First Date: Tak and the Power of Juju

First Date: Tak and the Power of Juju


We have now used the bound "tak-tastic." But were we being sarcastic?

Games are a little bit like dating prospects; however they may direct the eye on the exterior, you can at no time really tell what they're like until you part with some quality time with them. Furthermore, first impressions enumerate for a lot in the couple cases--if you have a bad first date, you're unlikely to want to diocese that person again, and if the first 20 minutes or thus of a game turn you not on it can end an otherwise promising relationship. In this feature, we'll strain the metaphor to the breaking point by the agency of recounting all the intimate details of our first dates with upcoming games.

Tak and the Power of Juju




Platforms: GC/PS2



Developer: Avalanche Software



Publisher: THQ



Genre: Platformer



Players: 1



Release: 10/15/2003

I number the attract mode (the video that plays when you move round the game on and don't touch the controls) as part of my date with Tak, with equal reason let's start there. I just caught a little bit of footage of Tak upon a snowboard, and apart from seeming simpler than the version of Amped 2 that Kevin has upon in the background, it gazes pretty fun. I like variety in my platformers, for a like reason things are looking good.

But platformers have affection for tutorials, so I expect going into Tak that greatest in quantity of this article will be based around that aspect. I come into the new game option and move through a brief story following before starting up, what other the tutorial.

This is your typical boring push this button to swing this weapon kind of material but it also lets you check on the outside one of the game's coolest features: riding animals. The tutorial teaches you in what manner to get on a rhino and plow it [i]or[/i] part of to the other a few fences, and while it is a beneficial concept, it also starts to present to view the less than polished game engine, with a problematic frame rate and les than ideal controls

As you work past this material the game gives you your first enemy male honey-bees to fight. Here, the collision detection strike one as beings comical, as you










Here Tak exhibits his animal riding ability.



juggle these enemies while they flop all above the place. It's cool that you can play tricks these mindless creatures—it reminds me of Vexx where you can conjure indefinitely—but I don't like by what means it's handled here. The combat commands are a little too slobbery You swing your club at the spider-like thing doesn't actually have feeling like you are hitting it; it have feelings like clumsy collision detection.

Still, the game is showing more [i]or[/i] less impressive aspects as well, in addition to the mentioned variety. Tak makes nice footprints in the clod as he walks around and the lighting/shadows are shakeed off nicely; they look realistic on the other hand are not overdone.

So I earn to the first level's objective, and find that I have to assemble four teeth. Those of you who dislike collecting in platformers are probably turning away right now, on the contrary since it's only four of them, I am okay with it. on the contrary I don't actually get to all of them before I have to say goodbye

My basic impressions are that there have the appearances to be a lot of useful variety, but the game engine is nothing impressive. And I can't be fully convinced of this without playing more of the game, on the other hand it seems like Nich was right when he said it's a bad sign that this is not the best voodoo-themed platformer to tend hitherward out in the past thirty days.

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