Tak and the Power of Juju

Tak and the Power of Juju
North American box art
Developer(s) Avalanche Software (GCN/PS2)
Helixe (GBA)
Publisher(s) THQ
Designer(s) David Konieczny (GBA)
Christopher Bruser (GBA)
Writer(s) Randolph Heard
Series Tak
Platform(s) GameCube, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance
Release
  • NA: October 15, 2003
  • EU: March 12, 2004
Genre(s) Action-adventure, platformer
Mode(s) Single-player

Tak and the Power of Juju is a 2003 action-adventure platforming video game developed by Avalanche Software and published by THQ for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance. The game was released in North America on October 15, 2003 and in Europe on March 12, 2004. The Game Boy Advance version was also released on a Triple Pack cartridge bundled with SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge and Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party in 2005.[1] The game spawned two direct sequels, Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams and Tak: The Great Juju Challenge, as well as two spinoffs based on the Tak tv series, Tak and the Guardians of Gross and Tak: Mojo Mistake.

Gameplay

The gameplay mostly consists of obstacles, puzzles and is a colorful platformer. Like most action/adventure video games, the player can jump and attack. The player has a health-meter represented by the feather on Tak's head. One unique feature is the ability to interact with and get past obstacles with the help of animals.

  • Orangutans: Bend trees, then release them. If the player is standing on a specific leaf, they will be sent flying. This is usually to cross large gaps and chasms.
  • Rhinos: Can be guided to smash obstacles, usually walls, while being ridden by the player.
  • Monkeys: If attacked in some way, they will throw a coconut at whatever is nearest to them.
  • Emus: Controllable when ridden with a larger jump distance than Tak.
  • Sheep: Can be placed on treadmills to activate primitive contraptions such as doors and simple lifts.

When the player receives the Spirit Rattle, they gain access to the use of "Juju Powers" which are acquired by collecting tokens scattered around the environment. To restore Tak's health and mana the player must collect feathers, which are much more common in the environment than Juju Power tokens. The game heavily features collecting various other items. One of the game's developers said that the gameplay was based on Sly Cooper, the level design on the Jak trilogy, and the humor of Ratchet and Clank which are all PlayStation exclusive franchises.

Plot

An ancient prophecy foretells that the Moon Juju, the kind protector of the Pupanunu people, would be weakened by the evil Tlaloc, an embittered Pupanunu shaman, so he could turn the Pupanunu people into sheep as revenge for not being made high shaman in favor of another shaman, Jibolba. The prophecy also mentions a great and mighty warrior trained by the high shaman who would restore the Moon Juju, defeat Tlaloc, and bring peace to the Pupanunu people.

Having escaped Tlaloc's spell, Jibolba believes his apprentice Lok to be the warrior of the prophecy and prepares to send him off; however, it appears that Lok has been turned into a sheep. Jibolba sends his younger apprentice, Tak (voiced by Jason Marsden), to find magical plants and change him back, though it turns out not to be Lok. Jibolba tells Tak to obtain the Spirit Rattle, which allows the wielder to communicate with powerful Juju spirits to assist him, while he finds Lok.

Tak returns with the Rattle to find that Lok has been trampled to death by a herd of sheep. Jibolba has Tak collect 100 magic Yorbels and Lok's spirit from the spirit world, allowing him to successfully resurrect Lok. An unfortunate side-effect of the resurrection, however, is a severe case of diarrhea. Tak obtains the Moon Stones instead while Lok recovers, restoring the Moon Juju to full strength.

The Moon Juju reveals that the warrior of the prophecy is not Lok, but Tak, as he has already fulfilled almost everything the prophecy predicted. Using his arsenal of Juju spells, Tak defeats Tlaloc and turns him into a sheep, finally fulfilling the prophecy.

Development

Tak and the Power of Juju was developed by Avalanche Software for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance. The game was developed under the aegis of the Nickelodeon television channel, a precedent at the time because the game was not based on any of its then existing shows or films.

TV series

Tak and the Power of Juju is a CGI television series that debuted on Nickelodeon on August 31, 2007. Tak and the Power of Juju consists of two eleven-minute stories per half-hour episode. It is Nickelodeon's first CGI series (produced in house) and the company's 31st Nicktoon. The series is directed by Mark Risley and Jim Schumann.

The television series tells of Tak and his friend, Jeera, including his master, Jibolba, and other characters. Tak is faced with the responsibilities of being a shaman as he daily has to save his village from villains. The series aired every Saturday and was not as popular as other Nicktoons, and cancelled its run on January 24, 2009, due to low ratings and mixed to negative feedback from critics and viewers alike.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
GBAGCPS2
GamePro
GameSpot6.8/106.8/10[2]
GameZone7/10[3]8.4/10[4]7.8/10[5]
IGN5/108.2/107.9[6]
OPM (US)70%[7]
Play83%[8]
Aggregate score
Metacritic79%[9]71%[10]68%[11]

GameCube

The GameCube version of Tak and the Power of Juju received positive reviews with an aggregate score of 71% by Metacritic.[10] GameZone rated the game 8.4/10, stating "Tak and the Power of Juju appears to be a kiddie game, but it's much more than that."[4]

PS2

The PlayStation 2 version of Tak and the Power of Juju received mixed reviews with an aggregate score of 68% by Metacritic.[11] Play Magazine rated the game 83%, stating "Tak is one of the most detailed platformers I've ever seen, and possesses a measure of style that sets the universe apart".[8] IGN rated the game 7.9/10, stating "Perhaps it's because of the goofy main character, a humorous plot line, or some creative ways to present age old puzzles, but you're compelled to play through Tak."[6] GameZone rated the game 7.8/10, stating it "will give younger players a lot of replay time, but it is not a title for older gamers."[5] Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine rated the game 70%, stating "After a few hours, the boredom sets in, and the number of reasons you have for wanting to beat the damn thing is less than one. It's just not fun enough."[7]

GBA

The Game Boy Advance version of Tak and the Power of Juju received generally favorable reviews with an aggregate score of 79% by Metacritic.[9] GameZone rated the game 7/10, stating it is "well done, but typical of the genre."[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Tak / SuperSponge / Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party (GBA) - GameFAQs". GameFAQs. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  2. ↑ Ryan Davis (Oct 28, 2003). "Tak and the Power of Juju Review for PlayStation 2 - GameSpot". GameSpot. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  3. 1 2 jkdmedia (November 2, 2003). "Tak and The Power of JuJu - GBA - Review". GameZone. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  4. 1 2 jkdmedia (November 1, 2003). "Tak And The Power Of JuJu - GC - Review". GameZone. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  5. 1 2 jkdmedia (October 27, 2003). "Tak And The Power Of JuJu - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  6. 1 2 Mary Jane Irwin (October 14, 2003). "Tak and the Power of Juju - PlayStation 2 Review at IGN". IGN. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  7. 1 2 Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Dec 2003, p.178
  8. 1 2 Play Magazine Nov 2003, p.82
  9. 1 2 "Tak and the Power of Juju for Game Boy Advance Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  10. 1 2 "Tak and the Power of Juju for GameCube Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  11. 1 2 "Tak and the Power of Juju for PlayStation 2 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
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