Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a platformer game released in 2017 on multi platforms as a trilogy of remasters; Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. All three were originally developed by Naughty Dog and the remaster was developed by Vicarious Visions. The first game is a large reason as to why I got into gaming. I was around 7 years old and I went to my friend’s house. There I saw the original Crash Bandicoot. I remember the general vibes of the levels and seeing the Wumpa fruit (which we thought were apples). There was just something about the design and characters that really stood out to me and even now I feel very nostalgic about it. After seeing it, it led me to bother my mother enough to buy a PlayStation. I remember the day we bought it, going into the GAME concession at the top of House of Fraser and taking it home. Getting the super password before the days of the internet was a game changer. I had a Sega Saturn before this, but having a PlayStation really opened myself up to playing different kinds of games.
As a whole, I love Crash Bandicoot on the PlayStation and I had all five games (Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2, Crash Bandicoot 3, Crash Team Racing and Crash Bash). I never did play the games beyond that and I’m kind of glad as they seemingly didn’t hold up nearly as well after Naughty Dog left the series after Crash Team Racing (Crash Bash was just a party game so their absence from that wasn’t too vital). The fact that Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, released only in 2020 is seen as the true sequel to Crash Bandicoot 3 from 1998 says a lot. I’m jumping ahead a little here, but the N. Sane trilogy really is the way to play these with much improved visuals and controls. I still love the originals, but now we have these all together in a neat package there’s not much reason to go back to the other versions. Here is a rundown of thoughts game by game…
Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot was originally released in 1996 on the PlayStation and would be the first entry in the popular series. The story revolves around the protagonist, Crash, a bandicoot who is subjected to being brainwashed by Dr Neo Cortex, a scientist looking for world domination. Managing to escape from Cortex’s machine after being rejected, Crash runs out of Cortex’s castle and out the window, plummeting below. Crash is attracted to a female bandicoot named Tawna (who may or may not be his girlfriend) while they were both in there, so he wants to save her from Cortex. From there, he wakes up on the iconic N. Sanity Beach and his journey begins. The game is set out in three islands known as the Wumpa Islands with levels that Crash must complete to get nearer to Cortex. Another enemy working with Cortex is his assistant, Dr N. Brio. There are also other enemies that Crash crosses paths with as bosses; Papu Papu, Ripper Roo, Koala Kong, Pinstripe Potoroo before facing N. Brio and Cortex. Soon enough, Crash Bandicoot would be an unofficial mascot for Sony in the platformer world and it would put developer Naughty Dog on the map.
The gameplay is from a 3D third-person perspective but the gameplay can vary with side scrolling elements, running towards the camera in the boulder levels such as Boulder Dash and riding a hog in Hog Wild. Crash can jump and spin to open crates which mostly contain Wumpa fruit and attack enemies and it is always satisfying spinning enemies out of existence, especially when it hits other boxes or enemies in the distance. Not all boxes are good, mind you and you get jump on TNT crates with a timer but do not stay near them when they detonate. In the N. Sane trilogy, you can also play as Coco, Crash’s sister. The reason given is that she can appear in the first two games now because she used time travel in order to go back and help Crash, I like that this kind of makes it a sequel. Crash is vulnerable to attacks and can only survive being hit if he has Aku Aku, a witch doctor spirit living inside a wooden mask that protects Crash from hits and if three are found then it grants Crash temporary invincibility which is fine as long as there’s not bottomless pits.
In Crash Bandicoot, there’s a lot of precise platforming required, such as in levels such as The High Road where you’re walking down a wooden bridge with many gaps and broken platforms. In Native Fortress is a very vertical, side scrolling level which means if you fall while scaling the wooden gate you have to make your way back up again. Or in Jaws of Darkness, located under Cortex’s castle, where falling will cost you your life and that’s not even counting the enemies who are simultaneously out to get you. In Lights Out, you have limited visibility apart from an Aku Aku that lights up, but if you get hit or he goes out then it’s just darkness. There are river levels like Up the Creek which I’ve always thought is graphically very pretty, especially so in the remake, but you have to be careful of massive Venus fly traps ready to consume you. Sometimes you will find boxes containing multiple lives in one go. They know that the player will need them and a lot of the game is dependent on learning the levels and repetition, so you know how best to navigate them.
