Crash Bandicoot is a video gameseries created by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin.[1] It is published by Activision, Sierra Entertainment, Vivendi Universal Games, Konami, Universal Interactive Studios, and Sony Computer Entertainment, with entries developed by Polarbit, Radical Entertainment, Vicarious Visions, Traveller's Tales, Eurocom, and Naughty Dog. The series debuted in 1996 with the SonyPlayStation video game Crash Bandicoot, premiered in North America on September 9, 1996. Most Crash Bandicoot games have either been platform games or released for Sony consoles and handhelds.
Most of the games in the franchise are platform games, although the series also includes other genres such as racing video games and party games. Each game focuses on the titular protagonist Crash Bandicoot, an anthropomorphic orange bandicoot. It also features a large cast of other characters such as Doctor Neo Cortex, Aku Aku, Coco Bandicoot, Crunch Bandicoot, Doctor N. Gin, and Uka Uka. The latest game in the series is Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled, a remaster of Crash Team Racing for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
TL;DR: you are only buying the disc. No jewel case, no manual, no lenticular cover. This is the biggest false advertisement I've ever seen. Description and images shown depict you ordering and receiving a complete or near-complete copy of Crash Bandicoot 2, but you will only receive the disc and and a slim jewel case and nothing else.
Main series[edit]
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
Original release date(s):[2][3][4]
| Release years by system: 1996 – PlayStation 2006 – PlayStation Network[5] |
Notes:
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Original release date(s):[2][6]
| Release years by system: 1997 – PlayStation 2007 – PlayStation Network[7] |
Notes:
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Original release date(s):[2][8]
| Release years by system: 1998 – PlayStation 2007 – PlayStation Network |
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Original release date(s):[9]
| Release years by system: 2001 – PlayStation 2 2002 – Xbox, GameCube 2007 – Xbox Originals[10] |
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Original release date(s):[11]
| Release years by system: 2004 – PlayStation 2, Xbox |
Notes:
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Original release date(s):[12]
| Release years by system: 2007 – PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Game Boy Advance, Wii, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS |
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Original release date(s):[13]
| Release years by system: 2008 – PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS |
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Racing[edit]
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
Original release date(s):[2][14]
| Release years by system: 1999 – PlayStation 2007 – PlayStation Network[15] |
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Original release date(s):[16]
| Release years by system: 2003 – PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance 2004 – N-Gage |
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Original release date(s):[17]
| Release years by system: 2005 – PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation Portable |
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Original release date(s):[18] June 21, 2019 | Release years by system: 2019 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch |
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Party[edit]
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
Original release date(s):[19]
| Release years by system: 2000 – PlayStation 2008 – PlayStation Network |
Notes:
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Original release date(s):[20]
| Release years by system: 2006 – Nintendo DS |
Notes:
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Spin-offs[edit]
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
Original release date(s):[22]
| Release years by system: 2002 – Game Boy Advance |
Notes:
| |
Original release date(s):[23]
| Release years by system: 2003 – Game Boy Advance |
Notes:
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Original release date(s):[24]
| Release years by system: 2004 – Game Boy Advance |
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Original release date(s):[25][26]
| Release years by system: 2016 – PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U 2017 – Nintendo Switch |
Notes:
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Mobile[edit]
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
Original release date(s):[30]
| Release years by system: 2008 – iOS, Zeebo, N-Gage 2.0 |
Notes:
| |
Original release date(s):[31] July 30, 2009 | Release years by system: 2009 – BlackBerry, Java Micro Edition |
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Original release date(s):[32] May 25, 2010 | Release years by system: 2010 – iOS |
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Compilations[edit]
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
Original release date(s):[34] June 30, 2017 | Release years by system: 2017 – PlayStation 4 2018 – Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One |
Notes:
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Cancelled games[edit]
- Crash Bandicoot Worlds
- With the turn of the new millennium, Universal Interactive Studios wanted the series to make the transition from the PlayStation to the sixth generation consoles. Universal was considering Mark Cerny as the designer for the new game (which came to be Crash Bandicoot Worlds), and intended to have it distributed by Sony as a PlayStation 2 exclusive. Details about the game's progress and development are scarce, although Cerny has revealed that the game was to feature open, free-roaming environments, as opposed to the linear structure Crash Bandicoot was known for at the time. Universal was worried about handing the franchise over to a new studio after Naughty Dog's contract expired, which led them to bet on a safer approach of producing a game with similar gameplay mechanics to the previous installments, a decision that resulted in Cerny being ousted from development. By the time the game was overhauled by Traveller's Tales and released in 2001, it was no longer exclusive to the PlayStation 2 due to Universal's new partnership with Konami, and the free-roaming aspect had been abandoned.[36][37]
