Daxter
Platform: PSP
Publisher: SCEA
Review Type: Touchy
Version: Developer Preview
The PSP has really been hurting for a traditional platformer. Daxter, the first game from new developer Ready at Dawn, aims to fill that gap. The game riffs on the spray-gun concept cooked up for Super Mario Sunshine. Here, Daxter is eventually armed with an exterminator's kit which he can use to levitate and, of course, dowse enemies. In an interesting twist, the green goo can also be ingnited by an open flame, turning Daxter's poison hose into a flamethrower. Unfortunately, Ready at Dawn chose to take a detour around the William S. Burroughs bug powder route, so Daxter won't be getting dusted off his own cockroach-killing stash.
Like Syphon Filter: Omega Strain, this game feels more feature-rich than the many ports and rehashes that have plagued the PSP. The game is full of cut scenes (dig Daxter's rendered fur) and boasts tons of spoken dialogue (take that, literacy). And in another swipe from Nintendo, Daxter rewards players for diddling around with "connectivity." Playing Daxter then connecting to the PS2 via USB can unlock special swag in Jak X Racing.
Perhaps the most interesting feature is the Bug Battle mini-game (dubbed "Pincho Combate" in Spanish localiztion). This side story to the Daxter side story lets you catch and raise bugs, which can be trained and then battled against other players via wireless. The turn-based gameplay is simple -- an adaptation of "rock, paper, scissors" with disruptive gameplay (players can throw down tokens that can swap attacks or heal at the last minute). The two-player critter battles between developers and journalists that cropped up during our hands on were surprisingly dramatic for so simple a game mechanic. Bug Battle is the kind of game that could easily be expanded to its own PSP property. Hopefully the difficulty of finding friends who own and have beaten Daxter won't prevent buzz on this clever little bonus game from spreading.
Daxter's only misstep can also be found on the game's bonus disc. In a dream sequence Daxter imagines himself as Neo from The Matrix. The mini-game tosses the Ottsel into the strange, movie-only kind of fight in which opponants come at you one at a time rather than all jumping you at once. Timed button presses dispense the charging baddies with wire-fu moves. While simple enough, the game takes too long to beat. God forbid you actually screw up and are forced to try again. It should also be noted that allusions to the Wachowski's ruined trilogy are officially played out. Conker's Bad Fur Day name dropped the flick back in 2001.
If you're keeping score at home, the Irvine-based Ready at Dawn team features ex-Naughty Dog (as well as several ex-Blizzard) on staff and worked closely with the Jax & Daxter team in creating the game.
Daxter is due for the PSP in March
Publisher: SCEA
Review Type: Touchy
Version: Developer Preview
The PSP has really been hurting for a traditional platformer. Daxter, the first game from new developer Ready at Dawn, aims to fill that gap. The game riffs on the spray-gun concept cooked up for Super Mario Sunshine. Here, Daxter is eventually armed with an exterminator's kit which he can use to levitate and, of course, dowse enemies. In an interesting twist, the green goo can also be ingnited by an open flame, turning Daxter's poison hose into a flamethrower. Unfortunately, Ready at Dawn chose to take a detour around the William S. Burroughs bug powder route, so Daxter won't be getting dusted off his own cockroach-killing stash.
Like Syphon Filter: Omega Strain, this game feels more feature-rich than the many ports and rehashes that have plagued the PSP. The game is full of cut scenes (dig Daxter's rendered fur) and boasts tons of spoken dialogue (take that, literacy). And in another swipe from Nintendo, Daxter rewards players for diddling around with "connectivity." Playing Daxter then connecting to the PS2 via USB can unlock special swag in Jak X Racing.
Perhaps the most interesting feature is the Bug Battle mini-game (dubbed "Pincho Combate" in Spanish localiztion). This side story to the Daxter side story lets you catch and raise bugs, which can be trained and then battled against other players via wireless. The turn-based gameplay is simple -- an adaptation of "rock, paper, scissors" with disruptive gameplay (players can throw down tokens that can swap attacks or heal at the last minute). The two-player critter battles between developers and journalists that cropped up during our hands on were surprisingly dramatic for so simple a game mechanic. Bug Battle is the kind of game that could easily be expanded to its own PSP property. Hopefully the difficulty of finding friends who own and have beaten Daxter won't prevent buzz on this clever little bonus game from spreading.
Daxter's only misstep can also be found on the game's bonus disc. In a dream sequence Daxter imagines himself as Neo from The Matrix. The mini-game tosses the Ottsel into the strange, movie-only kind of fight in which opponants come at you one at a time rather than all jumping you at once. Timed button presses dispense the charging baddies with wire-fu moves. While simple enough, the game takes too long to beat. God forbid you actually screw up and are forced to try again. It should also be noted that allusions to the Wachowski's ruined trilogy are officially played out. Conker's Bad Fur Day name dropped the flick back in 2001.
If you're keeping score at home, the Irvine-based Ready at Dawn team features ex-Naughty Dog (as well as several ex-Blizzard) on staff and worked closely with the Jax & Daxter team in creating the game.
Daxter is due for the PSP in March
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