There are bonus levels when you collect special tokens, the most common one is collecting three Tawna tokens. These transport you to the bonus levels which you can try continuously without losing lives. They are side scrolling mini levels located up high where you try to get all the boxes. In the original you could save or get a password. Once completed, Tawna gets whisked away from you. At least in the remastered version, before she stood at the end looking pretty which makes no sense considering she’s been held by Cortex. She also attempts to fight back in the opening sequence now too. If you break all the boxes in a level you are rewarded with a white gem, if not the game teases you by saying ‘Great. …but you missed X boxes’ and the more there are, the more Crash is hit by them, teasing the player. If you can do it without dying you receive a coloured gem. For the remastered version, you can go for relics which are achieved through time trials. The only issue is that a lot of these levels are designed to go through slowly, but it’s an additional option for collectables.
Crash Bandicoot is not easy at times, and admittedly I am probably still looking at this with rose-tinted glasses due to the nostalgia. It rewards you for practising and memorising those reflexes which I think is true of pretty much any Crash game. I don’t think it’s the best in the series, but it’s a game with a lot of character – despite having a near silent protagonist, but for me I love the world that it is set in. The music is good and the main theme I could keep humming. Graphically, it looks better than ever thanks to the N. Sane trilogy remaster. If you fancy testing your skills, Stormy Ascent, a harder version of Slippery Climb is a level that was cut from the original due to its difficulty but is now can be played. The fact that the hint states ‘Good luck! (You’re gonna need it.)’ says it all. As with all Crash games, there’s plenty to do if you want to go for completion or if you just want to play through the game normally – both options are fine. You may tear your hair out at times, but there’s a reason the series is so popular.
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
Only one year later in 1997, the sequel arrived – Cortex Strikes Back. The premise for this sequel is taken straight after the events of Crash Bandicoot with Dr Cortex falling from his airship from where he had just been defeated and discovers crystals. Crash Bandicoot marks the first appearance of Dr N. Gin, Cortex’s new right-hand man who both create the upgraded Cortex Vortex, but they need more crystals to power it. Cortex devises a plan to trick Crash and he is duped into thinking Cortex wants to save the world and needs his help with retrieving the 25 crystals that are located within the stages. By doing this, Cortex can contain the power of the upcoming planetary alignment which will save the planet from destruction. Unfortunately, Coco Bandicoot, who was first originally introduced in this sequel, is suspicious of Cortex’s intentions. Doctor N. Brio also makes a return as he too is suspicious of Cortex and suggests Crash gathers the gems instead, although this is because he has a grudge against Cortex. Other familiar faces such as bosses like Ripper Roo also make a return for this sequel and new bosses appear too, like the Komodo brothers.
The game starts off in an introductory jungle level close to where Crash, Coco and Aku Aku have been residing. Crash must traverse several levels, although now he has different warp rooms that he can enter levels in, eliminating the linear progression of moving around the island as with its predecessor. I think this is better, although I did like the aesthetic of the islands. In addition, Crash has new moves that he can use – body slam, slide, duck and crawl. He can also jump higher by sliding and then jumping, giving an improved freedom of movement and the most helpful from the new moves. The body slam is good for the new metal boxes you find, but other than that it’s nothing too special. The dangerous Nitro crates are also introduced here as well as death routes which are visible if you’ve managed to get to a particular section of a level without dying. As long as you get the 5 crystals from each level, you fight the boss and then you progress to the next warp room and continue on. Coco is also playable in the N. Sane Trilogy version and Tawna is nowhere to be seen.
There are several level themes and while some may be reminiscent, most are a lot more varied. For example, the river-based levels now have hoverboard sections which add more diverse gameplay elements. There are snow themed levels like Cold Hard Crash where you slide along icy sections at points. In other snow levels like Bear It, you ride Polar, a young polar bear. It’s much like riding the hog but it feels more refined and it’s there for several levels. There are ruin levels such as Road to Ruin and sewer levels like Sewer or Later. Chase levels make a re-appearance, except you’re being chased by snowballs or a giant polar bear which makes it a little more tense. There are alpine levels like Bee-Having where you have to outrun swarms of bees by running or diving into the ground. Towards the latter part, there are space levels and some include Crash being able to fly in a jetpack. The controls are not the best and you also need a jetpack for the final boss, Cortex which is an underwhelming final boss as you chase him and spin attack him to damage his jetpack, a reasonably easy task.
Crash Bandicoot 2 is a good sequel and I think it is mostly agreed that it improves upon its predecessor with only a year between. It still has the 3D platforming accompanied with side scrolling elements, but it improves on mechanics that were present in the first game. For example, riding an animal, it introduces new ideas such as new moves and different types of levels which sets it apart from its predecessor and that the world has expanded. Bonus stages are largely the same but the tokens are no longer required. As with other Crash games, it’s not too bad if you want to just progress through the story but for completion there is even more involved this time with different and secret routes and once again getting all the boxes to get those elusive gems. The music is also good and I really like the opening track that plays on the title screen with the start sounding similar to the first game and then launches into its own theme. Crash Bandicoot 2 is more of the same, but improved, and while it can still be frustratingly challenging at times, there’s a reason to go back every so often.
