It's
a testament to innovative thinking that the brilliant
developers at Avalanche Software are able to find
a way to breathe new life into an old premise and
a series that most gamers would probably imagine has
run its course. Tak: The Great Juju Challenge is a
platformer that isn't stuck in the Stone Age, even
though the characters are.
Tak
and Loc are back and this time they aren't battling
the evil Tlaloc. He's history or should I say prehistoric?
The boys are now involved in taking the Great Juju
Challenge which includes competing against other tribes
in a series of races, obstacles courses and mini games.
I know this might sound like a generic kart racing
concept, and there are some generic events to be sure,
but overall the humorous storyline links all of the
games into a cohesive, yet varied, style of gameplay.
Getting
from point A to point B within a given time limit
may seem as simple as peeing into a diaper. Sure,
the premise is easy but there are plenty of obstacles
to look out for, platforms to navigate, enemies to
destroy, doors to unlock and items to collect. There's
no shortage of things to do and while the collecting
stretches things a little thin there are some benefits
to finding some of these goodies not to mention that
it also involved exploring.
Tak
is a sorcerer and is capable of casting spells while
Lok is a warrior and manages to survive using brute
strength. Each of the characters' powers are upgradable
and since you'll be playing both of them at virtually
the same time, you're going to need all the help you
can get.
Yes,
both characters run the levels at the same time. You
can switch between them at any time by pressing one
button. The character that's not being played will
be controlled by the CPU and will follow you around,
mainly staying out of your way except for some comic
relief. At times the screen will split forcing you
to play each character a little at a time while you
alternate separate tasks attempting to accomplish
a pair of goals. This is a great idea for a single-player
mode but another player can also jump right in at
anytime and begin to take control of one of the characters.
This works great in the event that you happen to be
showing someone the ropes where they can actually
join in at anytime. The controls are straightforward
enabling anyone with a decent bit of skill to pick-up-and-play
with only the barest of instructions, making this
a great game for young kids although the humor and
gameplay is sure to interest adults alike.
Levels
include mountainous areas, deserts, jungles, caves
and underwater environments. All are striking with
cartoonish colors and exaggerated Flintstone-style
detail. The characters move smoothly and precisely
although there are times when you have to be in a
very specific spot to activate some of the puzzles
or when hitting some of the enemies. There is some
slowdown but nothing that cripples the gameplay. Voiceovers
bring the characters to life and the writing ensures
that you'll get a few good belly laughs out of the
interaction of these two goofy but loveable losers.
I
would heartily recommend this game to anyone but I
hesitate to recommend a purchase because it's not
huge on replay value unless you're into the whole
"high score" competition thing. But definitely
go out of your way to rent it.
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