Jackass: The Game is a 2007 video game based on the MTV reality show of the same name. It asks players to step in as director after Jeff Tremaine “injures his vagina” and gets hospitalized, then gather footage from up to 36 stunts to build an all-new season for MTV. The game came out for PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2, developed by Sidhe Interactive for PSP and PS2, with the DS version built by Sensory Sweep Studios. It was published by Empire Interactive and Red Mile Entertainment.
Trailer, via GamEasy88.
The Director’s Role
The setup is simple. You play as the director of Jackass, tasked with collecting the best footage from a set of stunts to build seven episodes of the show. Every stunt has minimum requirements before MTV will approve it for broadcast. You are free to take on these stunts in any order, and the game’s Episodes mode groups them into sets.
The PSP version adds a Director Mode that lets players edit saved replays from stunts using different camera angles, much like a director cutting a scene. The DS version instead offers an open environment where players move through to pull off stunts. Both versions share the same core of collecting footage for MTV’s approval.
Wee Man’s Minigames
Wee Man gets his own set of minigames, a small addition that plays into his role on the show. The game website says the DS version has an open environment for players to move through and pull off stunts, while the PSP version keeps a focus on the stunt action itself. The minigames are a small part of a larger package, but they give Wee Man a presence the rest of the game doesn’t always match.
Theater and Director Mode
The game comes with two bonus features. Theater mode shows real stunts from the TV show, including “The Vomelet,” “Party Boy” and “The Cup Test.” It also includes a behind-the-scenes look at the cast recording voice-overs for the game. Director Mode, meanwhile, only exists on PSP, giving players a chance to edit their own footage using the saved replays.
The two versions split their focus:
- PSP focuses on stunt action and Director Mode replay editing.
- DS focuses on an open environment for stunt movement.
The Stunts Themselves
The game is built from a set of 40 minigames that follow the series and the movies closely. Each stunt has specific objectives tied to its minimum requirements, and meeting them unlocks new content like characters and outfits. The game is presented as a campaign mode, a set of Episodes and a separate MTV Story Mode.
The stunts themselves are the reason anyone buys the game. The game’s modes are a set of Episodes, MTV Story Mode and Director Mode. Here is how they break down:
- MTV Story Mode gives players a primary campaign path through the game’s content.
- Episodes mode groups stunts into sets like the TV series, letting players take them in any order.
- Director Mode, only on PSP, lets players edit their own footage from saved replays.
The stunts are the draw, the Episodes mode gives players choice, and the Director Mode editing on PSP is where the PSP version finds its own identity.
Where It Lands
Jackass: The Game is not a deep game. It is a set of stunts, an open environment on DS, and a Director Mode on PSP. It does not try to be a masterpiece. It tries to be a faithful representation of the show, and it mostly succeeds on that narrow line.
The PSP version’s replay editing is the standout feature, giving players a real reason to return to stunts they have already done. The DS version’s open environment is a clear step down, but the stunt selection is the same across both.
It is a game that knows exactly what it is. It is a stunt collection first and a game second.
The Verdict
Jackass: The Game is a stunt collection with a thin open environment and a replay editing feature that works only on PSP. The stunts are the draw, and the game is a competent but limited adaptation of a show that was never built for this kind of treatment.
The PSP version gets the editing tools the DS version does not, while the DS version gets an open environment the PSP version does not. The stunt selection is the same across both, so players who want to edit their own footage should stick with PSP. Players who want to move through an open environment should stick with DS.
Jackass: The Game is a solid, competent adaptation of a show. It is not a great game, but it is a game that knows exactly what it is. It is a stunt collection first and a game second, and it succeeds at that narrow task.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
