Jak and Daxter are two of the most critically acclaimed gaming teams of the 21st Century.
Bursting onto the platform gaming scene in 2001, the Naughty Dog gaming company brought us a heroic mute teenage boy and his eager, talkative companion.
Sony Computer Entertainment America and Naughty Dog are the people to thank for hours of gaming pleasure.
Released onto the PlayStation 2, Jak and Daxter have remained there until two spin-offs (Daxter and Jak and Daxter: The Final Frontier) made their way onto the PlayStation Portable (known as the PSP).
February of 2012 saw Jak and Daxter emerge onto the PS3, on a single Blu Ray disc.
The first three games are now part of the HD Classics Collection.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Jak and Daxter made their start in life on the first game of the series, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy.
In this adventure, fifteen year old Jak and his best friend Daxter sneak onto the dangerous Misty Island, where they learn of a great evil.
Villains Gol and Maia Acheron plan to flood the world with Dark Eco (the world’s most dangerous and unstable of the energy sources).
As they leave Misty Island, the friends are set upon by powerful creatures known as Lurkers.
Jak defeats the oncoming Lurker, but in the process accidentally knocks Daxter into a vat of Dark Eco.
When Daxter emerges, he is no longer human, but an ottsel (a combined creation of an otter and weasel).
Jak and Daxter set off across the Old World, where they must solve challenges, race and trade with others to somehow change Daxter back, and to save the world from Dark Eco.
Gol and Maia were only the start of the problems for the troublesome two.
Jak II
In Jak II, Jak and Daxter are flung hundreds of years into the future, where they entered the strange, yet familiar world of Haven City (site of the original Old World).
Jak is quickly captured and experimented on by the evil Baron Praxsis.
After being subjected to so much Dark Eco, he can control his powers for short periods of time, and he becomes Dark Jak.
It is also the start of Jak’s witty one liners and brooding thoughts (yes, he talks now).
Jak II has other dangerous villains such as Kor (leader of the rebellious and dangerous Metal Head gang), and Krew (overweight crime boss and black marketer).
Jak 3
Jak 3 opens with Jak, Daxter and their new friend Pecker (a half-monkey, half-macaw) being banished to the Wasteland, by new villain, Count Veger.
Jak and his friends are saved and they enter the new location of Spargus City, ruled by King Damas.
They soon learn startling new evidence of the Precursors, and Erol, a once great scientist who wishes to take control of them.
It is during this game, where Jak learns who he truly is: Mar, the founder of Haven City and the son of King Damas.
In these sequels, Jak was voiced by Mike Erwin.
Jax X
Jak & Daxter were primarily single player games, until the spin-off game Jax X (a racing game), which let you compete with other players.
These vehicles could be customized like any normal car, but the added bonus was the guns, rocket launchers, speed boosts, obstacle launchers and Eco boosts.
Along his journeys, Jak learns many new abilities, such as controlling multiple types of Eco; Green (healing), Blue (speed), Red (strength), Yellow (long-range attacks), Dark (unstable, but powerful) and Light (the True Power of the Precursors).
In order to reach other locations or complete seemingly difficult challenges, racing comes in multiple forms, from the rare Flut Flut birds (which can also peck enemies to death) and off-road vehicles, that can be customized to give stronger powers and higher acceleration.
Jak used to primarily defeat his enemies with the help of Eco, and punch, and kick attacks. However, in the dystopian world of Haven City, Jak takes control of the Morph Gun, which is comprised of four components; the Red Eco Scatter Gun, the Yellow Eco Blaster Rifle, the Blue Eco Vulcan Fury gun, and the Dark Eco Peace Maker lightening gun.
