Have you ever played a game so good, that everything else in the world -- including other games -- no longer seemed to matter? I did once. That game was Mario 64. I became so enamored with the game that I would go to Target, Blockbuster or Toys 'R' Us every chance I got just to play the game a little bit more (before it was available to buy). Everything about it seemed perfect; the gameplay, the controls, the level design, etc., all of the things that mattered most. The only thing that wasn't perfect about Mario 64 was its length. Once I was able to purchase the game, I beat it in three days! $260 for three days of gaming (since I bought the Nintendo 64 primarily for Mario). There were still a few levels that I hadn't completed yet, but after collecting all of the stars, what else was there to do? From that point on, my mind was pretty much consumed with thoughts of a Mario 64 sequel, a sequel that would never be released...

In time I moved on and was able to appreciate other video games again. In1997, I discovered the joy of Resident Evil and fell in love with Final Fantasy VII. But something was still missing: a full-3D platformer comparable to Mario 64. Nintendo wasn't going to release a new Mario game anytime soon, and since Banjo-Kazooie had been delayed from November '97 to March of the following year (but was never actually released until mid-June). My only platforming option was Croc. Croc was a crock though, and nowhere near as good as Mario 64. And so the wait continued.

Slowly but surely, the platformer genre dropped off my list of favorites. I still liked platformers, but other than Klonoa (which was a 2D game), the genre sucked. Rayman was a huge disappointment, and Banjo-Kazooie moved so slow that I nearly fell asleep while playing it. BK had its moments, I'll give Rare that, but unless their target audience was preschool kids, they had no reason to make Banjo run so slowly. Needless to say, I was very disappointed in the genre. There were a ton of great 2D platformers made throughout the years, and only one 3D platformer that was truly a masterpiece. Not even Donkey Kong 64 or Sonic Adventure could stand up to Mario's greatness. Every game that I had hoped would be "the one" ended up disappointing me. But the one that I never, ever suspected (Jak and Daxter)...turned out to be the game I had been waiting for all along.

Jak and Daxter is the successor to the Crash Bandicoot series. Whereas the Crash series never advanced beyond the second dimension, Jak and Daxter jumps right into the third dimension. It may be an entirely new series, but if you play any of the Crash Bandicoot games before playing Jak, you'll have an amazing feeling of deja vu. It's like going back in time and experiencing Mario 64 for the very first time. That game was transformed perfectly from to the third dimension, and that's how Jak feels. But it isn't just an extension, an enhanced or rehashed version of Crash Bandicoot. Jak and Daxter is a new and unique title that does things that no other game -- not even Mario 64 -- has ever done before. After all these years of waiting for Nintendo to grant us the pleasure of playing a new Mario game, Naughty Dog has stolen their thunder by releasing a platformer that kicks the crap out of everything the GameCube currently has to offer.

Controlling Jak is like controlling Mario, only better. He moves with the swiftness of a cat and has a plethora of special moves, including the standard set of jumps, double jumps and spin attacks. However, Jak can do a whole lot more than that. To perform a long rolling jump, run and press the R1 button to roll, then quickly press the X button to jump. You can repeatedly perform this move to navigate Jak and Daxter's large worlds very quickly. The rolling jump is only necessary to make it across large gaps, but I love to do it just for fun.

After playing Metal Gear Solid 2, Jak and Daxter's visuals may appear to take a few steps back from what is capable on the PlayStation 2. But things aren't always what they seem. Play Jak and Daxter for 30 minutes and I guarantee that you will see just how gorgeous and deep this game really is. This is the first 3D platformer to fully render every background as far out as the eye can see. Fog and pop-up are not used to cover up any graphical mistakes because this game doesn't have any. The gameplay is what makes Jak and Daxter what it is: a masterpiece that should be cherished by all.

But make no mistake -- this game would not have been possible on any other console. The PSone, Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast consoles were too weak to create levels as massive as this. All of the levels are connected in Jak and Daxter, creating one enormous world that is bigger than Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Sonic Adventure and any other platformer available. Xbox and GameCube may be more powerful than the PlayStation 2, but those consoles came out too late. At the time that Jak and Daxter started development, most game developers didn't have an Xbox or GameCube development kit. Some developers hadn't even seen the GameCube in action yet and knew nothing about it, except for the PR info released by the Big N. Furthermore, Jak and Daxter has no load times. Once the game begins, that's it. Everything moves seamlessly from one level to the next. No slowdown, no game freeze, no frustrating wait at all! The same cannot be said for Xbox or GameCube. I've extensively used both consoles and have played most of the top games available for them, all of which have at least a small amount of in-game loading. Lorne Lanning promised that Munch's Oddysee would be free any load times, but there is quite a bit of loading in that game. The loading is mainly between objectives, but it's still a pain and takes away from what was otherwise a pretty seamless experience. Jak and Daxter is the only game available that is truly worthy of the word "seamless," because everything about it -- the controls, the gameplay, the level design, the enemies, etc. -- truly is.

If nothing else, Naughty Dog deserves credit because I will never be able to play Mario 64 or any other platformer again without thinking of Jak and Daxter. How ironic that they managed to one-up the series that invented the 1up. Anyone who passes on this game is a fool. Christmas is coming and Santa is ready to bring you some gifts. It's not too late to add Jak to your list.

Gameplay: 10
Have I died and gone to Heaven? We've gotten more must-have games this year than any of us have the time to play. Now to top things off, Naughty Dog has released the greatest platformer of the year -- Jak and Daxter. The gameplay is so amazing, you'll think you're playing a game from Shigeru Miyamoto. Until you realize that this is actually better than anything Shigeru Miyamoto has released in the past four years. Then you slowly take your eyes away from the television and see that the controller in your hand is a Dual-Shock 2. Sony has always been a great game developer and publisher, but this year proves once and for all that they are the best game company in the world. They've assembled the best lineup of games for the best game console: PlayStation 2.

Graphics: 9 
Jak and Daxter is the video game equivalent to Toy Story. Toy Story is an awesome movie that anyone can sit down and enjoy at any time. That's what Jak and Daxter is like. You might say to yourself, "I have more important things to do right now," but the minute you pick up the controller, you'll know that this is where you want to be. Obviously the story is the best part of the movie, and the gameplay is the best part of Jak and Daxter, but both have impressive visuals. Climb as high up as you can and take a look around. Don't forget to pick up your jaw off the floor when you're done.

Sound: 7.5
This is the one area of the game where Jak and Daxter falters. Some of the songs are excellent, but the majority of the music is somewhat bland and seems out of place. The sound effects are good, but nothing worth hooking up a surround sound system for.

Difficulty: 7.5
Jak and Daxter is a challenging game that everyone can play. Translation: most of the objectives are pretty straight-forward, but the clues are not overly obvious. If you've beaten Mario 64, you'll have no trouble beating Jak.

Concept: 8 
Take one Dragonball Z-type character; one furry, wise-cracking animal; one gigantic world and mix them together. Put them in a pre-heated oven and bake until brown. The result: a tasty dessert that's too big to finish in one sitting.

Overall: 9.8
I wish I could shake the hand of every man and woman who worked on Jak and Daxter and thank them for creating this game. If you love video games, you must buy Jak and Daxter. Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid 2 and Grand Theft Auto 3 are great games, but not everyone is going to get to play them. Jak and Daxter is not only a game that everyone can play, but it's also one that everyone will enjoy.