Did we really need another platforming game on the market? Over the next couple of weeks, Sony will have Jak 3 and Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal assaulting store shelves. Vivendi's gone and released Crash Twinsanity upon an awaiting public. Microsoft's got Blinx 2 sneaking up on us. And that's not counting the wave upon wave of other goodies already on shelves. But we shouldn't rule out Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams, the follow-up to THQ and Avalanche's fun little platforming effort from last year.

Tak is a typical native who relies on simplistic weaponry and powerful Juju magic to get the job done. After completing the tasks from the first game, he takes a much-deserved rest. However, it's here that he stumbles upon a dangerous quest in the Dream World. He learns that a princess has been kidnapped, and only he has the power to save her. If he fails to do so, he may become trapped in the Dream World forever, something that's not quite a thrilling idea to him. So, upon his waking up back in the real world, he begins on his journey, with the help of a few characters along the way.

Sound familiar? A lot of video games have this sort of plot, having some solo hero embark upon a ridiculous quest to save the girl. Mario, anyone? However, Tak 2 works because of an excellent presentation by the folks at Avalanche. They craft some great-looking mid-game sequences, with little pokes at humor to keep you chuckling as the game proceeds. They've also got a great voice cast at their arsenal, including the talented Patrick Warburton, best known as Puddy from the Seinfeld series. His character, a dim-witted relative who's intent on saving the princess himself, is hilarious. The rest of the crew hold up pretty well, too.

Along with the subtle sense of humor, Avalanche also knows some great details in level design, and a good part of the game shines through because of this. Some levels involve precise puzzle solving to proceed, mostly involving the assistance of animals. For instance, one stage requires you to fire a transformed bug at badgets so they can help you clear a path to get you further. Another requires you to anger a bear to launch you to an otherwise reachable area. These puzzles are not only challenging, but fun in their own little way. Juju magic can also be used for different effects, like transformation. These work later in the game as well.

Another little item I'd like to mention are the vehicles you'll use in the game. One allows you to float down a dangerous river as you dodge obstacles and take on enemies. This was a rather enjoyable stage in the game that I couldn't get enough of. Another allowed you to rampage across a crusty surface and catch some serious air. Man, it really made me want to own a dune buggy.

It's stages like these that helped the game maintain its fun status, as it also contains a lot of stages where you have to collect a particular number of items and Juju spells. Collecting is nothing new, mind you, but some people may be slightly annoyed by having to find so much. However, to its credit, the game does offer some bonuses depending on your progress, like behind-the-scenes goodies and extra little mini-games that are rather enjoyable.

As for looks, Tak 2 looks fantastic. The detail in the levels is very nicely done, and the character animation works, even if it seems a bit smoother in the mid-game sequences. It's not entirely original, as you could get a sense you've seen some of this out of, say, the Rayman universe, but it still works in terms of design. However, the camera can be a mess in some spots, as you don't get the precision view you'd like to get at times and getting it stuck on a wall can be a pain.

Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams isn't exactly what I'd call a must-have in your library. Older gamers will probably be turned off by the game's collect-all-this elements. And let's face it, there are more offerings on the market than you can shake some Juju at. However, the game still benefits from some marvelous presentation quirks and some ingeniously fun moments that have to be experienced at least once. It's most definitely worth a rental, and, to some, it'll make for a nice addition to your gaming library. After all, who can resist a platformer with Puddy? Anyone?