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- Price: £39.99
- Players: 1
With a name like Jak and Daxter I had no idea what kind of game to expect, but for anyone who’s played Super Mario 64, Croc or Crash Bandicoot, you’ll have an idea of what to expect since it’s a mish-mash of previous ideas souped up with some pretty pictures – and the people behind Crash have had a hand in this one too.
The plot behind this particular escapade sees you playing Jak while your best friend, Daxter, has been knocked into a vat of Dark Eco, during your time exploring ruins on a forbidden island off the coast. You then have to find the one person who can put him back to normal, which involves you leaping around an island collecting all kinds of power-ups and power cells, exposing the insides of boxes by spinning into them a la Crash, as well.
I’m starting to get the picture with this one.
There’s certainly no shortage is great looking graphics. They’re sharp and colourful and move like a dream. They do look more geared towards what you’d expect from a polished children’s title, so will keep their attention easily but it looks just a little too cutesy for an adult title.
The sound is acceptable but not much more than that. A standard mid-tempo tune plays in the background to the accompaniment of bizarre sound effects as you collect this and that. The control of your character is simple providing you’ve had training in the aforemention walkabout games.
Aside from a lick of paint for the view and a change in the plot-line though, what exactly is the difference between this and all those other games that have gone before it?
SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC
PLAYABILITY
ORIGINALITY
ENJOYMENT
OVERALL 
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.