- Crash Nitro Kart (Traveller's Tales)
- Following the release of The Wrath of Cortex, Traveller's Tales began working on a new racing game that served as a sequel to Crash Team Racing. This game was to be Crash Nitro Kart, but due to unknown circumstances Vivendi transferred development to Vicarious Visions. Few details have been revealed about Traveller's Tales' original vision, but it is known that the game was intended to mark Nina Cortex's debut in the series.[38]
- Crash Bandicoot: Evolution
- Traveller's Tales began working on a title called Crash Bandicoot: Evolution. A prototype for Crash Twinsanity, it was set to create a new form of gameplay for the Crash Bandicoot series as it would have utilized a large-scale story with gameplay combining platforming and RPG elements. As a work in progress, it has since become unclear what exactly was intended to be in the game. One of the only solid facts is that a character known as Foofie, an animal that could transform into different shapes, was going to appear. Only a handful of aspects were kept for Twinsanity, such as The Evil Twins as the villains and Crash teaming up with Cortex to defeat them.[39]
- Crush Bandicoot
- A game concept pitched by Magenta Software in 2004, Crush Bandicoot was intended to introduce Crash's evil twin called Crush, with Cortex being retained as the antagonist. The game was intended to feature zany, open-world sci-fi environments, and Crush would have been able to use a variety of vehicles. At least one playable test environment was created before the project was rejected by Vivendi Universal.[40]
- Untitled Krome Studios game
- After Crash Twinsanity's release, Krome Studios (known for their work with the Ty the Tasmanian Tiger series) began working on a new Crash Bandicoot title for Vivendi Universal. Since the game was cancelled very early during development, no more than a few pictures and documents were produced, which cannot be publicly released due to legal issues, and all remaining staff were put to work on The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning.[41]
- Cortex Chaos/The All-New Cortex Show
- The names of a project started by Traveller's Tales Oxford Studio after the release of Crash Twinsanity. As the name implies, it was intended to star Dr. Cortex, who would have been evicted from the Evil Scientist League because of his fraternising with Crash Bandicoot during the events of Twinsanity. Cortex Chaos never got past the concept stage.[42]
- Untitled sequel to Crash Twinsanity
- According to Keith Webb, one of the main artists for Crash Twinsanity, there was a plan to develop a sequel to the game. The plot would have centered around Crash getting sucked into various TV programmes (namely a wild west show, an old black-and-white cartoon, a medical drama and a cooking show hosted by Rusty Walrus) by an invention created by Dr. Cortex.[43]
- Crash Clash Racing
- After developing Crash Twinsanity, Traveller's Tales Oxford Studio began developing another Crash Bandicoot game, a racing title which would have served as a direct sequel to Twinsanity. This game, called Crash Clash Racing, would have involved personalized cars for each character, all with the gimmick of fusing together with another car. It would have been set inside Crash's mind, with the tracks based around his dreams and memories. The project was eventually picked up Radical Entertainment and released as Crash Tag Team Racing, resulting in a product that was substantially different from the original concept.[44]
- Crash Tag Team Racing (Nintendo DS)
- In 2005, Crash Tag Team Racing was initially planned to be released on the Nintendo DS alongside the other console versions. Due to the console's inferior hardware, this version was not going to be a direct port, but it was going to be as similar to the other versions as possible, and it was being developed by Sensory Sweep. The game was in development for 9 to 10 months before the studio was told by the publisher that it was going to be cancelled, as Mario Kart DS was scheduled to come out at the same time.[45]
- Crash Online
- Halfway through the year 2006, a small article was published on the Internet, listing several online PC games which were meant to be released by Sierra. Amongst them there was a mysterious project named Crash Online. The game was set for a release in 2007, but a small copy of its logo was in fact the only thing that has ever been revealed. It was probably going to be exclusive to China and would have required players to pay a fee for each play session. The game can be classified as vaporware, given that it was never publicly cancelled.[46]
- Untitled Toys for Bob game
- Sometime in 2008, Toys for Bob created a pitch for a new Crash game which was ultimately rejected.[47]
- Crash Landed/I Am Crash Bandicoot
- Following Mind Over Mutant, Radical Entertainment started working on their next game, which was titled during various stages as either Crash Landed or I Am Crash Bandicoot. Development began on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and it was intended to be ported for Wii afterwards. A DS version was also being planned, but no team was ever decided for its development. Renegade Kid was one of the few contenders, going as far as producing a playable demo as their pitch. The game was a scrapped reboot of the franchise, and would have provided a new origin story for Crash, marking the beginning of a series of new adventures. After being mutated by Cortex, he would have gotten entangled with the task of rescuing his fellow bandicoots.[48] Due to layoffs on February 11, 2010,[49][50] after Activision heard rumors that Sony Computer Entertainment had plans to acquire the rights to publish the franchise, it was abandoned in favor of Prototype 2.
