Tak and the Power of Juju
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| Tak and the Power of Juju | |
|---|---|
| PAL region PS2 cover art PAL region PS2 cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Avalanche Software |
| Publisher(s) | THQ |
| Platform(s) | GameCube, PS2, GBA |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
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Tak and the Power of Juju is a video game for PlayStation 2, GameCube, and the Game Boy Advance. The game spawned four sequels: Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams, Tak: The Great Juju Challenge, Tak and the Guardians of Gross, and Tak: Mojo Mistake.
The game was developed under the aegis of the Nickelodeon television channel, a precedent at the time because the game was not based on any of its then existing shows or films.
The series is populated with characters such as the Belly Juju, who always speaks from the gut, to the unintelligible Jibba-Jabbas and the Grammazons of the latest installment.
Story
An ancient prophecy foretells that the Moon Juju, the kind protector of the Pupanunu people, would be weakened by the evil Tlaloc, an embittered Pupanunu shaman, so he could turn the Pupanunu people into sheep as revenge for being turned over as high shaman over another shaman, Jibolba. The prophecy also mentions a great and mighty warrior who would restore the Moon Juju, defeat Tlaloc, and bring peace to the Pupanunu people.
Having escaped Tlaloc's spell, Jibolba believes his apprentice Lok to be the warrior of the prophecy and prepares to send him off; however, it appears that Lok has been killed by a stampede of sheep. Jibolba sends his younger apprentice, Tak, to find magical plants and change him back, though it turns out not to be Lok. Jibolba tells Tak to obtain the Spirit Rattle, which allows the wielder to communicate with powerful Juju spirits to assist him, while he finds Lok.
Tak returns with the Rattle to find that Lok has been trampled to death by a herd of sheep. Jibolba has Tak collect 100 magic Yorbels and Lok's spirit from the spirit world, allowing him to successfully resurrect Lok. An unfortunate side-effect of the resurrection, however, is a severe case of diarrhea. Tak obtains the Moon Stones instead while Lok recovers, restoring the Moon Juju to full strength.
The Moon Juju reveals that the warrior of the prophecy is not Lok, but Tak, as he has already fulfilled almost everything the prophecy predicted. Using his arsenal of Juju spells, Tak defeats Tlaloc and turns him into a sheep, finally fulfilling the prophecy.
Gameplay
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The gameplay mostly consists of obstacles, puzzles and a colorful platformer. Like most action/adventure video games, the player can jump and attack, The player has a health-meter represented by the feather on Tak's head. One unique feature is the ability to interact with and get past obstacles with the help of animals.
When Tak receives his Spirit Rattle, he is allowed Juju Powers that need to be collected. There are different effects for each one. Such as: Restoration Dance restores Tak to full health. Tak needs to collect feathers to restore his mana. Collecting feathers is a priority in each level and can do multiple things, like restore health or mana. Besides feathers, other collectables are essential for missions, such as Tikis that can summon Juju spirits.
Television show
Tak and the Power of Juju is also a CGI television series that debuted on Nickelodeon on August 31, 2007. Tak and the Power of Juju consists of two eleven minute stories per half hour episode. It is Nickelodeon's first CGI series (produced in house) and the company's 29th Nicktoon. The series is directed by Mark Risley and Jim Schumann.
The television series tells of Tak and his friend, Jeera, including his master, Jibolba, and other characters. Tak is faced with the responsibilities of being a shaman as he daily has to save his village from villains. The series airs every Saturday.
Sequels
- Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams
- Tak: The Great Juju Challenge
- Tak and the Guardians of Gross
- Tak: Mojo Mistake