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00:00Welcome to Mojo Plays and today we're looking at the best games to come from one of Sony's
00:08most respected first party studios, Naughty Dog.
00:21But before we get into it, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe
00:26and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:30Crash Team Racing After giving Mario a run for his money in
00:44platformers, Naughty Dog took aim at one of the mascot's subgenres with Crash Team Racing.
00:50And it's still one of the best kart races to ever be released.
00:54Maybe it didn't bring much new, but it didn't need to.
00:57It took the tried and true mechanics and crashified them, making for a zany, colorful, exciting
01:03experience, whether you were playing the story mode or against a friend.
01:14Strong visuals made each of its wonderful tracks come to life, and great controls made
01:18racing through them a joy.
01:21It was a strong final outing for Naughty Dog with the franchise before moving towards
01:26the future.
01:34Uncharted 3 Drake's Deception While most agree it didn't quite reach the
01:54heights of Uncharted 2, there is still quite a lot to love about Drake's Deception.
02:00This time around, it followed Nate in search of a famed lost city, Iram of the Pillars.
02:05It explored more of his past, primarily his relationship with Sully, in interesting ways,
02:10adding a new layer to the lovable hero.
02:20While some were critical of its linearity, the set pieces grew bigger and bolder, delivering
02:25thrills in the highest regard.
02:29Scenes where Nate was tossed out the back of a cargo plane or had to navigate a sinking
02:33ship are still highlights of the PS3.
02:47Jak 2 Where the first Jak and Daxter game was a
03:02more lighthearted and easier action platformer, Jak 2 cranked up the difficulty and dark,
03:08grim tone.
03:10After he's experimented on for two years, the game follows a newly powered Jak and his
03:15wisecracking companion as they fight against Baron Praxis in the dystopian Haven City.
03:28The gunplay caused the platforming to take a back seat and made for a terrific action
03:33game.
03:34Plus, the third person shooter mechanics paired well with the darker plotline and characters.
03:39The difficulty was a bit imbalanced, making certain sections feel unfair, but it still
03:45controlled remarkably well and was a visual treat on the PS2.
03:58Crash Bandicoot 2 Cortex Strikes Back In this sequel, Naughty Dog took everything
04:12it did in the first Crash Bandicoot and made it all better.
04:15There was a bit of fun to the story following Crash as he was fooled into helping his nemesis
04:20Dr. Neo Cortex, who lies about wanting to save the world.
04:24More importantly, level design, controls, and visuals were vastly improved.
04:36It was impossible to pop this into your Playstation and not just want to play for hours.
04:42And you could, not only because it was fun, but because it was just tough enough to frustrate
04:48while being really rewarding.
04:51Cortex Strikes Back solidified Crash as a platforming star and, along with its sequel,
04:56makes up the peak of his games.
05:08Jack and Daxter The Precursor Legacy
05:21The first Jack and Daxter was not a huge leap from Crash Bandicoot in terms of core platforming
05:27gameplay, but it was a tremendous evolution, branching in different directions for something
05:33more varied.
05:34And because it was on the then brand new Playstation 2, it was far grander in scope with its world
05:40and story than what Naughty Dog had done before.
05:44That's not to mention the impressive graphics that brought it all together.
05:56While Jack 2 could grow tiresome at points with its difficulty, everything in the original
06:01moved at a delightful pace.
06:03With The Precursor Legacy, Naughty Dog created an excellent foundation for a series that
06:08fans still crave to see return.
06:19The Last of Us Part II
06:33While Part II certainly has its detractors, there are many others who were stunned by
06:37what Naughty Dog was able to achieve.
06:39From a technical standpoint, there is visual splendor in every corner.
06:45From the most minor NPCs, to the remarkably dense world design, to the game's horrific
06:50infected, which are a lot more cunning and terrifying this time around.
07:05The tale of Ellie and Abby, both nearly destroyed through their own quests for vengeance, is
07:10one of aching heartbreak and despair.
07:14Within the characters lie themes of grief, forgiveness, and the struggle to understand
07:19an extremely different perspective, explored wonderfully through Abby's relationship
07:23with Lev, who should be her sworn enemy.
07:27It may be a bit bloated, but it's still a strong follow up.
07:41Uncharted 2 Among Thieves
07:55From the moment Nathan Drake wakes on a train hanging from a cliffside with a bullet wound
08:00in his gut, Uncharted 2 has its talons firmly in you.
08:04Naughty Dog promised a grander, more fulfilling adventure than the first time around, and
08:09needless to say, the team delivered.
08:11Every shortcoming in Drake's fortune was rectified.
08:14The plot was more thrilling, the visuals just a bit crisper, the characters were a bit more
08:19daring and likable, and my god, the set pieces.
08:35Among Thieves teased with a tantalizing plot about Marco Polo's travels, but kept us all
08:40engaged with fantastic firefights, awesome chase sequences, and a feeling of adventure
08:46that has kept it a fan favorite of Naughty Dog for years.
09:00Crash Bandicoot Warped Warped just might be the very best Crash
09:12Bandicoot has to offer, and we don't say that lightly.
09:15The plot follows a band of villains teaming up and attacking different points in time
09:20in order to gain mystical crystals that allow them to take over the Earth.
09:24Because of the time travel plot, the developers clearly had a lot of fun in designing levels.
09:29All of which delight the imagination.
09:32It all looked amazing too, naturally so, since Naughty Dog built off the charming, cartoonish
09:37visual style Crash was already known for.
09:48In a similar vein, controls and mechanics were also perfected to pure bliss.
09:53It really is one of the best 3D platformers of all time.
10:06Uncharted 4 A Thief's End
10:18Taking a step in a more serious direction, Uncharted 4 explored Nate's obsession for
10:23hunting fortune and glory.
10:25Because of this, we'd argue it has the strongest plot and characterization of the entire series.
10:31A Thief's End explores greed within the pirates whose footsteps our heroes follow in, as well
10:37as within themselves, and what depths they're willing to stoop to in order to satiate it.
10:42And quite frankly, Nolan North has never been better as Nate.
10:47Of course, then you have everything that makes the game a blast, including some of
10:51the best puzzles and set pieces the action-adventure genre has ever seen.
10:56Some feel it's a bit long in the tooth, but Uncharted 4 is undeniably a treasure worth
11:02seeking.
11:09The Last of Us Naughty Dog has many games deemed some of
11:23the best of all time, and among them, there are many who consider The Last of Us the cream
11:28of the crop.
11:29It's easy to see why.
11:31The game was tense as hell, featuring compelling survival mechanics and clickers who wormed
11:38their way into our nightmares.
11:45However, when it was released, there was nothing that featured quite as much depth in its characters
11:54and themes than this.
11:56While an undead apocalypse and the descent of human decency had been explored in fiction
12:01in multiple formats, Joel and Ellie provided the story's beating heart.
12:06Characters everywhere were captivated by their dynamic.
12:09Her lovable goofiness and crass mouth made us all want to protect her, bringing warmth
12:14to Joel's rough-guarded persona and making his defense of her entirely relatable.
12:30What do you think is the crowning achievement of Naughty Dog?
12:33Share your thoughts in the comments.