- Crash Team Racing (2010)
- Crash Landed was being accompanied by a directly related spin-off, a racing game with the likely provisory name of Crash Team Racing (not to be confused with the 1999 game), that was being developed concurrently by High Impact Games. Cancelled on February 11, 2010 due to layoffs after Activision heard rumors that Sony Computer Entertainment had plans to acquire the rights to publish the franchise, it was initially slated for release on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. It would have featured several playable characters as usual, but only Crash, Dingodile, Polar and a new character simply called Land Shark were finished before cancellation. The project was eventually retooled into DreamWorks Super Star Kartz.[51]
- Untitled Vicarious Visions game
- In late 2012, a single concept picture featuring Crash with a new design was leaked on the Internet. It came from a photo taken inside Vicarious Visions' studio.[52] Although it was later revealed that the poster was from a cancelled Crash Bandicoot game, any details about the game itself are still unknown.[53]
References[edit]
- ^Gavin, Andy (February 2, 2011). 'Making Crash Bandicoot'. All Things Andy Gavin. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^ abcd'Naughty Dog - 30 Year Timeline'. Naughty Dog. Sony Computer Entertainment. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Checkpoint: Events and Software Releases'. Computer and Video Games. No. 180. United Kingdom: EMAP. November 1996. p. 49.
- ^クラッシュ・バンディクー まとめ [PS]. Famitsu (in Japanese). Kadokawa Dwango Corporation. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot - PlayStation 3'. GameSpy. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back Release Information for PlayStation'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back - PlayStation 3'. GameSpy. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped Release Information for PlayStation'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex Release Information for PlayStation 2'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex'. Xbox.com. Microsoft. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Crash Twinsanity Release Information for PlayStation 2'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash of the Titans Release Information for PlayStation 2'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash: Mind Over Mutant Release Information for PlayStation 2'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash Team Racing Release Information for PlayStation'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash Team Racing - PlayStation 3'. GameSpy. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Crash Nitro Kart Release Information for PlayStation 2'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash Tag Team Racing Release Information for PlayStation 2'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash™ Team Racing Nitro-Fueled pre-order'. Sony. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ^'Crash Bash International Releases'. Giant Bomb. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash Boom Bang! Release Information for DS'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^「クラッシュ・バンディクー」3作をリマスターした「クラッシュ・バンディクー ブッとび3段もり！」が8月3日に発売。予約受付が開始. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Aetas Inc. June 6, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure Release Information for Game Boy Advance'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced Release Information for Game Boy Advance'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage Release Information for Game Boy Advance'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Skylanders Imaginators'. GameSpot. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Skylanders: Imaginators Fact Sheet'(PDF). Activision. June 1, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Interview with Barry Morales (Skylanders Imaginators)'. Crash Mania. September 10, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^Rodriguez, David A. (June 13, 2016). 'Skylanders Imaginators: Crashing Into Skylands'. PlayStation.Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Skylanders Imaginators Special Editions FAQ'. Activision. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D Release Information for iOS (iPhone/iPad)'. GameFAQs. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot: Mutant Island'. GameSpot. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2'. GameSpot. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 Released !!!'. Polarbit. May 28, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy'. GameSpot. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy'. Activision. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^'PlayStation 2 Exclusive'. Crash Mania. September 6, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex - Concept Pitch'. Crash Mania. November 22, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
- ^'Crash Nitro Kart by Traveller's Tales'. Crash Mania. March 18, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot Evolution - Introduction'. Crash Mania. March 26, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^'Crush Bandicoot'. Crash Mania. March 18, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^'Krome Studios pitch'. Crash Mania. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
- ^'Cortex Chaos'. Crash Mania. March 15, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^'Interview with Keith Webb (Twinsanity)'. Crash Mania. January 22, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
- ^'Crash Clash Racing'. Crash Mania. March 18, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^'Crash Tag Team Racing (Nintendo DS)'. Crash Mania. January 9, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^'Crash Online'. Crash Mania. March 18, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^'A Toys for Bob pitch for Crash that 'never materialized''. Crashy News. January 28, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^'Crash Landed - Overview'. Crash Mania. September 6, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
- ^Kuchera, Ben (August 23, 2011). 'Feral developers: why game industry talent is going indie'. Ars Technica. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^Reilly, Jim (February 11, 2010). 'Layoffs At Radical, Neversoft - Luxoflux Closes'. IGN. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^'Crash Team Racing (2010) - Overview'. Crash Mania. March 15, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^Hillier, Brenna (January 6, 2013). 'Crash Bandicoot redesign spotted at Vicarious Visions'. VG247. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
- ^'Unreleased Vicarious Visions Game'. Crash Mania. March 18, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
| Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Naughty Dog |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Director(s) | Jason Rubin |
| Producer(s) | Mark Cerny |
| Programmer(s) | Andy Gavin |
| Artist(s) |
|
| Writer(s) | Jason Rubin |
| Composer(s) | Josh Mancell |
| Series | Crash Bandicoot |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is a platform video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is the second game in the Crash Bandicoot series, and the sequel to the original game.
