Ratchet and Clank (characters)

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Ratchet and Clank
Ratchet & Clank character
Ratchet and Clank in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
First gameRatchet & Clank (2002)
Created byInsomniac Games
Designed byDavid Guertin
Voiced byMikey Kelley (2002) (Ratchet)
James Arnold Taylor (2003–present) (Ratchet)
David Kaye (Clank)

Ratchet and Clank are the protagonists of the Ratchet & Clank video game series developed by Insomniac Games, starting with the 2002 Ratchet & Clank.[1] Ratchet is an anthropomorphic alien creature known as a Lombax, while Clank is an escaped robot (real name: XJ-0461 or Defect B5429671) who soon teams up with him.

Concept and creation

Both Ratchet and Clank were conceived for inclusion in the original Ratchet & Clank. Ratchet was originally envisioned by Insomniac Games Vice President of Programming Brian Hastings as a space-traveling reptile alien who would collect various weapons as he progressed through the game;[2][3] Ratchet's final form was decided upon after Insomniac looked at various terrestrial creatures, such as dogs, rats, and feline features stood out to them because of the sense of agility associated with it.[4]

Clank spawned from an early idea involving a number of small robots attached to Ratchet, which would perform different functions. However, Insomniac realized that having the three robots was both complicated and created confusion about Ratchet's appearance, leading them to have only one robot, Clank.[5] Ratchet tends to be headstrong and is usually not afraid to voice his opinion. In response to the negative critical reception of Ratchet's personality, Ratchet's personality was altered in Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando to be "less cocky, much more friendly to Clank, and... able to handle himself better in stressful situations without being impetuous."[6]

In the English versions of the games, Ratchet is voiced by Mikey Kelley in the first Ratchet & Clank and by James Arnold Taylor since the second game.[7][8][9] Meanwhile, Clank was voiced by David Kaye.[10]

Appearances

Ratchet and Clank first appear in

Dr. Nefarious. Meanwhile, Clank is shown to be a movie star, acting as "Secret Agent Clank". A great deal of new information regarding Clank's real origins is shown in the Future trilogy. They both appear in Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (2005), where Clank is often visited by mysterious beings known as the Zoni and is warned that he faces some difficult decisions regarding his adventures with Ratchet. Clank is eventually taken away by the Zoni at the end of the game. In Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
, Clank is transported to the Great Clock where he learns that his creator is, in fact, a powerful Zoni named Orvus (his alternate name is also quoted as XJ-0461) and fulfills his intended purpose as Senior Caretaker of the Clock. After the final battle, Clank is left with a hard decision on whether to continue partnering Ratchet or leave him and stay at the Clock, but he ultimately picks Ratchet.

Ratchet and Clank appear in various other games; Ratchet and Clank both appear in

Hot Shots Golf Fore!, PlayStation Move Heroes, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Fall Guys, and the PlayStation 4 version of Super Bomberman R, They both cameo in Astro's Playroom.[11] Ratchet appears by himself in Jak X: Combat Racing and Jak II
.

Reception

Ratchet and Clank have been generally well-received; Ratchet was voted as the sixteenth top character of the 2000s decade by

AllGame found it hard to form an emotional bond with Ratchet or Clank, saying that Ratchet is "your typical teenager [...] who desires nothing more than excitement and adventure", and that Clank is "the stereotypical intellectual; stuffy and almost prudish to a fault".[16]

Ratchet's personality has received mixed response, with Benjamin Turner of

NPCs.[19] Critics took note of Ratchet's improved character in subsequent games. Perry appreciated that he became "a little more forgiving and a lot more palatable,"[20] while Carlos McElfish of GameZone felt his new voice actor "forc[es] a psychological reset in the minds of players."[21]

References

  1. ^ a b "Ratchet & Clank | Insomniac Games". insomniac.games. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
  2. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 14, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2009. Additional pages archived on January 1, 1970: Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
    .
  3. Gameplanet. Archived from the original
    on September 5, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  4. ISBN 1-893905-31-4. Archived
    from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  5. ISBN 1-893905-31-4
    . Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  6. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 3, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2009. Additional pages archived on January 1, 1970: Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
    .
  7. ^ "Mikey Kelley Voice-Over". Mikey Kelley Voice-Over. Archived from the original on 2023-10-03. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  8. ^ a b Douglass C. Perry (2002-11-04). "IGN: Ratchet & Clank Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 21 July 2009. The voice acting is solid, if not familiar, too. While Ratchet strives for that perfect dude-like teenager vibe, the voice actor generally hits the mark. Clank is also quite engaging, and in some cases, charming, especially when he finishes a level or gains a weapon. Many of the supporting characters offer the same kind of commercial quality voices found in Jak and Daxter, and some of the times they're quite funny. Other times they just sound commercial. The quirkier ones are best (such as the weird athletic woman at the end of the stunt course), but few stand above the standard and obvious stereotypes.
  9. ^ "Bio". Archived from the original on 2024-03-13. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  10. ^ Sum, Michael (10 June 2021). "Ratchet and Clank Voice Actors: Who are they?". Voquent. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Every cameraman reference in Astro's Playroom". Gamepur. Archived from the original on 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  12. ^ Bryan Vore (December 3, 2010). "Readers' Top 30 Characters Results Revealed". Game Informer. Archived from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  13. ^ Marchiafava, Jeff (February 16, 2011). "Guinness Names Top 50 Video Game Characters Of All Time". Game Informer. Archived from the original on February 1, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  14. GamesRadar. December 29, 2009. Archived
    from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Douglass C. Perry (2002-11-04). "IGN: Ratchet & Clank Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 21 July 2009. The voice acting is solid, if not familiar, too. While Ratchet strives for that perfect dude-like teenager vibe, the voice actor generally hits the mark. Clank is also quite engaging, and in some cases, charming, especially when he finishes a level or gains a weapon. Many of the supporting characters offer the same kind of commercial quality voices found in Jak and Daxter, and some of the times they're quite funny. Other times they just sound commercial. The quirkier ones are best (such as the weird athletic woman at the end of the stunt course), but few stand above the standard and obvious stereotypes.
  16. Macrovision Corporation. Archived from the original
    on February 16, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  17. ^ Benjamin Turner (2002-11-13). "GameSpy.com - Review". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 14 September 2004. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
  18. Game Revolution
    . Retrieved 21 July 2009.
  19. ^ Louis Bedigian (2002-11-12). "Ratchet & Clank Review - PlayStation 2". GameZone. Archived from the original on 7 June 2003. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
  20. ^ Douglass C. Perry (2003-11-11). "IGN: Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2012-08-22. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
  21. ^ Carlos McElfish (2003-11-21). "Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Review - PlayStation 2". GameZone. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
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