Novalis

Novalis is the first planet Ratchet and Clank visit after leaving Veldin in Ratchet & Clank. Novalis is home to Tobruk Crater and is known for its waterworks.

Ratchet & Clank
Novalis is targeted by Drek due to it's famous waterworks.

Responding to the message Drek recorded on the Infobot, Ratchet and Clank headed off to Tobruk Crater on planet Novalis. Unfortunately, they crashed upon entry, which destroyed Ratchet's ship. They find the planet under attack by Drek's forces. As a first matter of business, the two set out to find a new ship. "If there are any left," Ratchet added.

The two headed a roundabout way across a nearby river and met up with the Chairman of Novalis. The Chairman gave Ratchet and Clank an Infobot which contained their first lead on where to find Captain Qwark. It appeared that he had recently shot a commercial for Al's Robo-Shack with Big Al on planet Kerwan. In addition to the Infobot, the Chairman also offered Ratchet and Clank a new ship so they were able to get off-world again.

Before leaving Novalis, Ratchet and Clank also explored the planet's renowned waterworks. At the end of the line they find a plumber working on the pipes. He asked why the two weren't off-world yet and explains he's still there due to "socioeconomic disparity". Or, in other words, a lack of bolts, though he did have an Infobot he was willing to sell. Ratchet bought the Infobot, featuring Skidd McMarxx and his agent, off of the plumber for five hundred bolts, giving Ratchet and Clank coordinates to planet Aridia and allowing the plumber to escape planet Novalis.

Novalis's ultimate fate is unknown as the planet was still being attacked when Ratchet and Clank left.

Appearance
From orbit, Novalis appears very Earth-like, with oceans dominating the planet's surface, but featuring a more than generous amount of land mass.

The landing pad that Ratchet's ship sets on overlooks a beautiful vista of greens and blues, with a river cutting through the landscape, and a stark contrast to Ratchet's homeworld. Taking the lift down, and walking the roundabout path to get across the river, a suspension bridge takes Ratchet and Clank across. It is bombed by passing Blargian bombers along the way and features two chunks missing from the eastern side and one from the western. At the end of the path, which ends directly across from Ratchet's ship, a sandy or otherwise barren circle of land exists, which is where the Chairman of Novalis's ship is situated for the remainder of the game after walking the path.

The second path on planet Novalis features the waterworks of Tobruk crater. The section begins in a natural cave and stalactites fall as Ratchet enters, forming platforms that allow Ratchet to enter the waterworks. The waterworks are a clearly man-made complex, featuring a random assortment of fans, pistons, and platforms along the way. Multiple pistons serve as platforms for Ratchet to jump across and get to the next area. Throughout the waterworks, there are canals transporting water to a fro, presumably for treatment. In the final are of the path, a large glass window is found, featuring an even more scenic view than what was present at the landing zone. From here the Blargian attack can be seen clearly, including fighters and bombers zipping through the sky and seeing the burning city in the distance.

The third path, behind Ratchet's ship, features a looping cave. The cave is aplenty with mushrooms. In the cave's pools of waters, man-made tunnels and basins are present, suggesting the citizens of the city have utilized the caves for water storage or treatment. The looping tunnel ends with a hatch depositing Ratchet right where he started, in front of his ship.

There is also an area that can only be accessed by swimming against the current of the river with Clank's Hydro-Pack modification. When the area is reached, the screen turns a sickly green color, and the player quickly finds out why when they find a cave system infested with Amoeboids.