''Jak and Daxter Collection'' (known in the
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory that covers most of Europe and Africa, alongside parts of Asia, South America and Oceania. It is named PAL because of the PAL (Phase Alternating Line) television standard traditionally used i ...
as ''The Jak and Daxter Trilogy'') is a 2012 collection of the remastered
ports
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...
of the first three games in the
''Jak and Daxter'' series. The remasters were developed by
Mass Media Games
Mass Media, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Moorpark, California.
History
Mass Media began in the 1980s at Cinemaware. In 1991, they formed a production unit called Philips P.O.V. Entertainment Group. Mass Media left Philips in ...
, with grounds on the originals by
Naughty Dog
Naughty Dog, LLC (formerly JAM Software, Inc.) is an American First-party developer, first-party video game developer based in Santa Monica, California, Santa Monica, California. Founded by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin in 1984, the studio was acqu ...
, and published by
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...
.
Development
In July 2011, Naughty Dog's Co-president Evan Wells stated in an interview with Game Informer that they would "love" to return to the series, but said they were currently "focusing" on ''
Uncharted 3
''Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception'' is a 2011 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the third main entry in the ''Uncharted'' series and was released in November 2011 for the PlayStati ...
''. Wells revealed in a later interview that they had explored the idea of a new game in the series "fairly extensively" before development began on ''
The Last of Us
''The Last of Us'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Players control Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic United State ...
''.
Neil Druckmann elaborated further in an interview for ''The Last of Us''. He said they had planned on making a reboot of the series, and had spent a long time searching for ideas and concepts they would get excited by, but discover that "the ideas we were getting passionate about were getting away from what Jak and Daxter was." They later hinted, however, that a "dark, dirty and dangerous" collection was in the works.
In October 2011, according to Digital Spy, an online business in South Africa known as BT Games had a ''Jak and Daxter Collection'' listed for release in January 2012.
Justin Richmond apparently also confirmed that a ''Jak and Daxter Collection'' was set to be released in January 2012, according to
Video Games 24/7. Sony then revealed that the ''Jak and Daxter Collection'' would be released on the PlayStation 3 in February 2012, and on the PlayStation Vita in June 2013.
Remastered features
The game supports a 720p resolution and has a fixed
frame rate
Frame rate (expressed in or FPS) is the frequency (rate) at which consecutive images ( frames) are captured or displayed. The term applies equally to film and video cameras, computer graphics, and motion capture systems. Frame rate may also ...
of 60 frames per second with the Vita version running considerably lower at 20 frames per second. The
stereoscopic 3D
Stereoscopy (also called stereoscopics, or stereo imaging) is a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis for binocular vision. The word ''stereoscopy'' derives . Any stereoscopic image is ...
mode on PS3 runs at 30 frames per second. The game has additional features for the
PlayStation Network
PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smar ...
which includes support for the
trophy system.
Reception
The ''Jak and Daxter Collection'' was met with positive reviews from critics, who highlighted the overall graphical transformation, and noted: "Though some aspects of the games are dated now, the ''Jak'' games still stand up as epic adventures."
''
Eurogamer
''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson.
Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...
'' offered praise for "three of the most interesting platformers of the 21st century." They maintained that they "may not be as solid a platformer as ''Sly Cooper'' and its gunplay isn't as refined as ''Ratchet & Clank's'' – but in terms of ambition, invention and grandiosity, it remains leagues above its last-gen platforming brethren." They regarded the games as a "fascinating document of the evolution of the action adventure; its heroes are unstuck in time, without a genre to call home. No series has been so willing to switch gameplay styles with such reckless abandon", and concluded "the ''Jak'' represents a shining example of what happens when a capable developer takes a huge risk."
''
Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 ...
'' "the series was driven by a restless sense of innovation", praising "Naughty Dog's work in this franchise for creating great characters, finely tuned gameplay, and a unceasing inventiveness", and felt "the ''Jak'' games stand up as epic adventures."
References
External links
*
{{Naughty Dog
2012 video games
Naughty Dog games
PlayStation 3 games
PlayStation Vita games
PlayStation Network games
Sony Interactive Entertainment game compilations
Trilogies
Video game remasters
Video games developed in the United States
Video games set on fictional planets
Jak and Daxter