Taking place on a fictional group of islands near Australia, Crash Bandicoot 2 follows the adventures of the anthropomorphic bandicootCrash. Crash is abducted by series villain Doctor Neo Cortex, who tricks him into thinking he wants to save the world. Crash is thrust into several parts of N. Sanity Island in order to gather Crystals that will allow Cortex to contain the power of an upcoming planetary alignment and keep the planet from being destroyed. Crash's sister Coco and Cortex's former assistant Doctor Nitrus Brio try to warn him about Cortex, with the latter urging Crash to gather gems instead of crystals.
Cortex Strikes Back received generally favorable reviews from critics and was considered to be superior to its predecessor. Much of the praise went to the game's graphics, control and music, with major criticisms varying between the trial-and-error gameplay, lack of level variety, easy boss levels and lack of innovation. The game went on to become one of the best-selling PlayStation video games of all time and replaced its predecessor as the highest-selling Western title in Japan at the time, selling more than 800,000 copies in the country by April 1998. A remastered version was included in the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy collection, released on the PlayStation 4 in June 2017, and ported to other platforms in June 2018.
Gameplay[edit]
Cortex Strikes Back is a platform game in which the player character is the titular Crash Bandicoot. The goal of the game is to gather 25 crystals for Crash's nemesis Doctor Neo Cortex. The crystals are scattered between 25 different levels, accessible via 'Warp Rooms', which are hub areas of the game.[2] A level is cleared by collecting its respective crystal and reaching the end of its path, which returns Crash to the Warp Room.[3][4] Each Warp Room contains five levels. When all five levels are cleared, the player must defeat a boss character before gaining access to the next Warp Room.[5] The player is given a certain amount of lives, which are lost when Crash is attacked by an enemy, or falls into water or a pit. If the player runs out of lives, the game is over. However, it can be continued by selecting 'Yes' at the 'Continue?' screen.[3]
Crash has the ability to jump into the air and land on an enemy character, spin in a tornado-like fashion to knock enemies off-screen, slide across the ground, and perform a body slam to break certain objects. Crash can jump higher than he normally can if he jumps immediately following a slide.[6] All of these techniques can be used as offensive measures against most enemies, whom serve to deter Crash's progress. Enemies with deadly topsides cannot be jumped on, while enemies that attack from the front or have side spikes must be jumped on or undergo a body slam. Enemies with sharp necklines (such as frill-necked lizards or long-legged robots with heated circumferences) can only be defeated if Crash slides into them.[7]
Boxes play a prominent role in Cortex Strikes Back and can be broken with all of Crash's techniques. Most boxes in the game contain 'Wumpa Fruit', which give the player an extra life if 100 of them are collected. Some boxes contain a Witch Doctor's Mask, which shields Crash from one enemy's attack while it is in his possession. If three masks are collected in a row, Crash is given temporary invulnerability from all minor dangers. If jumped upon, boxes with arrows pointing up propel Crash further into the air than he can ordinarily reach, and such boxes can be broken only with Crash's spin attack. Boxes with an exclamation mark (!) on them cause previously intangible objects in the area to solidify.[8] TNT Boxes explode after a three-second fuse when jumped on, while Nitro Boxes explode upon any physical contact. All of the Nitro Boxes in a level can be detonated at once if a green-colored box with an exclamation mark (!) on it is touched. Checkpoint boxes allow Crash to return to the point where the first checkpoint box has been opened upon losing a life. If more than one checkpoint box has been opened in a stage, Crash returns to the last checkpoint box that has been opened.[9] The player will earn a gem if they manage to destroy all the boxes, including Nitro Boxes and boxes on alternate routes, in a level. Certain gems can be acquired by other means, like reaching the end of a level within a certain time parameter, or completing a level without breaking any boxes.
