a massive struggle to save the city from the Metal-Heads in his race for the Precursor Stone (said to contain the last Precursor of that time), as well as get himself involved with the ever important "Kid", a young boy constantly under the watch of the Underground, particularly old Kor, due to rumors that he may be the lost heir to the Haven City's throne as evidenced by the amulet around his neck. Jak later learned that he was the Kid's future self, having been sent into the past as a child to grow up safely away from Metal-Head Leader so that he could eventually defeat him. Therefore, he actually belonged in the time of Haven City. Jak then killed the leader, who turned out to be Kor, scattered the Metal-Heads and met the Precursor inside the Precursor Egg who balances the Dark Eco in Jak with Light Eco. He sent his child self as well as the Young Samos into the past in an effort to keep the timeline intact. As the heroes celebrate after defeating the Metal Head leader, Jak & Keira once again try to kiss only for Daxter to interrupt them although it was directed toward a very drunk Onin.
Jak is now 18. One year after saving Haven City, it once again became embroiled in chaos as 3 different groups, the Krimzon Guard Death-Bots, the surviving Metal-Heads, & the Freedom League, fight for control of Haven City. The people of Haven City had grown distrustful of Jak & his Dark Powers. As rumors spread of Jak's affiliation with Krew & Kor, the populace targets him as the cause of its unrest. Even though his friends claim his innocence, Count Veger, head of the Haven City Council, under a former lieutenant of Baron Praxis, banishes him to the Wasteland. There he's found by Damas, who used to reign over Haven City as king, but was betrayed by Baron Praxis while Jak was a child, and banished him to the Wasteland where he founded Spargus City. Jak is forced to prove himself in the arena to see if he is capable of survival. During this time, Jak was given a mission to save the world from the Day Star, even though he resented the idea of being a hero again, upset over the people abandoning him. It was due to his heavy involvement, the return of Errol, & much more that forced him to save the world again. Along the way, he was given Light Eco powers, allowing him to become Light Jak, to help him defeat the creatures & he bonded closely with Damas. Sadly, Jak did not learn that the King was his father until after Damas was killed when the Ram Rod overturned & crushed him. Before Damas died, however, Jak learned his birth name was Mar, which either makes him the original Mar or, more likely, a descendant who was named after him. Much speculation and debate still occurs over this. Count Veger then appeared & told him, that he took him from Damas to experiment with his Eco powers, which angers Jak & Daxter. Jak then leaves to chase Count Veger deep inside the planet where he discovered the true nature of the Precursors: Ottsels. Despite appearance, their powers managed to help Jak defeat the Dark Maker Ship, & eventually, Jak destroyed Errol, saving the world.
One year after his previous adventure, (Jak is now 19) Jak & friends (Daxter, Keira, Torn, & Ashelin) are invited to the reading of Krew's will, who was blown up in previous years. In the past, Krew has had a daughter, Rayn, who now also arrives with her father's will. The team toasts, then watches a hologram of Krew's will. In that will Krew reveals that the wine they have just finished drinking was laced with poison. Krew claims that if they race in Kras City in a racing competition & win, they receive the antidote to the poison. It was Krew's dream to make the ultimate racing team & win the Kras City Grand Championship. The heroes reluctantly accept, having no other choice. After entering their first race they meet G.T. Blitz, a self-centered & arrogant Race Commentator. Pulled into the world of racing, Jak & his friends learn of a rival racing team named the Mizo Dream Team. As they get better, Mizo, a crime gang lord, loses more money to bets. Mercenary drivers pile up, as does Mizo's hatred for Jak & his team. On the way, they meet an infamous racer named Razer, who came out of retirement to race Jak. Also appearing are Sig, Kleiver, Samos, Pecker; who becomes a host on GT Blitz's show a little way through the game, & UR-86, a Krimzon Death-Bot with a reputation for killings on the racetracks. At the end of the game it is revealed that G.T. Blitz is Mizo in disguise as he steals the antidotes & races Jak in one last race in which he is killed in an explosion. Back in Kras City, after they have been cured by the antidote, more of Krew's will is heard & it reveals that not only was Rayn not poisoned, everything was merely an elaborate plot to overtake Mizo and take over Kras City for Krew's Crime Family, of which Rayn is now the leader. As Rayn drives away, she states over the phone to (presumably) her criminal underlings to spare Jak & his friends. The game ends with Jak & Keira finally kissing.
