Tak: The Great Juju Challenge Review

Game: Tak: The Great Juju Challenge

System: Gamecube (also PS2, Xbox, GBA, DS)
Genre: Platform
Developer: Avalanche Software
Release date: September 19, 2005


Pros:Co-op works well, good sense of humor
Cons: Vertical split screen makes it difficult to move around, game is short


You might know Tak from the short-lived Nickelodeon series Tak and the Power of Juju, but he began his career as a video game hero. The original Tak game, Tak and the Power of Juju, is, surprisingly, one of the better platform games ever made. Its direct sequel, Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams, is excellent also. Enter the third game in the series, Tak: The Great Juju Challenge, which mixes up the standard Tak formula. Instead of a story-based single-player adventure, The Great Juju Challenge opts for a series of timed challenges. It also features co-op for the first time. DBtC contributors Evan and Beth sat down to play the game this month...

What were your first impressions of the game?

Tak

Evan (Tak): The first thing that struck me was the inferiority of the split screen setup. Instead of dividing the screen into two parts along a horizontal line, the game splits the screen along a vertical line. The result is a limited view of the action in the game. It wasn't a dealbreaker, but it did make progress through the game's levels more difficult.

Beth (Lok): Possibly the first thing I noticed about Tak: The Great Juju Challenge, was the graphics. Though not necessarily spectacular, they are appealing, and set the mood for the game. They put you in mind of a magical wooden village at dusk. Apart from the graphics, I probably noticed immediately that the game has a great sense of humor. Specifically, Lok's character is an endless source of humor.


How does The Great Juju Challenge compare to earlier games in the series?

Lok

Evan: Like the first two games, The Great Juju Challenge has gorgeous graphics and outstanding sound and music. It also has a great sense of humor. However, unlike the earlier titles, this game revolves around cooperative actions. Either two players control Tak and Lok or one player controls both, alternating between the dynamic duo. In general, the series has been in decline. The first game is a brilliant platform game, the second game is excellent, and this third game is the least impressive.

Beth: Unfortunately, I haven't played the other games in the Tak series, but I enjoyed this one and would be interested in playing the first two.


What was your favorite part?

Evan: I think my favorite parts involved areas where Beth and I had to split apart to accomplish a mission. In these areas, where Beth might need to flip a switch and I collect an item, it became much easier playing with a partner. We could move and react more quickly than if only one of us was controlling both characters.

Beth: I played as Lok, and my favorite part was getting to wear the lobster suit. Exploring the sea bottom and swimming around as a lobster isn't something you get to do in every video game, and I really enjoyed the opportunity. Other than that, I'd say that the "Proving Grounds" were unique and I enjoyed bombing around in my car in a bumper-cars style setting.

Lok in his lobster suit.

What was your least favorite part?

Evan: My least favorite part was the vertical split screen setup and also the disjointed nature of the game. The levels were designed well, but they didn't translate into a cohesive whole. They just felt random.

Beth: My least favorite part was that some of timing felt tight, and I felt rushed. I enjoyed playing through the levels but felt like if I got stuck at a particular part, it would really negate all the good work we'd already done in that level because we'd lose so much time we'd basically have to play through it again. Also, it was a bit dark in the ocean sometimes which made it tricky to see where I was going. 

The vertical split screen.

How much is your character like you, if at all?

Evan: I guess I'm somewhat like Tak. He's the responsible, dependable hero of the game, but he doesn't mind cracking a few jokes or getting silly with Lok now and then.

Beth: I sincerely hope I'm not like Lok at all (he's a bit of a blockhead). On the other hand, Lok is strong and he's a good assistant to Tak and a dedicated friend, so I hope that I have those qualities. Also, he's funny (possibly funnier than I am). 


What score would you give Tak: The Great Juju Challenge?

Evan: This is a difficult game to score. One one hand the game is frustrating because of its split-screen during co-op play and because the story, levels, and characters never really merge into a unified game experience. On the other hand, the graphics, sound, and presentation are impressive, and the level design is excellent. Two and a half stars for me.

 

Beth: I would give Tak: The Great Juju Challenge an overall score of 3 stars. It could be a bit better with more story development, perhaps more levels, and a little bit more creativity with the different challenges, but I enjoyed it and recommend it, especially for co-op play.

Atari to Auction Off Assets in July

Atari Inc. plans to put its video game properties up for auction this July. The news comes after the company failed to find a buyer for its entire catalogue of games after filling for bankruptcy in January. According to Atari, it received fifteen offers, none of which were satisfactory.

The upcoming auction will take place over four days in July. Some of the properties on sale include Rollercoaster Tycoon, Total Annihilation, and Test Drive. Splitting up its properties into various "pools" might allow Atari to reach whatever price threshold the company is looking for. "The Debtors believe that this type of a targeted bidding process affords the Debtors the best opportunity to market the Assets and maximize the value thereof for the benefit of all stakeholders," Atari said in papers filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan.

Atari, now over forty years old, is the grandfather of the video game industry. Games like Pong, Asteroids, and Centipede gave birth to an industry now worth $70 billion. Over the past few years, Atari's operations have focused mostly on mobile games and licensing.

The company is waiting on court approval to set the auction process in motion. A hearing is set for June 11.

Xbox One Unveiled

Today at a press conference at the Xbox campus in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft representatives revealed Xbox One, the successor to Xbox 360, first released in 2005.

