This page is a full text walkthrough for Jak and Daxter The Precursor Legacy for the Sony Playstation 2. Included is a complete guide through the game, which consists of detailed descriptions of each area and boss battle, as well as strategies to obtain all Power Cells in the game.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is the first of the popular Jak series. It was produced by Naughty Dog, the company that created the Crash Bandicoot franchise. Compared to the rest of the Jak games, this one is easier, more linear, has more G-rated content, and has a less complex plot.
The Story
Welcome to the world of Jak and Daxter, a world where day turns to night in a matter of minutes, where bronze eggs serve as currency, and where inter-species breeding seems to be all the rage - hippos and hogs, otters and weasels, yaks and cows, elves and humans, you name it. The story begins with two curious teenagers, Jak and Daxter, who venture to the forbidden Misty Island, against the instructions of Samos, the local sage. There, they witness a mysterious man and woman giving orders to a horde of fearsome-looking creatures. Trekking deeper into the island, the two friends find a pool of rather unfriendly-looking liquid. A sudden ambush from one of the creatures results in Daxter being knocked head over heels into the drink. He emerges alive, but now he is short and furry!
As it turns out, the substance Daxter fell into is known as Dark Eco, and it transformed him into a hybrid between an otter and a weasel - an "ottsel" (ooh, how original!) After receiving a tongue-lashing from Samos for disobeying him, they discover that Daxter's only hope lies with Gol Acheron, an eccentric sage who specializes in studying Dark Eco. His citadel is far to the north, and although Samos could easily teleport the duo there, the other sages along the way don't have their teleport gates on. Plus, that would take all the fun out of the game. In lieu of a yellow brick road, the only way to reach him is via several canyons interconnected with numerous areas filled with enemies and death traps.
YouTube: Jak and Daxter: TPL: Part 1: Training (Time: 10:18)
The Basics
Precursor Orbs - These look like bronze eggs with strange writing on them and serve as currency. Collect as many as you can so that you can buy Power Cells from locals.
Power Cells - Mario has stars, Sonic has Chaos Emeralds, and Crash has gems, so it's only fitting that Jak has a valuable item to collect as well. You'll collect these in different ways: buying them, beating a challenge to earn them, or just finding them out in the open. They are usually used to power one of Keira's wacky machines.
Green Eco - Green Eco is what your health depends on. As displayed in the heart-shaped health meter, you can take four hits before you bite the dust. You have unlimited lives, so don't worry too much about dying a few times in certain areas. Collect 50 small whisps of Green Eco or one large cluster to fill a health chamber. If you're lucky, you'll find Green Eco vents, which supply unlimited life energy to you.
Blue Eco - Blue Eco is an electricity-based substance found in clusters or vents. When channeling Blue Eco, Jak will run faster, attract Precursor Orbs, and activate various Precursor items, such as doors or platforms. This stuff must be what makes Jak's hair so spiky.
Red Eco - Found in clusters or in vents, Red Eco increases the strength of your attack, at the cost of some speed.
Yellow Eco - Again, this substance can be found in clusters or vents. When channeling Yellow Eco, you can shoot fireballs. For more accuracy, toggle first-person mode.
Dark Eco - Dark Eco is a slimy, purple-black substance that resembles an oil slick. It is found in large pools and also in green boxes with what looks like radioactive symbols on them. Unless you want to end up like Daxter, avoid this stuff like the plague.
Scout Flies - In each area of the game, there are 7 of these trapped in red and blue boxes. Open them with a diving attack and collect all 7 for a Power Cell. Listen for the buzzing noise they make in order to help locate them.
Featured Video
Moves
Jak moves
Left joystick - Moves Jak around
Right joystick - Moves camera around
X - Jump (press X twice for a double jump, press Square after a jump to dive)
O - Spin attack (can also be used to hover slightly for a split second)
Square - Lunge attack/shoot Yellow Eco (press X immediately after a lunge to punch upward)
Triangle - First person mode
L1/R1 - Crouch (while crouched, move the left stick to crawl)
L2/R2 - Bring up display
Left stick+L1/R1+X - Rolling jump, a very useful move for clearing long gaps
Zoomer moves
Left joystick - Moves Zoomer around
Right joystick - Moves camera around
X - Accelerate
Square - Brake/shoot Yellow Eco
L1/R1 - Jump
L2/R2 - Bring up display
Flut-Flut moves
Left joystick - Moves Flut-Flut around
Right joystick - Moves camera around
X - Jump (press X twice to flutter, press Square after a jump to execute a dive attack)
Square - Charge attack/shoot Yellow Eco
Characters
Jak - Jak is the spiky-haired, mute hero, and the character you will be controlling. He's the strong, silent type, whose vocabulary seems to be limited to "ouch," "oof," and "AIIIIEEEEEEE!" Feeling somewhat responsible for Daxter's mishap, he has agreed to take his friend to Gol's citadel to sort things out.
Daxter - Daxter will ride on Jak's shoulder throughout the game and provide advice, comic relief, and plenty of smart-alecky one-liners. He more than makes up for Jak's lack of speech, as you will soon discover.
Samos Hagai - Also known as the Green Sage, Samos is not your typical wise old father figure. He is ornery, irritable, has an intense dislike of Daxter, and has a log on his head. He will give you instructions on how to proceed through the game in search of Gol.
Keira Hagai - Keira is Samos' daughter (although there is NO resemblance), and for a video game character, she's not bad looking at all. She is a technical wiz and builds many gadgets and inventions to help Jak and Daxter on their quest, the most notable of which is the A-Grav Zoomer. Daxter has an obvious crush on her, but she seems to have eyes for Jak instead.
Gol and Maia Acheron - Gol, the Dark Sage, lives in a large citadel with his rather saucy-looking sister Maia. They don't communicate much with the outside world, and no one knows yet what effects their constant exposure to Dark Eco has on them, but they are the only ones with the power to give Daxter his original form back.
Lurkers - Couldn't Naughty Dog have come up with a more original name for the enemies in this game? Lurkers come in all shapes and sizes and will use a variety of attacks against you. Their most common form is that of a purple gorilla/fish hybrid. Their most dangerous form is that of an orange shark that will have you for lunch if you try to swim into open waters.
Precursors - Mentioned throughout the game, Precursors inhabited the land long before Jak's kind. They left behind artifacts and structures made out of bronze, some of which can be activated by Blue Eco. Unfortunately, their origins and physical form are not revealed until the end of Jak 3.
Table of Contents
References
Fast Facts
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Developers
Sony Computer Entertainment America and Naughty Dog
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Platform
PS2
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Mode
Single-player
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Genre
Platformer
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ESRB rating
E (Everyone)
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Release date