'Bonus Paths', signified by platforms with a question mark (?) on them, lead Crash to a secret region of the level. In these areas, numerous Wumpa Fruit and extra lives can be earned if the player successfully navigates to the end of the path. If Crash falls off-screen or is otherwise killed off, the player is unable to keep whatever was collected in the Bonus Path and is returned to the level from which the Bonus Path was accessed, keeping all lives the player had previously collected.[9]
Plot[edit]
Crash Bandicoot sends Doctor Neo Cortex falling from his airship into a cavern filled with glowing crystals. Convinced that they hold tremendous power, he takes one and gets back onto his laboratory.[10][11] One year later, Cortex and his new assistant Doctor N. Gin rebuild an upgraded, crystal-powered Cortex Vortex in outer space; N. Gin says that they need 25 more crystals to reach the Vortex's maximum capacity and they do not have any of their operatives left on Earth. Cortex then devises a plot to manipulate Crash into retrieving the crystals for him.[10][12]
Meanwhile, Crash's younger sister, Coco, has him retrieve a new battery for her laptop, but Crash is captured.[13][14] Finding himself in an ancient Warp Room that has access to various places all over the world, Crash meetsCortex through his holographic projection.[15] Cortex tells Crash that he discovered that the upcoming alignment of the planets will create a solar flux capable of catastrophic proportions, and urges Crash to retrieve pink power crystals through each of the Room's doors to help Cortex harness the crystal's energy to dissipate the massive power unleashed.[13][16] Unbeknownst to Cortex, his former assistant Dr. Nitrus Brio also appears in hologram form.[17] and tells Crash that, scattered across the world, there are several colored gems that serve as an alternative form of energy that Brio isplanning to use it against Cortex.[18] On his way, while collecting crystals, Crash battles several of Cortex's former allies, first by the demented Ripper Roo,[19] the scimitar-wielding Komodo Brothers[20] and the ravenous Tiny Tiger.[21]
Meanwhile, Coco uses her technology expertise to hack into Cortex's hologram communication to advise Crash to be careful into trusting Cortex.[22][23][24] Cortex eventually tells Crash to return the crystalshe collected to his current assistant, N. Gin, but when Crash destroys N. Gin's mechasuit and defeats him, Cortex gets furious. After gathering all 25crystals, Coco manages to hold a steady connection to reveal Cortex's ultimate plan: with the energy harnessed from the planetary alignment, Cortex will power the gigantic Cortex Vortex built onto his space station and brainwash everyone on Earth into serving his army.[25] Crash reaches Cortex into outer space and incapacitates him once again before the crystals can be used, leaving him drifting through outer space, but leaves the Cortex Vortex intact.[26] However, with Dr. Brio's aid, Crash uses all the gems he gathered throughout the Warp Room and learns that Brio built a laser beam machine powered by the gem's energy[27] With Crash's help, the laser beam breaks the Cortex Vortex apart, with one of the pieces falling back into Earth.[28]
Development[edit]
Production of Cortex Strikes Back began in October 1996. Development took place over the course of 13 months on a budget of $2,000,000.[29][30] The concept art for the game's environments was mainly created by Naughty Dog employees Bob Rafei, Eric Iwasaki, Erick Pangilinan, Charlotte Francis and Jason Rubin. The jungle levels were originally to have featured ground fog, but this was abandoned when magazines and the public began to criticize other developers for using fog to hide polygon count. Sunlight and depth accentuation was experimented with for these levels. Naughty Dog created the sewer levels as a way to work some 'dirty' locations in the game. Color contrast was added to the levels to show depth and break up the monotony of sewer pipes.[31] The character of Coco Bandicoot was created by Naughty Dog as a counterbalance to Tawna (Crash's girlfriend in the first game) that would appease Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, who were uncomfortable with a 'super sexy' character being alongside Crash. Character designer Charles Zembillas drew the first sketches of Coco on March 18, 1997.[32]
For the game, Crash Bandicoot co-creator Andy Gavin programmed a new engine named 'Game-Oriented Object LISP 2' (GOOL 2); being three times faster than the previous game's engine, it could handle ten times the animation frames and twice the polygon count.[33][34] A flat plane z-buffer was created for the game; because the water surfaces and mud in the jungle had to be a flat plane and be exactly flat on the Y-axis, there could be no waves and the subdividing plane could not be at an odd angle. The effect only worked on objects in the foreground and was only used on Crash, some enemies and a few boxes at the same time.[34]
