| Jak and Daxter | |
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| Developer(s) |
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| Publisher(s) | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
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| First release | Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy December 3, 2001 |
| Latest release | Jak and Daxter Bundle December 7, 2017 |
Jak and Daxter is an action-adventure video game franchise created by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin and owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The series was originally developed by Naughty Dog with a number of installments being outsourced to Ready at Dawn and High Impact Games. The first game, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, released on December 3, 2001, was one of the earliest titles for the PlayStation 2, and the series collectively is regarded as a defining franchise for the console.
The games are story-based platformers that feature a mixture of action, racing and puzzle solving. The series is set in a fictional universe that incorporates science fantasy, steampunk, cyberpunk, and mystical elements, while centering on the eponymous characters as they try to uncover the secrets of their world, and unravel the mysteries left behind by an ancient race called the Precursors. The games are inspired by a combination of Eastern and Western culture, a decision made among the team members at Naughty Dog and related stakeholders while developing the first title.
The first three games in the series were re-released on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita as part of the remastered Jak and Daxter Collection that includes support for the PlayStation Network and the PlayStation Suite.[1] The original three Jak and Daxter games, along with Jak X: Combat Racing, were released for the PlayStation 4 as Jak and Daxter Bundle in August 2017, alongside the release of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. In December that year, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, Jak 3 and Jak X: Combat Racing were also released for individual purchase. The first four games were later made available on PlayStation 5 through backward compatibility with the PlayStation 4. In 2024, the remaining two games, Daxter and Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, were re-released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, marking the first time every game in the series was available on a single platform. The series has also produced various forms of extended media and merchandise, and has sold over 12 million copies worldwide.
- ^ Eddie Makuch. "Jak and Daxter Collection hits PS3 February 7". Gamespot. Archived from the original on April 12, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2014.