According to Don Mattrick, President of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, the goal of Xbox One is "to become the all-in-one system for every living room." The great majority of time during the presentation was dedicated to multimedia applications and multimedia interactivity. Yusuf Medhi, senior vice president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, showed off "snap mode," which allows users to play a game or watch a movie while simultaneously browsing the internet, for example. Also, the new Kinect, bundled with every Xbox One, will respond to new voice commands and gestures.

Representatives from EA Sports and Activision were represented at the conference. EA Sports games shown include new versions of FIFA, Madden, NBA Live and UFC, all of which will be released in the next 12 months. Activision showed off Call of Duty: Ghosts, "the best Call of Duty game we've ever made."

From left to right: Kinect, console, controller.

Other games include Forza Motorsport 5, due at launch, and a new game from Alan Wake developer Remedy called Quantum Break. Microsoft promised a total of 15 exclusive games during the first year of Xbox One, eight of which are brand new titles.

Bonnie Ross, head of Halo-maker 343 Industries, announced a new Halo TV series produced by Executive Producer extraordinaire Steven Spielberg.

The presentation ended with gameplay footage from Call of Duty: Ghosts, which will feature exclusive content on Xbox One.

Xbox One will arrive before the end of the year.

Update: Xbox One will not support Xbox 360 games. Also, Microsoft will charge a "pre-owned fee" to play used games.

Update #2: Xbox One "does not have to be always connected, but Xbox One does require a connection to the Internet." It looks like Xbox games will need to be activated via an internet connection, however.

Nintendo Direct Summary

Sonic: Lost World

The most recent Nintendo Direct ended about 40 minutes ago. Here are the headlines:

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata announced a worldwide partnership with Sega -- unthinkable 20 years ago -- that includes a new Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games title and a brand new Sonic flagship title called Sonic: Lost World, exclusive to Wii U and 3DS.

Iwata also provided some release dates. They include:

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (3DS): May 24
Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS): June 9
Game & Wario (Wii U): June 23
Pikmin 3 (Wii U): August 4
The Wonderful 101 (Wii U): September 15

Also, the DLC "New Super Luigi U" will be released as a standalone physical copy in stores for $29.99.

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime announced a partnership with Best Buy, whereby customers can play unreleased Wii U games at more than 100 Best Buy brick-and-mortar stores.

Three new playable characters in Pikmin 3.

A large portion of the Direct was reserved for Pikmin 3, due in August. Iwata showed gameplay footage and announced three new playable characters. The third game in the Pikmin series will also allow players to rewind days, reducing the frustration of trial and error.

Nintendo Direct Scheduled for Tomorrow

Nintendo announced it will broadcast a Nintendo Direct tomorrow, May 17, at 10:00 AM EST.

This particular Nintendo Direct will provide updates on upcoming summer Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games.

Nintendo promised a future Nintendo Direct to discuss Wii U titles for fall and onward before the start of E3 2013.

The broadcast can be viewed here.

Treasure Adventure Game Review

Game: Treasure Adventure Game

System: PC
Genre: Action-adventure
Developer: Robit Studios
Release date: November 26, 2011


Pros: Nice retro graphics and sound, clever puzzles, challenging platforming segments
Cons: Somewhat derivative, little to no help if stuck


One of several games available for free at GOG.com, a repository of classic computer games, Treasure Adventure Game doesn't look like much. The graphics look outdated, the characters blocky, the entire game modest, simple, uninteresting. But when it comes to Treasure Adventure Game, looks can be deceiving. This game is fun, it's clever, and it puts forward some very interesting ideas about action-adventure games, even if those ideas have been used before.

Say what you will about the name Treasure Adventure Game, at least it's honest. Players take control of a young boy with amnesia who sets off on an epic adventure of discovery on his birthday. Raised by an elderly couple on an island in a great sea, the young boy retains no memories of his youth, his family, or the fate of his missing hand. Armed only with his hook hand and a map that washed ashore with him, the boy visits a nearby museum. Its owner tells the boy of 12 ancient treasure scattered across the world during an ancient cataclysm. Soon the boy is off in search of buried treasure.

The hero and his bird companion search an island for treasure.

Immediately the game brings to mind The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, in which another young boy destined for greatness crosses a great sea in search for treasure. The creator of Treasure Adventure Game, Stephen Orlando, never seems to shy away from such comparisons. His game is a love letter to action-adventure games of the past. There are elements of Zelda, Super Mario, Castlevania, and other classic action and platform series. As a result the game is somewhat derivative, relying on gameplay mechanics and puzzles that have been used and reused over the past 25 years. Yet there are novelties in Treasure Adventure Game. Orlando, who made the entire game mostly by himself over the course of two years, manages to alter traditional formulas enough to create something all his own.

Although Treasure Adventure Game is an action-adventure game -- filled with non-playable characters, puzzles, exploration, and inventory slots -- it's also a platform game. Entire segments of the game demand that players jump, swim, climb, and crawl around all manner of obstacles and hazards. Some of the segments are tricky, but none are impossible.

Expect to do a lot of sailing.

Apart from the gameplay, which provides a healthy and satisfying combination of platform challenges and brain-teasers, the game offers some nice art direction and music, despite technical limitations. The game's music, composed by Robert Ellis, is especially good. It changes depending on the background, and helps set the mood for each environment.

Any action-adventure fans willing to forgive the old-school graphics and sound will find a special experience in Treasure Adventure Game. It might seem simple and straightforward, but it's  surprisingly deep, open, and interactive.