Tak and the Power of Juju

Written by D'Marcus Beatty  on November 20, 2003

Full Review: The most ambiguously named game ever.

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Tak and the Power of Juju is THQ's latest foray into platformers, chronicling the adventure of Tak, the unlikely hero of the Pupanunu tribe. When the evil shaman Tlaloc begins turning the villagers into sheep, including the supposed hero of the Pupanunu, Tak is the last hope of his tribe. Tak must recover the power of the Moon Juju (hence the ridiculous title) and defeat the evil of Tlaloc.

One of the first things that players will notice about Tak is the vibrant, lush, and colorful world. Tak is a very lovely game for a platformer, although the environments sometimes aren't as distinctive as one would like. There are instances where areas begin to blend, looking very similar to a previous area. However, on the whole, Tak is an attractive game, especially if players can look beyond its cutesy surface.

The music is functional at best, with jungle-like drums playing the baseline at any given moment and unfortunately, the tunes are predictable and unmemorable. However, the voice acting, though not worthy of any awards, are pretty good, although sometimes annoying. Tak shouts little catch phrases while attacking enemies, such as УBoomshakalaka,Ф which is better utilized in the first NBA Jam. Tak's exclamations become especially repetitive, and make players wish for the option to endow the protagonist with a muting power up.

Tak controls fairly well, responding with the expected response of a platform character. Tak has the expected repertoire of moves, including a double jump, swinging from vines, climbing ropes, and attacking enemies with his pole. As the game progresses, Tak gains more abilities, such as a longer pole that he can use to pole-vault, thereby leaping higher. This pole will later double as a blowgun, which Tak can fire in first-person mode. Tak will even inherit the ability to use spells and eventually don a chicken suit that allows him limited flight and the capacity to lay eggs!

Tak can also interact with many of the jungle's animals. He will ride rhinos, harnessing their strength and destructive power to demolish barriers. There are gorillas that pull down trees for fruit, and Tak can use these trees as catapults. The young hero uses the animals of the jungle in a number of inventive ways, with puzzles that are simultaneously simple and unique.

One of Tak's major shortcomings is how easily players can become lost or disorientated. There are a number of situations in the game that will leave players unsure of their next objective or destination, which results in a lot of aimless and boring wandering. This is intensified by the fact that there is a lot of collecting and backtracking going on in Tak, with the obligatory scavenger hunts that developers seem to think are essential for platformers. Tak and the Power of Juju would have benefited greatly from an objective screen and a goal indicator a la Grand Theft Auto.