While this
is Tak’s third adventure, it is our family’s first encounter with him. We’ve
been wanting to play an adventure with Tak – he looks like a fun-lovin’ dude.
Well, we have had fun with Tak, but not quite as much as we had hoped.
It’s time
for the Great Juju Challenge, a special tournament played every 60 years in
honor of the Moon Juju goddess. This tournament is where competing teams from
different tribes get together to demonstrate who’s really the best. Tak and
Lok have been chosen to represent the Pupanunu tribe, and may the tribe with
the best Juju win!
Tak is the
brains of the outfit, and Lok is the muscle. Tak’s expertise lies in
spell-casting, and while Lok also can use magic, his main contribution in the
beginning is the fact that he can pack a mean punch. When they first begin
their adventure, they don’t have any spells, but as they progress they will
gain new spells and abilities. This is a team competition, and Tak and Lok
will play as a team for the entire game.
Avalanche
Software designed The Great Juju challenge, as well as the first two Tak
games. While they’ve kept many of the same features and story details from the
first two games, they’ve also added a new twist: a different way to play
multi-player mode. Avalanche has designed one of the first games I’ve seen
that really can be played equally well as either single-player or two-player
mode. Players can switch seamlessly back and forth between modes without
pausing the game by simply picking up a second controller to play as one of
the characters, and putting it down when finished. For most of the game, Tak
and Lok play tag-team and can switch back and forth at any time for the lead
character, but there are also split-screen sequences that pop up from time to
time during the challenges.
The game
begins with a tutorial level, which leads the player through the various
button functions and associated actions. Both characters have a basic jump and
attack move, but Tak can swim and also hurl magic at enemies from a distance.
Lok can climb and pick up Tak and toss him up to high areas. Some situations
work better with Tak in the lead, and some with Lok. Tak seems to have a
better time jumping across long distances, and Lok can carry things around
much faster than Tak, as he’s much stronger.
The basic
gameplay involves collecting items, jumping around on platforms, taking out
enemies and exploding blocked portals. There are some situational puzzles to
figure out, but not a whole lot; it’s mostly running around while exploding
the portals. The item collecting seems mostly to be for health and strength
power-ups, with some other items to collect like jewels and bugs. The purpose
of these items isn’t really clear until later in the game, as there isn’t much
explanation for why some of these things are needed. In fact, there’s not much
explanation about many of the goals of the levels; players will pretty much be
winging it on their own on as to what exactly they’re supposed to be trying to
accomplish.
Even though
the purpose may be a little unclear at times, playing the levels is still
pretty fun. In one of the first levels, Tak and Lok have to figure out how to
get a Mama Rhino to wake up and charge around. Well, it just so happens
there’s a cute little frisky baby rhino running around nearby, and if Tak and
Lok can somehow bring the baby to the Mom … Watching Lok carry the rhino is
funny, and riding the Mom was a hoot. In fact, there are all sorts of humorous
situations scattered throughout, some of which are as simple as Lok whacking
around blindly with his club and hitting Tak several times, who then gets mad
and retaliates. They even lose health when they hit each other! It’s also
funny to see how slow and flat-footed Tak is when he carries anything,
compared to Lok, who just lifts things up with one hand and sprints off. The
chicken and lobster suits are back, too.
Despite the
engaging characters and the general sense of fun, though, there are some game
mechanics that have a slight negative affect on the game. The camera is rather
awkward to manipulate, and there are many times when the player just can’t see
the lead character or where they are trying to go. The camera viewpoint
doesn’t switch viewpoint on its own all the time, and players have to
constantly adjust the viewpoint manually, which doesn’t always work. And, the
levels are all timed. This wouldn’t be a problem, except for the
aforementioned lack of direction or instruction as to the goal of the level.
Many times the timer will run out before a level has been finished, and
players can either continue with no timer on (which means no game points), or
go back and start over. This, in essence, means that many levels will have to
be played at least twice through, the first time to get the navigation down
pat, and then once again to collect the game points for Team Pupanunu. And,
lastly, the item collecting just isn’t as much fun as it could be, it’s rather
boring.
This is a
fun platform game and it compares well with other similar games. There is a
sense of playfulness and lightheartedness that sets it part from the crowd.
But what really makes it stand out is the multi-player mode and the manner in
which it is implemented. This is the preferred mode, if players can find a
friend to play the game with them. However, the bad camera and the general
lack of seeming purpose in the game detract a bit from the general quality.
It’s a good game, but it could have been better.
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Gameplay: 7.0
While the general
gameplay is fun enough and not frustrating, it’s not as good as it could have
been. This isn’t a game that’s going to be so addictive that players hate to
put it down. But it’s still good for some hours of play and a few laughs.
Graphics: 8.0
The graphics are
really good and show well on the GameCube. Tak and Lok are animated nicely,
and the backgrounds all look great. The enemies are rather bland, though, and
uninteresting.
Sound: 7.0
The sound and
music is pretty average.
Difficulty: Medium
The game is
challenging at times, but not overly difficult.
Concept: 8.0
The multiplayer
mode is exceptionally well-designed and crafted. Kudos to Avalanche for a
smooth set up.
Multiplayer: 9.0
One of the best
implementations of a multiplayer mode I’ve seen. Playing with a friend is fun,
and easy to do.
Overall: 7.5
A fun platformer
that will entertain everyone in the family. The humor and characters are
appealing, and the gameplay, while not too easy, isn’t so hard that the kids
can’t play. The camera could have been better, and some elements could have
been more fun to do, like the collecting and rushed movement through the
levels, but on the whole, this is a pretty good game.
