Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams

Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams is a 2004 video game and a sequel to the hit 2003 video game Tak and the Power of Juju.

Tak

 * Hello? Anybody here?
 * You're gonna get Thwarked.

Jibolba

 * Incoming!
 * Look out!

Tlaloc/Dream Juju

 * This is the Dream World. You've been here many times before in your dreams, but this time, you have been called here for a purpose. Several days travel from here is a beautiful princess who has been cruelly imprisoned within a dark and terrifying castle. She is held captive by one of the most vicious beasts of the Dream World. The Guardian who wields the world-destroying power of the Staff of Dreams. Sadly, the princess has no hope of rescue from anyone. Except for you, Tak. And if you should save her from her plight, happiness will be restored to her kingdom and the powers of darkness will be forever diminished. What say you, great and mighty warrior of the Pupanunu people? Will you bring your wits, your strength and your courage to bear on this sacred mission?
 * I used you Taaaak, to defeat the Dream Guardian so I could steal the Staff of Dreams. Pins, Needles! The Staaaaff... Oh, just get the stick.

Dinky Juju

 * Welcome to my playground! Now, go home!
 * Okay. So, how do you want to play?
 * Now, pick how many games are in the challenge. Let's go! Make it snappy!

Dialogue

 * Dream Juju: Tak, the great and mighty warrior of the [sic] Pupununu people. He who is lucky enough to have fulfilled the prophecy and defeated the powerful shaman Tlaloc.
 * Tak: What... Who are you? What is this place and can you turn that light down?
 * Dream Juju: This is the Dream World. You've been here many times before in your dreams, but this time, you have been called here for a purpose. Several days travel from here is a beautiful princess who has been cruelly imprisoned within a dark and terrifying castle. She is held captive by one of the most vicious beasts of the Dream World. The Guardian who wields the world-destroying power of the Staff of Dreams. Sadly, the princess has no hope of rescue from anyone. Except for you, Tak. And if you should save her from her plight, happiness will be restored to her kingdom and the powers of darkness will be forever diminished. What say you, great and mighty warrior of the Pupanunu people? Will you bring your wits, your strength and your courage to bear on this sacred mission?
 * Tak: Nah. Don't think so.
 * Dream Juju: No-no-no! No, wait! Hello? You're not supposed to do that. Get back here! Maybe you don't understand, Tak. Let me run through it again. Ahem. Several days travel from here is a beautiful princess who has been cruelly imprisoned within a dark and-
 * Tak: I heard you, but the princess thing? Come on. That's the oldest one in the book. People always say that kind of stuff in dreams, what's the point? I'm probably gonna wake up any minute.
 * Dream Juju: No, Tak. If you do not accept this challenge, you will never wake up again.
 * Tak: Oh, oh. Okay. Well, then. I'll do it.
 * Dream Juju: Good. I promise you, in the fulfillment of this quest, you will learn something new about yourself, Tak.
 * Tak: Hmmm. Something new about myself, huh? Okay, fine. Where's this princess?
 * Dream Juju: Not so fast, Tak. You need training before you can complete this quest. The Dream World is new to you. It has many dangers.


 * Jibolba: [in the form of a flea] He means me, the great shaman Jibolba.
 * Dead Juju: Great shaman? You look like a bloodsucking freak!
 * Jibolba: Yes, well. I am a bit. [transforms back into a human]


 * Tak: Where am I?
 * Caged Juju: You're in the Woodies' Dungeon. This is where they keep their prisoners before the big event.
 * Tak: Big event? What's that?
 * Caged Juju: You'll see soon enough.
 * Tak: Is there anyway out of here?
 * Caged Juju: Perhaps. Guess what's in the box and I'll give you a key to the lift over there.
 * Tak: Okay. How many guesses do I get? Three?
 * Caged Juju: As many as you like. I've got a lot of time on my hands. And, I'm bored. So, guess away.
 * Tak: Great! Is it some... extra clothing?
 * Caged Juju: No.
 * Tak: Is it food?
 * Caged Juju: No.
 * Tak: Um, maybe some books?
 * Caged Juju: No.
 * Tak: Boy, this is tough. Don't worry. I'll get it. A goat?
 * Caged Juju: No.
 * Tak: A baby goat?
 * Caged Juju: No.
 * Tak: A very valuable gold necklace that's sacred to the Moon Juju? Uh, or maybe... Wait! I got it! Inside the box is a another box!
 * Caged Juju: No.
 * Tak: I've got it! There's nothing inside the box! That's it, isn't it? Nothing! Ho-ho! Yeah, it's a trick! You tricked me!
 * Caged Juju: No.
 * Tak: Yes, you did! There's nothing in there! Come on! Admit it!
 * Caged Juju: No.
 * Tak: Prove it. [the Juju opens the box, which has Lok]
 * Lok: Who are you calling nothing?
 * Caged Juju: You were never going to get it right.
 * Tak: Yes, I was. I was just starting to think. I was thinking, "Maybe, it's Lok".
 * Caged Juju: No!
 * Tak: Yes.
 * Caged Juju: No, no!
 * Tak: Yes infinity.


