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The jungle fish,[1][2][3] also known as the fish lurker,[4] is an enemy in The Precursor Legacy and a background creature in Jak X: Combat Racing. They are some species of fish that were transformed into lurkers by Maia through dark eco sorcery, and are among babaks and lurker sharks as the only lurkers known to have survived in the 300 years between The Precursor Legacy and Jak II.

History[]

Intro from Jak X 3

Daxter in front of the jungle fish aquarium at the Bloody Hook.

In the first game, jungle fish were only encountered in the Forbidden Jungle, where they inhabited the narrow and shallow streams throughout. In Jak X: Combat Racing, two lived inside an aquarium in the Bloody Hook bar in Kras City. Although Jak destroyed it by running into it with his Sand Shark, causing the fish to flop around on the floor, it was soon thereafter repaired, with no lasting harm done to the fish.[5]

Characteristics[]

Jungle fish are tall and thin characiform fish, either yellow with red markings (the only type seen in The Precursor Legacy), or purple with blue markings (seen only in Jak X: Combat Racing).[a] The Bloody Hook fish also uniquely had illicium and esca (or a "headlamp"), presumably used to lure prey.[b]

They are typically encountered alone, but no more than a few yards from others. They do not seem to be territorial, as it is possible to find them close together, especially after they've chased Jak towards other nearby fish (in addition to their coexistence at the Bloody Hook).

Combat[]

Jak punching jungle fish

Jak encountering jungle fish.

Jungle fish are generally an easy encounter, moving slowly and taking only one hit to kill. However, Jak also moves quite slowly trudging through the shallow streams, perhaps giving the fish a slight advantage in some cases. As such, the punch attack is not recommended, as it is much more difficult to time while accounting for distance. Kicking usually suffices, though because of its limited range, if surrounded by more than a few fish, it can be difficult to time before one gets close enough to bite.

Instead, it is recommended to jump and kick while in the air, giving you the advantage of both timing and distance. Note that the fish does hop out of the water when biting, but so long as you have already begun kicking, it will not reach you and will die as soon as you land. The landing kick also has a decent radius, allowing you to take out multiple if they're grouped close together.

Generally, however, jungle fish need not even be fought. The streams are in most cases avoidable and easy to exit, and the fish can simply be jumped over or stepped around. At best the jungle fish are an opportunity to harvest green eco if you're low on health, and it may be worth it to clear a few out of high-traffic corridors (such as the one leading out to the sea).

Notes[]

Annotations
  1. The jungle fish was originally drawn as purple with blue markings in concept art,[2] and the purple with blue markings variety indeed made it to a pre-production version of The Precursor Legacy.[3] Although it was later changed to yellow and red in the retail release, Jak X: Combat Racing reused both types.
  2. The original concept art of the jungle fish also included the headlamp,[2] though this did not make it to the final release of The Precursor Legacy.
Citations
  1. The Precursor Legacy, file: JUN/junglefish-ag.go
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Naughty Dog & Limited Run Games [2000] 2019, Chapter 5: "Enemies" § "Jungle Enemies"
  3. 3.0 3.1 Naughty Dog 2001, SCREENS/JUNGLEFI.TIF
  4. Winding 2001, p. 6
  5. Jak X: Combat Racing script § "Jak's Dark Secret"

References[]

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