Jak's trademark in the first game is that he doesn't speak, although every time Jak jumps or spins he makes grunts or yells. Sometimes if the player gets hit, he will quickly say "Ouch." Though, it should be noted that Jak may not have been mute in the first game. There are several scenes in which Jak appears as if he is about to say something but is then interrupted either by Daxter, or by another character. In a controversial move by Naughty Dog, he speaks from Jak II onward. In a reference to this, just before Jak speaks for the first time in Jak II, Daxter pleads with him to "Say something! Just this once!". Throughout the rest of the series, Daxter makes occasional comments about Jak's previous silence, like his comment in Jak II: "Sorry about him, he's new to the whole conversation thing." In the original English version, he is voiced by Mike Erwin. In the French dub, he is voiced by Damien Boisseau. In the Japanese dub, he is voiced by Shotaro Morikubo.
Daxter: Daxter is the secondary character from the Jak & Daxter video game series. He's also Jak's sidekick. He is technically an Ottsel, though also a Precursor. Early LifeIt is unknown if Daxter has a family. Possibly, he is an orphan raised by Samos or another village resident. What is known is that Jak and Daxter are life-long friends, always getting each other into trouble along the way.
In the beginning of Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak and Daxter are making their way to Misty Island, the one place Samos told them not to go to. They arrive on the island just in time to witness a large gathering of Lurkers being commanded by two unknown twisted people. Little did they know that a Lurker saw them. Jak and Daxter, worried by what they have seen, are on their way off the island when they are confronted by a pool of Dark Eco. Daxter trips over an Eco Bomb. He throws it over to Jak and begins ranting about the Precursors, when the artifact begins glowing in Jak's hands to the surprise of both. Just then, the Bone Guard that spotted them came appeared and runs up on the duo to attack. Jak throws the Precursor artifact barrel at the Lurker and kills it, but the explosion throws Daxter into the Dark Eco pool. Daxter flies back out of the pit, unharmed, but has been changed into an ottsel, a mix of an otter and a weasel. They return to Sandover Village and seek help from Samos, the Sage of Green Eco, but he proclaims that he couldn't help Daxter, even if he wanted to. He adds that only Gol Acheron, the Sage of Dark Eco, can help change Daxter back, but he lives far to the north. Thus, Jak and Daxter embark on a journey to find Gol Acheron. Unfortunately, it turns out that Gol and his sister Maia were corrupted by Dark Eco and were the pair commanding the hoard of Lurkers at Misty Island. At the near end, Jak battles Gol and Maia and defeats them with the help of the four Sages who combined their powers to form the extremely rare and powerful Light Eco. Daxter realizes that the Light Eco would change him back to normal. He is now forced to make a tough decision: allow Jak to use the Light Eco to defeat Gol and Maia's Precursor Robot or use it to return to his human form. He decides to allow Jak to save the world and stay an Ottsel forever.
In the beginning of Daxter, while inside a bar, Daxter is bragging to the patrons about his "adventures," leaving very little impression on his audience, except for an old man named Osmo, head of the Kridder Ridder Extermination Company, who sees Daxter's potential & offers him a job as an exterminator. Daxter is uncertain, but Osmo manages to persuade him into the job. He then completes various bug-exterminating jobs throughout limited parts of the city while also trying to find Jak & free him from imprisonment, all the while continuously thwarting the plans of the evil Kaedan & the Metal-Bugs. In Jak II, almost immediately after the events recounted in Daxter, the ottsel finds Jak & helps him break out of the Haven City Fortress Prison. They meet up with a group of Rebellion fighters known as The Underground, where Daxter meets a girl named Tess, who takes a strong liking to him, despite his being an Ottsel. At the end of the game Daxter turns the Hip-Hog Heaven Saloon into The Naughty Ottsel. It displays pictures of Daxter. In Jak II, he can play a Metal Head Mash game, which is similar to Whac-A-Mole. During Jak 3, Jak and Daxter discover that ottsels are the fabled Precursors in the Jak & Daxter mythology. When the Precursors offer to grant him a wish at the end of the game, he decides to stay as an Ottsel,wishing only for a snazzy pair of pants. The Precursors then creatively interpret a comment by Tess & turn her into an ottsel as well. Daxter also has the ability to shoot all 12 different weapons while Jak is on a zoomer. If you look closely while Jak is riding the Jet Board, Daxter is riding the Jet Board as well & doing the moves with Jak, inferring that Daxter can also maneuver the JET-Board. Daxter also enters the computer at the Power Center to find the codes necessary to enter the KG war factory.
