Gaming News - March 2006

Foster City, CA (March 14, 2006) -  Sony announced today the launch of Daxter for the PSP.

From Sony:

Developed by Santa Ana-based studio Ready At Dawn, Daxter takes players through the Jak and Daxter universe through the eyes of Daxter. The story tells the tale of how the wisecracking ottsel came to free Jak at the beginning of Jak II but this time around, Daxter drops his sidekick image when he finally fulfills his lifelong dream of becoming the action hero.

Daxter is a true action game, with classic platforming as its core mechanic. A no-compromise platformer with a full-featured move set, seamless level transitions through vibrant environments and incredible animation detail, Daxter takes players on an explosive gameplay thrill ride.

"We are excited that for the first time players will have the opportunity to play a high quality game solely devoted to one of gaming's most memorable characters - Daxter," said Grady Hunt, senior producer, product development, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "Since the Jak and Daxter series debuted in 2001, players have been begging for a dedicated Daxter game. We are happy to fulfill this demand with a tremendously engaging and compelling PSP experience."

Daxter takes place during the two years he searches for Jak, whose imprisonment was shown at the beginning of Jak II. On his own in Haven City, Daxter takes on a job as a pest exterminator to collect clues that will lead him to Jak, but he soon discovers more excitement than he bargained for. Daxter's feral-like moves provide him with the ability to crawl on all fours, climb walls, creep up on enemies and maneuver through small places. Daxter also possesses unique weapons to help him out, including an electric swatter and bug spray gun, which enable him to crush and blast metal bugs or hover through challenging levels. Another imaginative gameplay mechanic allows players to join Daxter inside dreams levels where he takes the star role and acts out his fantasies of being a full-fledged action hero.

In addition to numerous hours of action, Daxter supports a two-player "Rock Paper Scissors" inspired "Bug Combat" mini-game. Players will be encouraged to collect in-game items to customize their bugs and pit them against others wirelessly via Ad Hoc mode on the PSP system. Daxter also features interoperability between the PSP system and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system by connecting with Jak X: Combat Racing to unlock secret characters, vehicles and more.