 * JB: I'm JB, Jibolba's Brother.
 * Tak: That's funny.
 * JB: What's funny?
 * Tak: Well, your name, JB. And you're Jibolba's brother. It's the same initials.
 * JB: That's not funny. That is my name, Jibolba's Brother. Mother didn't even bother to think of a name for me.
 * Jibolba: Oh, can it, JB. Mom was very busy. Dad was off fighting those wars with the Black Mist, lost all of his fingers.


 * Tak: [after kissing the princess] You know, you smell funny.
 * Princess: Actually... [she reveals herself as Pins & Needles]
 * Pins: I stink.
 * Tak: [he coughs up the bad breath] Pins and Needles!?! What is this, Dream Juju?
 * Dream Juju: Tak, remember when I told you you might learn something about yourself?
 * Tak: Yeah?
 * Dream Juju: Well, what you just learned is... [Dream Juju reveals itself as Tlaloc as a sheep]
 * Tlaloc: ...you're an idiot!
 * Tak: Tlaloc!
 * Tlaloc: In the flesh! I used you Taaaak, to defeat the Dream Guardian so I could steal the Staff of Dreams. Pins, Needles! The Staaaaff... Oh, just get the stick.
 * Tak: Not so fast, punks?


 * Tak: [he gets trapped in the Giant Misunderstanding's foot] Let me go!
 * Giant Misunderstanding: Your name is Moe? Why, hello, Moe!
 * Tak: I'm Tak, not Moe!
 * Giant Misunderstanding: You're attacking Moe? How on Earth would you do that? [he frees Tak] And speak up with that little voice!
 * Tak: I have to stop Pins and Needles!
 * Giant Misunderstanding: You want a pile of beetles? [he drops a pile of beetles]
 * Tak: I need to take back their half of the Staff!
 * Giant Misunderstanding: [he summons a giraffe] Have a giraffe? Boy, you are weird!
 * Tak: Look! It's very simple!
 * Giant Misunderstanding: Temple? Uh, is Greek okay? [he summons a Greek temple]
 * Tak: No! Look! I just need some help with that rift!
 * Giant Misunderstanding: Oh. You wanna talk to Rick? [he drops a human named Rick]
 * Tak: Rick? I said "rift", not "Rick"!
 * Rick: Ask him if he wants to talk to Rick.
 * Tak: You wanna talk to Rick?
 * Giant Misunderstanding: You need help with that rift? [Rick disappears and a rift appears] Why didn't you say so?
 * Tak: Thanks, and so long!
 * Giant Misunderstanding: Song? Heck yeah, man! I'll sing you a song! [singing as Tak leaves] Back then, my jeans were tighter. My hair was longer. The coffee I drank was a whole lot stronger, but I never did nothing. I know it was wronger since the day I married you.

About

 * The platformer genre has in many ways grown old and stale over the years. The formula all too often recognizable and even predictable. Drop a cute, cuddly teddy bear of a hero into a colorful landscape filled with gameplay-extending collectibles and then have that character set on a quest to save -- what else? -- a princess. To make matters worse, platformers specifically designed for younger players have sometimes been dumbed down, providing fewer clever puzzles and challenge in favor of more collectibles, a disappointing truth. But thankfully this is not the case with the THQ-published sequel Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams. The title, smartly developed by Avalanche, is carefully designed so that both younger and older players can enjoy it for different reasons. The kids growing up on other popular Nickelodeon tie-ins will naturally be drawn to the aforementioned cute main character and colorful landscapes while adults will appreciate the way the game goes out of its way to make fun of platformer clichés through well-scripted, often humorous dialogue, and that it doesn't skimp on challenge. Indeed, some of the environmental-based puzzles Tak 2 delivers are surprisingly engaging.
 * Matt Casamassina "Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams" IGN, October 11, 2004

Cast

 * Jason Marsden as Tak
 * Patrick Warburton as Lok
 * John Kassir as Jibolba
 * Rob Paulsen as Tlaloc, Dead Juju and Giant Misunderstanding
 * Jeff Bennett as Pins, Needles, Belly Juju, JB and Caged Juju
 * Jennifer Hale as Flora
 * Candace Bailey as Fauna
 * Lara Jill Miller as Dinky Juju
 * Tina Illman as Moon Juju