The soundtrack of Cortex Strikes Back was written by Josh Mancell from Mutato Muzika, while the sound effects were created by Universal Sound Studios (consisting of Mike Gollom, Ron Horwitz and Kevin Spears). The characters were designed by Charles Zembillas of American Exitus, Incorporated. Clancy Brown provided the voice of Doctor Neo Cortex, Vicki Winters voiced Coco Bandicoot, and Brendan O'Brien voiced Crash Bandicoot, Doctor N. Gin, and Doctor Nitrus Brio.[35] The game was unveiled at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Atlanta, Georgia in June 1997 to a positive response from the game industry. The game went into the alpha stage in August 1997. Around that time, Dan Arey, the lead designer of Gex: Enter the Gecko, joined Naughty Dog and streamlined the level design.[33] A death animation in which Crash is squashed into a stunned head and feet was altered for the Japanese version of the game due to its resemblance to the severed head and shoes left by a serial killer loose in Japan at the time.[36]
Crash Bandicoot 2 Full Game
Reception[edit]
| Reception | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Cortex Strikes Back received favorable reviews from critics.[37] John Broady of GameSpot considered the game to be superior to its predecessor, commenting positively on the Warp Room concept, improved game-saving system and variety of the levels.[39] The staff of IGN praised the 'spot on' control and noted the decreased linearity of the game and increased intuition of the bonus levels compared to the first game.[40] Mark Cooke of Game Revolution described the game as 'undeniably fun'.[38]
Next Generation reviewed the PlayStation version of the game, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that 'Crash 2 is a tempting gameplay treat, one that frustrates at times, but it always rewards a job well done – and that is an addictive combination for any serious platform gamer. Recommended.'[41]
The game's graphics were positively received. GameSpot's Broady described them as 'in a league of their own among PlayStation games',[39] while the IGN staff praised the high-resolution graphics as 'beautiful'.[40] Game Revolution's Mark Cooke noted the absence of cutscenes brought about by the entirety of the game being 'rendered on the fly beautifully' and that the game could 'really set some new standards in Playstation graphic quality.' He went on to describe the animation as 'flawless' and of 'cartoon quality' and added that the game's 'creatures, environments, and story building scenes are absolutely perfect.'[38] The game's audio was also well-received; Broady simply stated that the music 'couldn't be better',[39] while Cooke said that Clancy Brown's 'hilarious satirical' performance as Doctor Neo Cortex added to the game's cartoonish quality.[38]
Minor criticisms varied amongst critics. Broady noted that the semi-3D setup is 'sometimes hard to navigate' and elaborated that 'you'll find yourself missing jumps because you're unable to judge distances properly.' Additionally, he criticized the trial-and-error aspect of the gameplay as 'just plain cheap' and stated that 'in some areas you must sacrifice many lives until you memorize a level's layout.'[39] The IGN staff said that the level design 'isn't as varied as it could be' and added that the 'jungle, snow and water' environments are recycled from the previous game and reused multiple times in Cortex Strikes Back. They also described the boss levels as 'insultingly easy'.[40] Cooke observed that, like its predecessor, the game did not add anything to the genre and summarized that 'the first Crash was dauntingly similar to the 16-bit platform games of yester-yore, only with better graphics, and Crash 2 doesn't deviate much from this formula'. He also described the 'bizarre' lenticular 3D cover art of the game as 'unnecessary and evil' and 'a device of unprecedented agony', claiming to have contracted a massive headache after 'looking at it in [his] car for about 15 seconds'.[38]
Crash Bandicoot 2 was a commercial hit. By late February 1998, its sales in Japan and Europe had reached 800,000 and 340,000 units, respectively. The United States accounted for one million copies by that time.[42] By February 1999, 4.08 million copies of Crash Bandicoot had been shipped to retailers worldwide; the NPD Group reported sell-through of 1.49 million copies in North America alone.[43] By December 2007, Cortex Strikes Back had sold 3.78 million units in the United States and 1.3 million in Japan.[44][45] This makes it one of the best-selling PlayStation video games of all time. The game's success resulted in its re-release for the Sony Greatest Hits line-up on August 30, 1998 and for the Platinum Range in 1999.[46] The game replaced Crash Bandicoot as the highest-selling non-Japanese title in Japan, selling over 800,000 copies by April 1998.[33]Cortex Strikes Back was initially released on the European PlayStation Network on July 26, 2007 but was withdrawn on August 7, 2007, along with Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage/Gateway to Glimmer and MediEvil, as a precautionary measure when the latter two games experienced technical problems.[47] The game was released on the North American PlayStation Network on January 10, 2008 and re-released on the European PlayStation Network on February 2, 2011.[48]
References[edit]
| Wikiquote has quotations related to: Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back |
- ^'Naughty Dog - 30 Year Timeline'. Naughty Dog. Sony Computer Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot 2: Crash into the Cortex Vortex'. Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 98. Ziff Davis. September 1997. p. 112.
