The orange wonder gets his own game.

User Rating: 9.5 | Daxter PSP
By gamefreak197 | Review Date:
When it was first released in 2001, "Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy" was an instant hit among gamers and it became one of the best games for your PS2 library. The most common criticism was that it seemed too much like a Mario 64 clone. Well, so was Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie and other various platformers, but they turned out to be great games. Jak 2 followed two years later and it helped improve the gameplay, while still staying true to the series. Several years later came Daxter for the PSP, which provided an opportunity for Jak's orange ottsel side-kick Daxter to have his own game. The game takes place after the events of the first game and before the second game. When they are transported int the bleak and dark Haven City, Jak is immediately arrested while Daxter escapes. For the past two years Daxter forgets to rescue Jak. While Daxteris telling the story of their capture in a local bar, an old man named Osmo is intrigued by his skills (as Daxter proclaims), so he gives Daxter a job to work for him as the city's pest exterminator.

The gameplay in Daxter is similar to that of Jak 2. As Daxter you have all of Jak's melee and jumping moves. Daxter also have a few of his own moves, like the ability the climb. At the start of the game you are equipped with a standard electric bug swatter. Over the course of the game you are given new upgrades and weapons, such as a flamethrower and bug spray. Some of these weapons can also be intertwined with the platforming to make certain jumps. Your main objectives mainly revolve around killing bugs and getting to the end of a level. Like in Jak 2, you get to each mission by getting around Haven City, the game's hub-world. If you have ever played a Jak and Daxter game you'll instantly be familiar with the controls without giving second thought. The controls have always been excellent for the series and this game is no exception. The camera, while finicky in a few areas, generally works overall.

The level design is pretty top-notch throughout the game and provide precise, and sometimes challenging, platforming that the series is known for. Throughout the levels are various items you need to collect. There are yellow orbs you obtain when you destroy the bugs. You'll need to collect a certain amount in certain levels. The precursor orbs make a return and act as currency, such as collecting enough to activate the dream sequences. Daxter will go to sleep and end up in different scenarios from various movies. It's been done before, but they have a charm. Completing these mini-games will grant you extra health or add new fighting abilities. Also scattered around the levels are little bug statues which are used for bug combat. I never really used that feature so I don't have anything to comment. Unfortunately the game is pretty short. You can finish the game in roughly 6 hours.

The look of the game is highly impressive for the PSP. The graphical quality looks like it could belong on the PS2. The environments all look great as do the character models and animations. The environments are varied and colorful in their location. The voice acting and music remains top notch and the game retains the trademark humor and quirky characters of the series. The game, however, does have some occasional framerate slowdowns here and there.

To sum things up:


PROS:
-Great looking game similar to what you could find on the PS2.
-Quirky characters
-Good voice work
-Good level design
-Great controls
-Decent camera
-Great sound and music
-Keeps that familiar J+K feel to it
-Context sensitive mini-games have a charm to them

CONS:
-Occasional framerate slowdowns
-Shorter than what I would like

Just like the Jak games before it, "Daxter" is a excellent platform game on all fronts and it is exactly the kind of quality you would find on the PS2.
Overall, this is a must have for PSP owners, especially for fans of the J+K series.It may be short, but it has guaranteed replay value.

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