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Tak 2: The Staff Of Dreams Xbox THQ  THQ has teamed up with Nickelodeon to bring us 'Tak 2: The Staff Of Dreams'. Now before you groan about the fact that this is a sequel, or based on intellectual property which is made to sell toys, give the game a go: I was pleasantly surprised and discovered a great game for kids and grown ups alike. It's got all the fun stuff that kids love doing, such as running, double jumping, floating, and of course fighting, as well as some very clever puzzles to solve which may stump even the brightest "kid", but with perseverance and correct timing, can be solved. The original Tak was never made available for Xbox, so I don't really know the back story, but from what I can gather Tak is a "chosen one" type warrior of the Papanunu tribe and he and his friends saved a Moon Goddess' stones from the evil Tlaloc. In this adventure, Tak starts off in the Dreamworld and is asked to rescue a princess who's locked in a distant and dark tower. Cliched it may be, but it sets up the other game world action nicely as you journey through the "real world" in order to see your shaman friend Jilboba's brother, known as JB (geddit? Jilboba's Brother... JB). The Dreamworld is brightly coloured, and kind of soft and spongy; you make plopping noises every time you land on a surface, and it's filled will all manner of nightmare creatures. A mystical floating star thing guides you through the world and on top of finding the princess you have to figure out who or what the star is. It reminded me of 'Alter Echo', in that you have to find triggers to unlock parts of the Dreamworld's level so you can progress. The "Real World" is much like what you've seen in the updated version of 'Pitfall': lush green forest environments with streams and hazardous cliffs. The residents of the real world and the evil Woodies will try and stop you from getting to JB's by setting nefarious puzzle traps that you have to solve, as well as simply just pummelling you at every opportunity. Luckily Jilboba transforms into a flea and you can use him to help you by throwing him at animals and either biting them to get them to do some action, or put them to sleep so they no longer bother you. Tak is well equipped himself with his staff and bola and JuJu magic. The levels are varied enough to keep even the most ADD stricken child entertained, ranging from simple platform jumping and problem solving to sailing down rivers in barrels, and even some arena and vehicle combat scenarios. Like most kid-based platformers there is a stack of things to collect. These can be used in the pause menu to unlock various mini-games which can be played one or two player, extending the fun after the single player levels have been completed. One of the coolest things about Tak2 is its humour. Patrick Warburton (Puddy from 'Seinfield') wonderfully portrays Tak's half-witted friend Lok, and his scenes are absolutely hilarious. There's all manner of wackiness going on throughout the whole game, but it never devolves into being too childish or demeaning: the obvious joke with the bad guys being called "Woodies" is not acted upon, and this restraint shows the designers are aware that dick jokes aren't the only things that make kids laugh. All in all 'Tak2: Staff Of Dreams' is an enjoyable romp through an interesting world. It stands above the other platform based games by refusing to bow to the lowest common denominator, and includes some really cool humour with interesting and challenging gameplay that will be a joy for kids and adults alike.  |
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