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
In 1998, the trilogy became complete with the addition of Crash Bandicoot: Warped. Once again, Dr Cortex had been defeated, but his space station crashes which sets free Aku Aku’s evil twin brother, Uka Uka. It turns out Cortex has been following Uka Uka’s orders this whole time and Uka Uka recruits Dr N. Trophy, who is behind the Time Twister Machine, which is the hub world for the game. Aku Aku senses that Uka Uka has been released and they travel to the Time Twister in order to get to the crystals first and foil their enemies plans. It’s another simple story, but it works with the time travelling element which makes having a similar hub world to Crash Bandicoot 2 where you can choose which levels you do per warp room make a lot more sense in context. There is a main level with five different themed chambers relating to a point in time with varied levels within them. It’s my favourite entry out of the original trilogy as I find the levels varied and interesting, bosses are really fun, really fun moves and not to mention the difficulty is balanced far better.
The basic gameplay is similar to before, but now you have some Super Powers that are rewarded to you after beating the boss from each chamber of the warp room. You get the Super Charged Body Slam, Double Jump, Death Tornado Spin, Fruit Bazooka and Speed Shoes. My personal favourite from these is absolutely the Death Tornado Spin as not only do you spin longer; you also glide in the air with it. Speaking of bosses, the ones in Warped I find the most fun – my favourite since I was a child was the two-phase N. Gin boss that Coco must shoot at in space, even Pura the tiger cub joins in to help in the latter phase. The gameplay is the most varied, there are underwater levels where you use the Submergible and use torpedoes, Coco has levels where she rides on Pura and a jet ski, Crash can ride a dinosaur and a bike and there are also plane levels in addition to the more traditional platforming levels. Compared to the predecessors, it feels a lot less repetitive and it does the other gameplay styles mostly well (the bike riding controls can sometimes be a tad questionable).
Thanks to having the Time Twister, the variety of levels is massive. There are medieval themes with knights and castles in Toad Village. Diving into underwater sections in Deep Trouble. Traversing through swamps in the prehistoric age in Dino Might!. Jumping on magic carpets in the Arabian themed Hang ‘Em High. Driving down a 1950s highway with American diners. Egyptian levels like Tomb Wader (love that name) and going through the pyramids. Seeing future metropolises like Gone Tomorrow. Shooting down blimps and planes in levels like Bye Bye Blimps in a World War I setting. Running through the Great Wall of China under construction in Orient Express. Sailing on a jet ski surrounded by pirates, bombs and cannons. It’s diverse and Crash Bandicoot’s native Australia feels far away now and don’t get me wrong; I love the native themes that the first game has too. As with the other two games, these levels use these themes more than once and you have versions set in the day, at dusk and at night making it feel more than just playing another version of the same level. Bonus levels once again are here and work as before on a 2D scale.
At the end, you have the final boss which is Cortex and you have to defeat him while Aku Aku and Uka Uka are simultaneously battling and Crash must avoid them. Once again, it’s an easy enough final boss and it’s probably one of the less interesting boss fights of the game. There seems to be some odd discrepancy between the difficulty of the levels and the bosses. Even once you’re done, there are some extra levels that can be unlocked as you collect more relics by completing time trials which are located under the main warp room. Getting the relics in this game is the best out of the three as it was designed with it in mind. There are also death routes here again and plenty of gems to obtain. That’s what I like about the series, it encourages the player to explore and it’s always exciting to find things by accident. A lot of the time I will admittedly just try to get through the level itself so when I do find something new it’s always fun. Once you get the extra moves as mentioned, it becomes a game changer for a lot of the platforming challenges.
Crash Bandicoot 3 is my clear favourite of the trilogy and while it has some difficult moments, I found I wasn’t tearing my hair out as much as with the first two and it felt like it was a better experience. It has more to set it apart from Crash Bandicoot 2 and the different gameplay styles make it engaging, even if they don’t all work equally as well. The animations, especially in the N. Sane Trilogy version are brilliant and look like they could be from an animated TV show as they are so expressive and full of character. In parts this can be less atmospheric as the original beginning cutscene is very dark, however in the remaster the lighting is brighter, making N. Trophy and Uka Uka look less menacing. However, it works really well particularly in the sequences as the bosses or Cortex smack talk you as you get closer. The music is great again and I love the boss battle themes for Dingodile and N. Gin. It helped bring back some good memories as to why I love these games and it would mark the end of an era for mainline Crash Bandicoot games.
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