Daxter

June 1,2007 - The Jak and Daxter series was one of Sony’s big three platforming series on the PS2, and it’s now the first of the big three to reach the PSP. Instead of giving the lead role to the main hero Jak, upstart developer Ready at Dawn has opted to give the little guy, Daxter, his chance to shine on Sony’s little portable with Daxter. Despite the shift in heroes, the developers haven’t downsized the game’s focus, bringing a game that feels very similar to the first Jak and Daxter. Is Daxter strong enough to carry the legacy of the series without the big guy or does Daxter have the strength to save the day by himself?

The story of Daxter takes place between Jak and Daxter and Jak II, as Daxter manages to escape while Jak is getting arrested in Haven City. A local bug exterminator hires him after hearing some ego-stroking stories about Daxter’s heroic exploits at a local bar. Daxter finds himself making a living killing bugs until he can figure out a way to help Jak. The story has a great feel with plenty of the personality that the Jak and Daxter games are known for, especially because of the titular hero.

Though the story takes places just before Jak II, Daxter’s gameplay is much more similar to the original with the Jak II style. The game plays just like Jak and Daxter, simple controls and all, while the HUD implements Jak II’s mini-map. You’re given missions like in Jak II, but they all take place in different levels with a good enough pacing that it’s hard to put the game down after beating a mission. Once you complete a mission, you’re instantly notified of the next mission with it being marked on the mini-map. You’re never given more than one mission, though sometimes there are two parts to the same mission. Luckily, you’re able to save anywhere, so you can just play a few minutes and save without much hassle. Gameplay itself is very fun, fluid, and responsive. You may be surprised that such good controls are on a PSP game if you’re well-versed with awkward PSP controls. The camera is easily controlled with the shoulder buttons, which works well enough, though it can occasionally be hard to see while climbing walls.

The missions themselves consist mostly of clearing bugs in an area and collecting the gems they drop, with the occasional additional or secondary goals you’ll find along the same path. You’re given a scooter to drive between missions, so you’re never really forced to run long distances with the minute-in-stature Daxter. The levels are varied in themselves, with some level examples being hotels, bars, fields, and many other levels that never feel like repeats. Weapons are also introduced quite nicely, as you start off with the electric flyswatter and eventually earn a bug spray gun along with some attachments that allow for hovering and flaming spray. They come at opportune times and future levels mix things up constantly, as each weapon and attachment are used throughout the levels you visit.

Daxter itself looks phenomenal for a PSP game, nearly matching its PS2 cousins in quality. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t run perfectly, as there is some slowdown when there’s a lot going on the screen or you’re looking over a very large area, but it doesn’t break the game at all. It rarely happens during any action, but usually in the streets while on the way to a mission. Animations are rather nice, as Daxter resembles a squirrel crawling up a tree when he climbs up the designated walls. Cutscenes do occur at times, usually noticeable by a small delay when you reach the right spot. Load times virtually disappear after the initial load, which makes for a well-paced game with nothing to interrupt the action.

Like its predecessors, Daxter features great voice-acting for each of the characters. Daxter makes his humorous quips throughout the game and its cutscenes that adds that warm and fuzzy feeling that the Jak games contained. The music is very reminiscent of the console Jak games, keeping the atmosphere at an appropriate level at all times. Sound effects are well done, as the bugs have that creepy bug sound along with the more vicious creatures that you face.

Like the original Jak and Daxter did for the PS2, Daxter brings a great a platformer to a handheld that could use more. With the non-existent load times and simple, but rewarding controls, this game feels like it’s been made with the idea of what handheld games need while not ignoring the presentation that the console-like power can provide. The great pacing to the missions keeps you hooked on the game long after you intended to stop at first, but expect around 12-15 hours of gameplay here to get hooked on. There’s little reason to not pick up this beautiful gem if you’ve got a PSP, especially if you’re a tickler for handheld-friendly games.

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