Naughty Dog
Year: 1985 - Present
Founded by: Andy Gavin & Jason Rubin
Games: 18
Films: 1
TV Series: 2
Founded by: Andy Gavin & Jason Rubin
Games: 18
Films: 1
TV Series: 2
"The dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible." - T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia)
Founded in 1985 as JAM Software by Andy Gavin & Jason Rubin, Naughty Dog would go on to define themselves following a rebranding and partnership with Sony in the mid 1990's when they developed Crash Bandicoot. Adopted as Sony's official mascot for the original PlayStation, the Crash bandicoot games pushed 3D graphics to their limit for the time, and presented tough but rewarding platforming. Always wanting to push the envelope further, Naughty Dog continued to grow throughout the 2000's, becoming a first party studio with Sony, and producing same of the PlayStation's most iconic gaming franchises. With the release of Uncharted 2 in 2009, Naughty Dog would cement themselves as one of gaming's finest development studios, and have been raking in countless game of the year awards for their efforts ever since. More recently the studio has branched out into TV and film, with adaptations of Uncharted and The Last of Us.
Collected here are my reviews for Naughty Dog's PlayStation titles, as well as any adaptations into other media. No titles released prior to Crash Bandicoot (1996) will be listed here.
Collected here are my reviews for Naughty Dog's PlayStation titles, as well as any adaptations into other media. No titles released prior to Crash Bandicoot (1996) will be listed here.
Crash Bandicoot:
Codenamed 'Sonics Ass', Crash Bandicoot would become the brand mascot for Sony upon his release in 1996. Showcasing the power of the PlayStation's 3D rendering capabilities, Crash Bandicoot was an instant success and spawned two direct sequels and a spin-off that would all release before 2000.
Fondly remembered as a 90's pop-culture icon, Crash Bandicoot has had a recent resurgence in popularity thanks to the release of the 'N-Sane Trilogy' for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, from developer Vicarious Visions in 2017, as well as a continuation of Naughty Dog's original gameplay formula in 2020's Crash Bandicoot 4 from developer Toys For Bob.
Fondly remembered as a 90's pop-culture icon, Crash Bandicoot has had a recent resurgence in popularity thanks to the release of the 'N-Sane Trilogy' for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, from developer Vicarious Visions in 2017, as well as a continuation of Naughty Dog's original gameplay formula in 2020's Crash Bandicoot 4 from developer Toys For Bob.
Jak and Daxter:
Pleased with the success of Crash Bandicoot, Sony wanted Naughty Dog to replicate their success on the PlayStation 2. With Universal holding the rights to the Crash IP and Naughty Dog being acquired by Sony, the studio got to work creating a new set of heroes for a new console generation.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was a technical marvel, showcasing the first ever load-free open world. But with the success of the Grand Theft Auto games Naughty Dog were inspired to take the Jak sequels in a darker direction. Underrated masterpieces of the PlayStation 2, Jak and Daxter never had the same sales success as Crash but would go on to become cult classics fondly remembered by those who played them.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was a technical marvel, showcasing the first ever load-free open world. But with the success of the Grand Theft Auto games Naughty Dog were inspired to take the Jak sequels in a darker direction. Underrated masterpieces of the PlayStation 2, Jak and Daxter never had the same sales success as Crash but would go on to become cult classics fondly remembered by those who played them.
Uncharted:
The PlayStation 3 brought with it high definition gaming and a huge leap in technological possibilities from the PS2. To take full advantage of this Naughty Dog set about creating a game far more realistic than any they had created before, and wanted to make a game with epic action set-pieces, and an eye for cinematic quality. This became Uncharted, the tale of treasure hunter Nathan Drake and his band of morally dubious accomplices.
Uncharted was a key player in the push for better videogame storytelling in the seventh generation, and its jaw dropping graphics and set-pieces pushed the limits of what was thought possible from console gaming. One of the most beloved gaming franchises of all time, Uncharted branched out to the big screen in 2022 with big box office results.
Uncharted was a key player in the push for better videogame storytelling in the seventh generation, and its jaw dropping graphics and set-pieces pushed the limits of what was thought possible from console gaming. One of the most beloved gaming franchises of all time, Uncharted branched out to the big screen in 2022 with big box office results.
The Last of Us:
Considered by many to be one of the greatest stories in all of videogaming, The Last of Us has gone on to pull on the heartstrings of thousands around the globe as it weaved its intensely personal story of love and hatred in a world ravaged by infection.
The sequel, The Last of Us Part II proved to be a polarising title, splitting the fanbase because of its bold and unexpected narrative choices; and the PS5 remake of the original game dubbed 'Part I' was even more divisive, calling into question the need for remakes and remasters.
The Last of Us has enjoyed just as much critical acclaim in the form of a TV adaptation, and introduced a whole new audience to the plight of Joel and Ellie as they try to survive in a broken world.
The sequel, The Last of Us Part II proved to be a polarising title, splitting the fanbase because of its bold and unexpected narrative choices; and the PS5 remake of the original game dubbed 'Part I' was even more divisive, calling into question the need for remakes and remasters.
The Last of Us has enjoyed just as much critical acclaim in the form of a TV adaptation, and introduced a whole new audience to the plight of Joel and Ellie as they try to survive in a broken world.