Daxter is for the most part, not serious & constantly goofs around. But he's always supporting of Jak, especially when he really needs it. Daxter says many memorable lines, perhaps his most famous being "Stay fuzzy, save the world. Choices." from the end of the first game. Daxter has many nicknames for certain characters, particularly Samos & Krew, with some for Sig & others. He also finds himself at odds with other characters, especially Samos in the first game, but also with Krew & Pecker. Daxter will find himself insulted as plain as can be by Samos, sometimes with no response back to him. Samos obviously begins to do this after tiring of putting up with Daxter for so long. Samos insults Daxter to such a high level in game one that when Jak & Daxter meet The Shadow (the younger Samos) in Jak II, & he does not obviously recognize the heroes, he says to Daxter, "I never forget a face. Especially one that ugly" to which Daxter quietly says to himself, "So it begins." However, when it counts, Samos reminds both Jak & Daxter how they are true heroes. A running gag is that for almost the entire time Daxter has been an ottsel, he's complained about not having pants; in Jak II, in response to Jak asking "Where would you be without me, eh, Dax?", Daxter replies, "Well, Jak, I probably wouldn't be two feet tall, fuzzy, and running around in a sewer without any pants... God, I miss pants." . At the end of Jak 3, he decides he wants pants more than to be turned back normal. He is granted a pair of three-quarter length denim shorts by the Precursor Leader. When Tess remarks that she wishes she "had a pair of pants just like those" the Precursor leader tells her to "be careful what you wish for." He then turns Tess herself into an ottsel, Daxter and Tess are about to kiss but Jak interrupts. One Plot Hole is that Daxter is Shown getting his Pants at the end of Jak 3 but it dosnt show it during gamplay. In Daxter, the player can unlock the ability to give Daxter pants by earning a gold medal in a certain dream sequence. When Jak & Daxter first meet Tess in Jak II, she's with Torn at the Underground in the Slums. She doesn't say anything to either of them & the next time we see her is several missions later when she's undercover as a barmaid at the Hip-Hog Heaven Saloon. She has been sent there by Torn to spy on Krew. Daxter flirts with her & she seems to give the air that she enjoys his antics but cannot take him seriously because he's an ottsel. In Jak 3 however, Tess' personality seems to have changed considerably from reserved to perky & lovey-dovey, & she now takes a much greater interest in Daxter hugging & squeezing him. She also almost completely ignores Jak, leading him to exhibit subtle signs of jealousy at the attention that Daxter is getting from her, such as when he exasperatedly suggests that Daxter & Tess should "get a room". Tess' role has evolved from Daxter's crush in Jak II to his fully fledged girlfriend in Jak 3. Tess has told Jak to protect Daxter or else she would hunt him down & "hurt him real bad" multiple times in the series.
In Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for the Playstation 3, Nathan Drake's scuba suit reads "Ottsel" across the chest and features a caricature resembling Daxter on the shoulder. A reference to to Jax and Daxter as both titles are developed by Naughty Dog. Also, on the new game, Keira has a new look and there are robots and pirates, and some vin person. Also, there is captain phoenix.
[edit] Setting
The setting changes throughout each game, and four times in the first Jak game alone. The story is set on Earth but seems like another Planet in many ways, and is chiefly inhabited by a race of sentient beings that are like humans in every way, except that they have long, elf-like ears. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy takes place in Sandover Village and the surrounding area, the location that both Jak and Daxter were raised in (although Jak was born in a different time period). In Jak II, the main characters are sent three hundred years into the future, and the game takes place in Haven City, the segregated dystopia that is the successor of Sandover Village. Jak 3 also takes place in Haven City, the Wasteland (a desert located outside of the city's walls), and Spargus City, a city founded by Haven City's rejects. Jak X is set throughout Haven City, Spargus City, the Iceland (the exact opposite of the Wasteland, and is very mountainous), and Kras City (another city near Haven City). Daxter is set in Haven City, and even allows the player to explore some regions that they could not explore in Jak II.
