Replaying this one was an intriguing experience, not least because for all of the joy I remember it bringing, I forgot that it was such an early game in the PS2 catalogue, and the 3d platforming is still pretty janky. The fact that you control the camera with an inverted x axis is probably its greatest flaw, but the camera being a solid object that cannot move past certain obstacles is also likely to kill you a few times.

Still though, executing a double spin jump is crisp, and getting that animation whenever you get another power cell never really gets old, because Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy ultimately is a game about exploration, and the power cells come from having mastered some new aspect of level exploration. More than anything else, as a simple kids game, Jak and Daxter is a game that teaches you to explore. The way that the menu gives you hints about power cells eggs you on to go further, to find everything.

Sure, you don't have to explore everywhere, and each new zone has a minimum number of power cells, but from an early stage the game feels like it is daring you to get them all, and the world is engaging enough that you know you want to. By the time you reach the volcanic crater, and that one fucking box is laughing at you, you know that it won't be spoiling your perfect record.

Jak and Daxter teaches exploration, not least because the collectibles are necessary for the continuation of the story, but also by never really being too opaque. Every power cell is within grasp, and the game basically tells you how to get them without ever really holding your hand. It sets you on the path and dares you to figure everything out, before finally really testing you in its later stages. It is ultimately a game whose difficulty is not based in boss fights or platforming, but in the exploration through which it defines itself from the start. Despite some jankiness, it is an excellent teacher.