The mine dropper,[1] also known as the lurker balloon,[1] is a vehicle operated by a balloon lurker,[2] also known as a mine-dropping lurker,[3] in The Precursor Legacy. Several of these were seen flying around the bay near the Lurker ship at Misty Island.
History[]
After arriving at the fenced-in bay on Misty Island, Jak needed to destroy five mine droppers during the mission "Destroy the balloon lurkers" after Daxter's suggestion to "shred 'm", which required Jak to run between each mine and run down the operating soldier with the A-Grav Zoomer. Afterwards, Keira congratulated the two of them over the communicator and noted that those lurkers had been terrorizing the waters around Sandover Village for weeks. She then told them to proceed to the lurker ship where a power cell for this mission was awaiting their arrival.
Characteristics[]
Concept art
The mine dropper is a medium-sized, lurker-made balloon with a rudder in the rear, propeller in the front, and a contraption hanging below it that holds a seat and two pedals that power the balloon. It is here that the babaks are located, but also where they are vulnerable. Hanging from ropes in front and behind the lurker are large, spiked metal mines, which can technically be released if the ropes were to be cut, although this is never seen. In-game they simply act as a means of defense, forcing the player to concentrate on steering the zoomer into the lurkers while avoiding the mines.
Behind the scenes[]
Although specific names are given to the lurker type that operates the balloon, it appears to simply be a low-LOD model of a babak (wearing aviator goggles). An identical model is used for the lurker that operates the trapeze balloons in the dig site during the mission "Get seal piece at dig" in Jak II.