- ^ abUniversal, p. 4
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Warp Room 1.
Doctor Neo Cortex: Look above the doorways! Above each, there is a big crystal... shaped slot! Fill all five crystal slots in this Warp Room by retrieving one crystal from each of the five areas. Only after we have filled all the slots in this room can we continue on our quest. This is the last time I remind you.
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Warp Room 1.
Doctor Neo Cortex: Listen up. We are not without enemies. Some of them you may even recognise. Although they cannot harm you inside this Warp Room, they can attack you on your way to the next one. To get to the next Warp Room, use the platform in the center of the room. Good luck.
- ^Universal, p. 3
- ^Universal, p. 13
- ^Universal, p. 7
- ^ abUniversal, p. 8
- ^ abUniversal, p. 5
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Opening sequence.
Doctor Neo Cortex: (lights match) Ha ha ha! Crystals, of course. (match goes out) D'oh!
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Opening sequence.
Doctor N. Gin: But Doctor Cortex, to reach full power, we need not only your 'Master Crystal', but also there are as many as 25 'Slave Crystals' on the surface. How do you expect to retrieve them when we don't have any earthbound operatives left? / Doctor Neo Cortex: You fool! Do you think I am unaware of this situation? If we don't have any friends left on the surface, then we need to find... an enemy...
- ^ abUniversal, p. 6
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Opening sequence.
Coco Bandicoot: Crash? Crash! Crash, my battery's fried. Make yourself useful, big brother, and go get an extra battery for me.
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Warp Room 1.
Doctor Neo Cortex: Well, well, well. If it isn't Crash Bandicoot. Welcome. I apologize for the cruel means used to bring you here, but I'd rather expect a written invitation would be turned down. I need your help. Surrounding you are a series of five doors. Through each door lies a well-hidden crystal. Crystals look like this. Bring me the crystals, Crash. That is all I can say for now. We will speak again.
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Warp Room 1.
Doctor Neo Cortex: Well done, Crash! I knew I could rely on you. Now listen carefully; this hologram is hard to maintain. During the course of my intellectual pursuits, I have stumbled across a force that threatens to destroy the world. Crystals are the only means of containing it. The fate of the world is at stake; it is imperative therefore that you bring them to me!
- ^Universal, pp. 9-12
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Warp Room 1.
Doctor Nitrus Brio: So, you're helping Cortex gather crystals, yet you have acquired a gem! Interesting... Haha... Well, Crash... huha... know this: as long as you are allied with C-Cortex, you are my sworn enemy, and I will do anything in my power to st-stop you! If the fate of the world is truly your concern, you must g-gather the gems, not the c-crystals. If you obtain all forty-two gems, I can use them to f-focus a laser, heha, a laser beam that will destroy Cortex and his space station! Until then, I must use my forces to stop you from gathering crystals!
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Ripper Roo.
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Komodo Brothers.
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Tiny Tiger.
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Warp Room 2.
Doctor Neo Cortex: Ha ha ha! I see that Ripper Roo failed to prove much of a challenge yet again. But back to business. There are crystals to be gathered, twenty to be exact. The planets will align shortly, all thirteen of them, and this will create a power great enough to rip the Earth apart. Properly utilized, however, the crystals can absorb and contain the.. (hologram fades) / Coco Bandicoot: Crash, is that you? I've been looking everywhere. I don't have much time to tell you this, you have to be careful. Trusting Cortex seems a little unwise. Crash! I can't keep the data path open much longer! Crash, you need to find the... (hologram fades)
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Warp Room 3.
Coco Bandicoot: Crash, thank goodness! I hacked into Cortex's computer and found detailed schematics for an improved Cortex Vortex and a suspicious-looking space station. I'm not sure, but Cortex might be trying... (hologram fades)
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Warp Room 4.
