Tak: The Great Juju Challenge
Score: 88% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: THQ Developer: Avalanche Software Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Action/ Platformer (3D)
Graphics & Sound: Like a lot of things in Tak: The Great Juju Challenge, the graphics tend to stick to the style set by the previous two games. Returning characters look just as good as they have before, while new ones fit the game's "large head", cartoony style. The environments, though not always sticking to the jungle scene, also fit nicely in the Tak-world. Whether you are climbing around the jungle, hopping on clouds, or wading through the sand in a desert temple, the overall feel stays consistent. It's nice to see the game expand the environment to include more than the jungle settings of the previous games, but this could have been a problem if the other locations didn't feel like they were a part of Tak's world. All of the major voice actors reprise their roles in this Tak game. Characters like Tak and Moon Juju are portrayed well, but once again, the very unique voice of Patrick Warburton ("The Emperor's New Groove", The Tick and the Buzz Lightyear cartoon series) steals the audio-spotlight as Lok. As for the game's music, The Great Juju Challenge, like its predecessors, has a very jungle sound. With heavy percussion and deep notes, it is easy to get into the feel and mood that has been constant in the Tak series.
Gameplay: Tak: The Great Juju Challenge follows our jungle hero, Tak, as he and Lok partake in a rare tournament. The Great Juju Challenge is an event that happens every 60 years. The winning team will bring protection to their village from the goddess Moon Juju. Team Pupanunu (Tak and Lok) will go up against Team Black Mist, Team Grammazon and Team Jibba Jabba in this year's competition. Thankfully, Tak and Lok have some jungle magic at their disposal. Well, we already knew of Tak's magical abilities from the previous games, but in this one, Lok has been given the chance to learn a few tricks so that he isn't completely useless in the challenges. Both playable characters have their own strengths. The main differences between the two is that Tak can swim while Lok can climb ledges. This makes for an interesting series of puzzles. For example, if both characters need to cross a river, Tak will need to swim across and perform some action that either lowers a bridge or drains the water. There are also a few things that the two characters can do together. For instance, if you need to get to a high area that Lok can't climb to, have him pick up the little chosen one and throw him onto the pedestal. There are some levels where this is really the only way to get around, since there are times when the mechanisms that open doors are really high up. The game features an arcade-like drop in/out system similar to what was seen in Lego Star Wars. This means that if you need some help getting through an area and you feel that your companion A.I. just isn't working out, all you have to do is call on a friend. They can easily pick up a controller, play for a bit and put it down again when you are done. When only one gamer is at the controls, that player can switch between the two jungle challengers at will. Also, as an added bonus, you can take advantage of a new system appearing in several Nickelodeon games. If you have a save of Barnyard, Nicktoons Unite! or SpongeBob Squarepants: Lights, Camera, Pants!, you will automatically unlock a special bonus. This feature has been dubbed the "Nickelodeon Cross-Save System".
Difficulty: Tak: The Great Juju Challenge has many missions to go on. Both the side and main missions get harder and harder as you progress through the game. Typically, I found that if I wanted to collect everything and complete the side missions, I would barely make it to the finish line before the time ran out. If you were to run through the game without worrying about the various collectibles or extra missions, then you should have no problem making your way to the final checkpoint before the timer hits zero. The real challenge comes with those of us who want to make sure they miss nothing and finish every task.
Game Mechanics: Tak: The Great Juju Challenge doesn't take a whole lot of effort to get into. It's control scheme is simple and will allow pretty much anyone to just pick up the game and start playing. The X is used to jump, while you throw your weapon (be it magic or other items) with the Triangle and attack with the Square. The Circle button is used to interact with objects like stationary cannons. An interesting mechanic that adds a bit of an RPG quality to The Great Juju Challenge is the Blessing Gems system. These gems are either unlocked or found throughout the game and when used with either Tak or Lok, can improve certain aspects of that character. In the center of the Juju Realm (the game's hub world) there is a Blessing Shrine. You can use this shrine to place the gems on certain parts of the Pupanunus' body. The position of the gem determines how it will affect the character. For instance, if you place the gem on Lok's hammer, it will be more powerful. If you put it on Tak's chest, his magical abilities will increase. The other category that these gems can affect is the characters' health. This third Tak game is a lot of fun and the drop in/out system makes it easy to get that little bit of help when you find yourself in a tough spot. The Great Juju Challenge is a fine addition to the series and anyone who has had fun playing the other two games should definitely pick this one up.
-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications AKA Chris Meyer
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