The humans that inhabit Haven City and the surrounding regions are very technologically advanced, with futuristic devices such as low flying craft, and weapons. However, the inhabitants of Sandover Village and the surrounding regions are much less so, occupying small huts and reveal a stark contrast between the two time periods.
[edit] Jak and Daxter: Limited Edition Complete Trilogy Movie DVD
A bonus disc given out by Sony Computer Entertainment in a special promotion, the Complete Trilogy Movie DVD gives gamers a summary of the Jak & Daxter series with a run of scenes from the game franchise. The 90 minute movie is about the exploits of Jak and his sidekick Daxter, who also provides the cinematic narration by Max Casella, playing Daxter. There is also a behind-the-scenes look at Jak X: Combat Racing and its fully playable demo, developer interviews and footage of Daxter's game on the PSP. Although the title would indicate that it is a DVD video playable on any DVD player, the disc is only playable on PlayStation 2 or 3 consoles or the PlayStation Portable due to the demo of Jak X. In Europe and Australia, the Trilogy Movie was released as a bonus with Jak X, and unlike in the US, it is playable on any standard DVD player.
The film is distributed by Universal Pictures.
[edit] Jak And Daxter: The Lost Frontier
Initially, Naughty Dog hadn't had any future Jak games in the series, with only hints and comments providing clues to their decision. Co-President Evan Wells stated that the new technology in their Uncharted: Drake's Fortune engine may be used for a new Jak and Daxter trilogy, as well as saying that "there is a lot of interest around the office in going back to that franchise [Jak and Daxter] and seeing what we could do with it using the Uncharted engine." In mid 2006, more concrete details emerged when a trademark for an, apparently, possible future Jak and Daxter game was registered at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office called Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier. Even later, several prototype game cinematics were also leaked onto the Internet featuring old and new game characters in unfamiliar situations (Jak has short-cut hair and, along with Daxter, is interacting with new allies and battling new foes).[2] However, Naughty Dog refused to comment on both. The videos had Jak and Daxter in a new area known as "the island" fighting a giant robot, and salvaging the parts for an inventor, that looked like an elderly Vin.
Naughty Dog did not show up at the E3 2008 convention or TGS 2008, leaving many uncertain of what they were doing. But in a recent IGN interview with Naughty Dog's Richard Lemarchand,[3] he explains that "You won't have to wait too long for [the big revelation]." and that "We are working hard on something, and we haven't just been resting on our laurels". In December 2008 it was revealed that Naughty Dog was working on Uncharted 2: Among Thieves[4].
Co President Evan Wells later appeared on the full moon show saying that Naughty Dog plans to go back to the Jak and Daxter series at some point, also saying the whole idea of another game sounds exciting but said that the animators seem to have gotten bored of drawing the characters, he also added that a lot of the crew didn't want to move on to Uncharted after Jak X. It was known that Naughty Dog planned to make Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier after Jak 3 but instead created Jak X, then decided to put their work on The Lost Frontier on hold while they work on Uncharted for the next few years. On April 1, 2009, High Impact Games announced The Lost Frontier to be released simultaneously for the PlayStation 2 and the PSP some time during Fall 2009.[5] There is information on the PSP version on IGN. Most gamers had expected this game to be a PS3 game by Naughty Dog, however Naughty Dog is focusing on Uncharted 2. High Impact Games has worked closely with Naughty Dog in the development of this game.[6]
High Impact Games turned up for E3 2009 where they released a official trailer shown on the new PSP Go, the trailer had Jak, Daxter and Keira flying in an air ship fighting other air ships. Keira has a new look, implying that this game takes place after Jak X: Combat Racing.
[edit] Awards
| Game | Game Rankings | Metacritic |
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| Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy |
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| Jak II |
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| Jak 3 |
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| Jak X: Combat Racing |
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| Daxter |
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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, 51 in the first act alone. In Jak 3, there are 213 cutscenes, with 20 in the first act alone.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ First scene from Daxter Retrieved on December 8, 2008.
- ^ http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/238786.html and http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/238790.html
- ^ IGN interview with Richard Lemarchand Retrieved January 12, 2009
- ^ Uncharted 2: Among Theives revealed Retrieved on December 8, 2008. Leaving The future of the series unknown
- ^ [1] Retrieved on April 1, 2009.
- ^ [2] Retrieved on May 11, 2009.
[edit] See also
[edit] Similar series
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