Coco Bandicoot: Crash, I haven't got much time! Cortex has almost completed the new space station! Something is not right with his statements. Beware of the tricks he... (hologram fades)
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Warp Room 5.
Coco Bandicoot: Crash! Cortex isn't going to use the crystals to contain the planets' energy! He's going to harness the force and use it to power the Super Cortex Vortex he has built on his space station! One blast of the ray will cover the entire world, turning everyone into Cortex's mindless slaves! Crash, don't let him have those crystals!
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Ending sequence 1.
Coco Bandicoot: Crash, what do you suppose happened to Cortex? And what about the Cortex Vortex? It's still up there...
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Warp Room 5.
Doctor Nitrus Brio: Y-You-You have acquired all of the gems! Incredible, heh heh ha ha! Crystals are not the only means of harnessing planetary energy, right?! The gems have that ability as well, and with them I can destroy the Cortex Vortex forever! Whoo, heh heh heh! Let me warp you to my completed laser installation, hmm?
- ^Naughty Dog (November 1, 1997). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Ending sequence 2.
Doctor Nitrus Brio: We are ready, Crash. Would you like to do the... honors?
- ^Jason Rubin (2004). 'Fear: An Appropriate Response To The Future Of Video Game Development'. Morgan Rose. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^Superannuation (January 15, 2014). 'How Much Does It Cost To Make A Big Video Game?'. Kotaku. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
Crash Bandicoot 2 - $2 million - Jason Rubin claimed the first Crash sequel cost $2 million.
- ^'[ Crash Gallery - Background Studies - Crash 2 ]'. Naughty Dog. Archived from the original on July 28, 2008. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
- ^Charles Zembillas (January 6, 2013). 'Charles Zembillas: Crash Bandicoot - Origin of Coco - Part 1'. Zembillas. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
Coco was created as a counter balance to Tawna who was Bandicoot's girlfriend. She came along because ND was sensitive to Sony Japan and wanted to please them. Sony Japan didn't feel comfortable with a super sexy character with Crash so ND went with a sister character instead to appease them. So here she is on the day of her birth. These are the first few sketches. This is where she started from. There's more and I'll be posting those in a later entry. I wrote down the date on these pages when I drew them. March 18, 1997. I was developing Crash 2 at the time.
- ^ abc'[ Crash Bandicoot - Time Line ]'. Naughty Dog. Archived from the original on July 29, 2008. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
- ^ ab'From Rags to Riches: Way of the Warrior to Crash 3'. Game Informer. 66 (October 1998): 18–21. 1998.
- ^Universal, pp. 14-15
- ^Andy Gavin (February 6, 2011). 'Making Crash Bandicoot - part 5'. All Things Andy Gavin. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
Naughty Dog would do a huge amount of work after this on the game for Japan, and even then we would always release a Japanese specific build. Whether it was giving Aku Aku pop up text instructions, or replace a Crash smashing 'death' that reminded them of the severed head and shoes left by a serial killer that was loose in Japan during Crash 2's release, we focused on Japan and fought hard for acceptance and success.
- ^ ab'Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back for PlayStation'. GameRankings. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
- ^ abcdeMark Cooke (June 4, 2004). 'Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back review for the PS'. Game Revolution. Retrieved March 12, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ abcdeJohn Broady (November 25, 1997). 'Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back Review for PlayStation - GameSpot'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
- ^ abcd'Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back - PlayStation Review at IGN'. IGN. November 4, 1997. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
- ^ ab'Finals'. Next Generation. No. 37. Imagine Media. January 1998. p. 147.
- ^Johnston, Chris (March 3, 1998). 'Five Million Bandicoots'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 6, 2000.
- ^Staff (February 25, 1999). 'Sony Recaps Crash Sales'. GameDaily. Archived from the original on May 20, 2001. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
- ^'US Platinum Videogame Chart'. The Magic Box. December 27, 2007. Archived from the original on April 21, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
- ^'Japan Platinum Game Chart'. The Magic Box. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back for PlayStation'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 18, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
- ^Mike Jackson (August 7, 2007). 'PS3 News: Sony pulls more PSN games'. Computer and Video Games. Retrieved September 1, 2008.
- ^'Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back - PlayStation 3 - GameSpy'. GameSpy. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
Crash Bandicoot 2 Game Over Screen
Bibliography[edit]
- Universal Staff (1996). Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment. ISBN0-06-083305-X.
External links[edit]
- Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back at MobyGames