Naughty Dog’s First Real Adventure
It’s fascinating how, at one point, Naughty Dog wasn’t the industrial powerhouse it is today. Prior, they actually made some of the blandest and forgettable titles out there, Rings of Power and Way of the Warrior specifically. The 1990s was peak mascot platforming- Mario, Sonic, Gex, Banjo-Kazooie, Rayman and so on… In 1996, Naughty Dog would have their first real success when a little orange marsupial would CRASH land into the gaming scene. Crash Bandicoot was a game changer in the genre. As I stated in my Spyro 2 review, gaming mascots were meant for younger audiences and mostly seen as kid stuff. Sony wanted to make a change and move towards a more general audience. Taking inspiration from the old Looney-Toons and Animaniacs, Crash would become a much more unconventional platforming icon- he’s goofy, dimwitted, hyperactive and chaotic.Â
Crash Bandicoot tells the story of a Bandicoot (not a fox) named, well… Crash. He is part of an animal super-soldier experiment, led by the evil Dr. Neo Cortex, in an effort for world conquest- How delightfully original. However, when Crash is sent to the Cortex-Vortex for brainwashing, he is deemed a failed experiment and escapes through a castle window. Having washed up on a beach several islands away, Crash must fight his way back to Cortex Castle and save his beloved.
Crash Bandicoot is a 3-D platformer. Unlike Super Mario 64, which opted for a more open-ended approach, Crash goes for a more linear obstacle course design. In fact, you could best describe it as a Sonic game with a rotated perspective (the working title for this was actually deemed Sonic’s Ass game). The controls can feel a bit stiff, as you’re guiding a character through a 3D environment using the PS1’s non-analog stick layout, which was better suited to 2D gameplay. It’s not terrible, but it definitely takes some getting used to. Crash’s moveset is very basic and minimal, spin and jump. Jumping is a bit different here- while you use the ‘X’ button like you would in many other Playstation titles, it does not have a double-jump. Instead of tapping the button twice to go higher, you simply hold it down to clear more distance. Again, not awful, it just takes some time to get the hang of. The game is mostly in a 3-D format, with the obstacles consisting of enemies, pits, and various environmental hazards – from giant rolling boulders to toxic waste. There are also moments where it turns into a 2-D side scroller, which are actually the smoothest designed levels given that you’re limited to the D-pad.
What’s interesting to note is that Crash Bandicoot is pretty fair on its difficulty if you are trying to do the bare minimum (excluding those infuriating sky bridge levels). The levels do get challenging toward the end, but they don’t feel unfair. If you are just trying to go from start to finish, it’s really not too tall of an order. You can honestly complete it in around 3 hours. However, for all you completionists, good freaking luck. Trying to 100% this game is more aggravating than an Australian farmer trying to keep those Dingos from eating his cattle. Total completion of this game is absolutely unforgiving! The only way to unlock everything is to get every box, in every level, without dying ONCE. This is a feat I still have not, and WILL not bother with some 20 years later…
The design is pure 90s cool. The characters are loud, whacky, full of slapstick and hilarious. Crash is a classic Tom and Jerry-type cartoon character who never speaks but is very expressive. You really get a vibe for this guy’s personality with just his body language. The enemies you face are equally memorable for just how silly they are. You fight an insane Kangaroo obsessed with explosives, a Koala the size of a gorilla or a gangster Potoroo with a freaking machine-gun. The bosses, while well designed, are not particularly challenging. In fact, I would argue that they are the easiest part of the game. The world these characters inhabit is charming and delightfully cartoonish. You traverse 3 islands containing different levels and each level has something unique to offer- whether it’s climbing up a giant native fortress, making your way through a toxic waste dump, or scaling a giant scary castle. This game was the first to introduce the Naughty Dog trademark of having something significant in the background, as you work your way closer to it. Throughout the entirety of the first and second island, as you progress through the game, you will see Cortex’s Lair inch ever so closer.
Crash Bandicoot, while dated, is a classic for any Playstation 1 fan. This game holds a very special place in my heart. This was actually the first mascot platformer I ever played. Crash Bandicoot is basically what hooked me into the gaming scene and showed me there was so much more to play than those educational computer games I had when I was a kid. Whether it’s the original or the N.Sane trilogy remake, this is a game I will always recommend to old school gamers and newcomers alike. Spin, jump and run your way to the castle, save your girlfriend, and be sure not to miss any boxes!
Wumpa on the barbie, mate!
Fil
Verdict: 7/10
https://opencritic.com/game/4131/crash-bandicoot-n-sane-trilogy