Tak: The Great JuJu Challenge is the third game in the series based on the titular Nickelodeon character. In this instalment, Tak and Lok are called upon to compete in The Great JuJu Challenge, a sort of tribal Olympics that occurs every sixty years, where teams battle for the adoration of their tribe and the favour of the Moon Goddess.

Tak and Lok must compete in various events that take the form of a number of levels, where points are collected by killing enemies, finding items and beating the clock. The story, while basic, is very good and the cut scenes and interaction between Tak and Lok throughout keep the game enjoyable with some genuinely funny moments.

The gameplay itself is standard 3D platforming, with each 'world' consisting of a hub and various levels within it, representing a different Juju challenge. To progress you need to attain sufficient points from killing enemies, collecting items and finishing with the most time on the clock. The most interesting aspect of play is that you play as Tak and Lok simultaneously and can switch between them at any time (or play split screen co-op with a friend, which is actually pretty good fun). Switching between characters is required frequently, as each has different skills; for example, Tak can swim underwater, while Lok can climb and throw things, including throwing Tak!

This leads to some nice set pieces in the game, and while at times these can become repetitive, they're perfect for entertaining the younger gaming audience at which this game is clearly aimed. It is hard to get stuck, meaning that there is low challenge for experienced gamers but also keeping it simple for young players - the solution to every puzzle is to switch characters, so if your current one can't progress then you know that you must need to make use of the other. There are also a number of vehicles thrown in for variety... well when I say vehicles I mean animals, of course, but the inclusion of these do a lot to mix things up and inject even more fun into an already enjoyable and entertaining little game.

Visually, Tak is a game that doesn't rival today's games for complexity, but making use of simple textures and a basic colour palette does give the art style a decidedly cartoon look, which perfectly suits the feel of the game, as well as working well with the setting and the story. It's not trying to blow you away, but it does succeed in being visually appealing and endearing, with some superb and very comical animation to all the enemies and characters, particularly Tak and Lok themselves. The sound in the game fares better than the graphics, with excellent voice acting in the cut scenes and during gameplay; Lok especially comes across as a very lovable, but utterly brain dead individual, thanks to brilliant voice work. The background music is also spot on, with everything from tribal beats to metallic rock making an appearance over the course of the many levels, keeping it fresh and keeping your feet tapping as you solve the puzzles and progress through the levels. Every aspect of sound in The Great JuJu Challenge is well done and adds a lot to the experience, showing up many similar titles for lacking in this area.

There are unfortunately the occasional bugs than can cause frustration if they occur towards the end of a fairly lengthy level, things like getting stuck behind random objects or poor collision detection with enemies, or even instant-death hazards. It's unfortunate that flaws like these should make their way into the final build of a game, but they're not particularly gamebreaking, just annoying. The controls are standard for a platformer and respond well, making this a great pick-up-and-play title for gamers of all ages. As I've already stated, Juju Challenge is obviously aimed at younger gamers, so the difficulty factor is fairly low. Still, the average gamer should get a decent amount of playtime out of it, as even though you can speed through it, there is a good number of levels to tackle before the game's completion.

Tak: The Great JuJu Challenge takes a fairly average platforming formula and puts a unique turn with it, making each level a race against the clock where speed is of the essence, but so is exploration. Other than that, there isn't anything strikingly new in this game, but if you are a fan of the genre or the Tak TV show, there is enough here to make it worth a look, and while the addition of co-op play and characters with unique abilities that must work together to solve puzzles isn't original, it is certainly very well implemented here, making this a light-hearted bit of gaming fun for platform fanatics of all ages, but ideally suited to the kiddies.

Reviewed by Kieron Bosveld for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).