Tak: The Great Juju Challenge

Tak: The Great Juju Challenge
What a nice way to end Avalanche Software's Tak trilogy... (That is, until Nickelodeon decided to ruin the franchise.)
Protagonist(s): Tak Lok Genre(s): Action-Adventure 3D Platformer Platform(s): PlayStation 2 Nintendo GameCube Xbox Game Boy Advance Nintendo DS Release Date: NA: September 19, 2005 PAL: September 19, 2005 (GC) March 3, 2006 (DS, PS2, Xbox) PAL: March 9, 2006 (GBA) Developer(s): Avalanche Software (console versions) Altron (DS) WayForward Technologies (GBA) Publisher(s): THQ Country: United States Series: Tak and the Power of Juju Predecessor: Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams Successor: Tak and the Guardians of Gross

Tak: The Great Juju Challenge (also known as Tak 3) is a platform game developed by Avalanche Software and Nick Games, and published by THQ, for various platforms. It is the third game in the Tak and the Power of Juju series, as well as the last game developed by Avalanche.

Why It's a GREAT Juju Challenge

1. For the first time in a Tak game's main story, you can play as both Tak and Lok. Each character has their individual strengths and weaknesses: Tak is quicker and can swim like a fish, but isn't very strong and can't climb, while Lok is stronger and can climb walls, but is slower and can't swim without his lobster suit (because he's afraid of the fish). You can swap between the two and command them to wait or come back to solve puzzles.
   • The game also supports two-player co-op gameplay, with Player 1 controlling Tak and Player 2 controlling Lok.
2. Once again, the soundtrack is very good. Some standout tracks include The Gates of Nocturne, Fowler's Murk, Feathercrag/Ambush Grove, Ghastfall, and Obocodobo Crypt.
3. The story is well-written and has many twists and turns, such as the Black Mist tribe cheating by using outside help in the form of Travis the Dark Juju while ditching Crug in the final set of challenges.
4. The controls are just as tight as in Tak 2, and can be felt when playing as Tak or Lok. Both of them also have different combo finishers, depending on which button is pushed at the end: while both have a spin attack (Attack+Action for Tak and Attack+Throw for Lok), Tak has an Uppercut move with his sword (Attack+Throw) and Lok has a Smash move with his hammer (Attack+Action).
5. The new enemies, the Rokkers, have clever designs and types just like the Woodies before them. Some of these include Worm Rokkers (which pop out of the ground like snakes), Shaman Rokkers (which have white lodestones surrounding their heads and can revive fallen allies), Golem Rokkers (the largest Rokkers made up of many stones), etc.
6. The old characters are still their usual likable selves (and Tlaloc even turns over a new leaf by helping Tak and Lok with new spells), while the new ones are colorful, unique characters (except for Travis the Dark Juju).
   • The most notable of these is Crug, who receives major character development: he starts out as Bartog's partner and Travis' toadie, but after he was cut off from the challenge, he decides to help Tak and Lok by giving the latter the Ancient Hammer of Handy Juju in Ambush Grove.
7. There is plenty of humor one can expect from the franchise, such as Vanessa the gorilla having a crush on Lok, the "Gaseous Rap" that Tak and Lok perform in Obocodobo Crypt, etc.
8. Good level design, with most levels taking place in areas from the previous two games (such as Caster's Hill being set in the Burial Grounds, The Gates of Nocturne in the Dream World, Fowler's Murk and Ghastfall in Gloomleaf Swamp, etc.)
9. After each set of challenges, you then go to the Proving Grounds and participate in a fun demolition derby-type minigame where you ride karts to destroy others.
10. The PS2 version is one of four Nick Games for the system to support the "Nickelodeon Cross-Save" system (alongside Nicktoons Unite!, SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants!, and Barnyard. If you have any or all three other games on the same Memory Card, you will gain the following bonuses:
    • One game: An extra Blessing Gem is obtained from the start.
    • Two games: Hidden time bonus icons appear at the beginning of each level.
    • All three games: New vehicles are unlocked in the Proving Grounds levels.
11. Overall, it was an excellent way to end Avalanche Software's Tak trilogy, and would have also been a good end for the franchise had it not continued.

Bad Qualities

1. Travis the Dark Juju, the main antagonist of the game, is a significant downgrade from Tlaloc and a very unlikable character overall due to his history with Moon Juju and helping the Black Mist cheat in the final two challenges.
2. Swapping and commanding characters on GameCube requires you to hold down the Z button while pressing R or L, respectively. Thankfully, the PS2 and Xbox versions map these to the R2 and L2 buttons or Right and Left Triggers, respectively.

Reception

While not as well received as the second game, it still received mixed to positive reviews by critics and fans of the franchise, it had a score of 75 for both the Xbox and GameCube versions, 74 for the PS2 version, 66 for the DS version and 52 for the GBA version.

Trivia

• The beginning where Jibolba summons the player is just like he did in the beginning of the first game.
• Many of the levels reuse designs from the levels of the previous two games, such as Gates of Nocturne resembling the Dream World from Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams.
• This is the last game in the series Avalanche Software worked, as they were purchased by Disney Interactive after the games release.
• In the Gameboy Advance version of the game, there are two extra tribes known as the Mind Raiders and Zoopians.
• Lok's weapon differs depending on which version of the game is being played. He uses a sledgehammer in the home console versions, the Spirit Rattle in the DS version and a boomerang-like weapon in the GBA version.
• The Great Juju Challenge was a nominee in the 2005 Spike Video Game Awards, even having Tak featured in a commercial alongside other nominees.
• It is believed that Tak: The Great Juju Challenge is meant to be the canonical ending to the entire series, due to the amount of references and events recalling the two previous entries in the series, Tlaloc turning over a new leaf and not taking the role as the main villain anymore and the fact that no more Tak games were made after this one (if the TV series and it's two games are not considered as part of the game's canon).

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