Recommended by [maradona as part of this list! ]
As one of the key contributors to the brand identity of Sony’s gaming wheelhouse, Naughty Dog has centered itself as a pillar of prestige gaming, an ideologue pristinely focused on scavenging pop cultural landmarks on a relentless tear to put video games on a creative pedestal, sullying the individuality inherent to the medium in favor of some perceived notion of being considered “art”. Where we find the studio now, aping Indiana Jone’s blockbuster exploits in Uncharted and cutting surface-level highlight reels of post-apocalyptica in The Last of Us, exists primarily as a production house for wannabe-films in the name of cinematic gaming, but tracing back through the history of the developers work shows off a lost pedigree. Severed from the modern image of today, the Naughty Dog of the mid 90s was a beast cut from a different cloth, a proponent of the infamous Mascot Wars that defined the generation.
While the adage doesn't ring true today, the common knowledge of the 90s held that console exclusives and brand identity were the sword and shield brandished by the gaming industry. On the hallowed ground of internet forums, the nu-playground politics of the console war were waged equally in tech specs and pretty faces. By the time Sony entered the fray the battlefield was already established, with Sega and Nintendo locked in an eternal struggle for relevance. Competitors had risen, fallen, and been cast aside, but Sony remained as the last man standing against the twin behemoths. The dual-sided clash saw fit to tear the fate of the console market asunder, rendered desolate in the shockwave of mutually-assured destruction… Until he, the bearer of Sony’s curse, rose from primordial depths. Branded with the mark of enmity, the flag-bearer of PlayStation’s campaign cast a mocking shadow over the decade. Born into strife, with the serrated edge of the attitude era gripped tightly in his paw, Crash Bandicoot dug into his trench, grubby paws grasping for cultural leverage.
Mel Blanc-ian, a comic centerpiece made as much as a figurehead, Crash was the perfect scapegoat, an idol to cherish and ridicule in equal measure. A jester on the battleground of the modern technobandit, the mascot of yore breathed life into the indefinite scuffle that is brand identity. Becoming synonymous with genres and companies all their own, mascots, especially those in the realm of the mascot platformer, became analogous for not only the series and franchises they encompassed, but for the consoles they inhabited as well. Sega had Sonic, Nintendo had Mario, and Sony, fresh out the gate, had Crash Bandicoot, the mass-production beast forged by the wreckage of a thousand prototypes. The role, aside from poking fun at corporate rivals, was purely accessory, but as touchstones in the memories forged in the scorched earth of Gamefaqs forums, the mascot became an inescapable notion.
Years have since passed, and the Mascot Wars have drawn to the close. While some, the ever stalwart, cling to delusions of supremacy, the giants of the conflict settled into uneasy truces. With the three leaders co-mingling, interweaving, the tribalism of the past decades remains spoken in hushed whispers. Sega's great defeat in the Summer of 2001 saw the colossus fall, not by Nintendo's hand, or even by Microsoft's emerald super-soldier, but at the blade of Sony's masterwork, the PlayStation 2. With the fall of the esteemed leader, the war flickered, faded and died. However, for every victory, the heroes of the past are just as easily forgotten: with success coordinated in equal part by masters of tactical espionage and gods of war, the mascots that defined history were brushed away, hardened cynicism overtaking the endearing face of plucky spirit. Crash, Sly, Croc, even the maligned Gex, all shunned by the tides of time.
The era defined by the mascot has long since passed. Yes, false idols clammer to the throne, halls besieged by Hat Kids and Yooka-Laylees, but the original generation has faded, gussied up only to be showboated in recollections and remasterings. The soul, flickering against the growing cynicism of the game industry, now rests as post-ironic detached nostalgia.
…none of this has anything to do with the actual game of Crash Bandicoot, and that’s because there’s very little to say about Crash Bandicoot. Like any property in the 90s that uses the aesthetics of tribal villages, shockingly racist! Literally my only comment on the content of the game itself. ¯\(ツ)/¯
As one of the key contributors to the brand identity of Sony’s gaming wheelhouse, Naughty Dog has centered itself as a pillar of prestige gaming, an ideologue pristinely focused on scavenging pop cultural landmarks on a relentless tear to put video games on a creative pedestal, sullying the individuality inherent to the medium in favor of some perceived notion of being considered “art”. Where we find the studio now, aping Indiana Jone’s blockbuster exploits in Uncharted and cutting surface-level highlight reels of post-apocalyptica in The Last of Us, exists primarily as a production house for wannabe-films in the name of cinematic gaming, but tracing back through the history of the developers work shows off a lost pedigree. Severed from the modern image of today, the Naughty Dog of the mid 90s was a beast cut from a different cloth, a proponent of the infamous Mascot Wars that defined the generation.
While the adage doesn't ring true today, the common knowledge of the 90s held that console exclusives and brand identity were the sword and shield brandished by the gaming industry. On the hallowed ground of internet forums, the nu-playground politics of the console war were waged equally in tech specs and pretty faces. By the time Sony entered the fray the battlefield was already established, with Sega and Nintendo locked in an eternal struggle for relevance. Competitors had risen, fallen, and been cast aside, but Sony remained as the last man standing against the twin behemoths. The dual-sided clash saw fit to tear the fate of the console market asunder, rendered desolate in the shockwave of mutually-assured destruction… Until he, the bearer of Sony’s curse, rose from primordial depths. Branded with the mark of enmity, the flag-bearer of PlayStation’s campaign cast a mocking shadow over the decade. Born into strife, with the serrated edge of the attitude era gripped tightly in his paw, Crash Bandicoot dug into his trench, grubby paws grasping for cultural leverage.
Mel Blanc-ian, a comic centerpiece made as much as a figurehead, Crash was the perfect scapegoat, an idol to cherish and ridicule in equal measure. A jester on the battleground of the modern technobandit, the mascot of yore breathed life into the indefinite scuffle that is brand identity. Becoming synonymous with genres and companies all their own, mascots, especially those in the realm of the mascot platformer, became analogous for not only the series and franchises they encompassed, but for the consoles they inhabited as well. Sega had Sonic, Nintendo had Mario, and Sony, fresh out the gate, had Crash Bandicoot, the mass-production beast forged by the wreckage of a thousand prototypes. The role, aside from poking fun at corporate rivals, was purely accessory, but as touchstones in the memories forged in the scorched earth of Gamefaqs forums, the mascot became an inescapable notion.
Years have since passed, and the Mascot Wars have drawn to the close. While some, the ever stalwart, cling to delusions of supremacy, the giants of the conflict settled into uneasy truces. With the three leaders co-mingling, interweaving, the tribalism of the past decades remains spoken in hushed whispers. Sega's great defeat in the Summer of 2001 saw the colossus fall, not by Nintendo's hand, or even by Microsoft's emerald super-soldier, but at the blade of Sony's masterwork, the PlayStation 2. With the fall of the esteemed leader, the war flickered, faded and died. However, for every victory, the heroes of the past are just as easily forgotten: with success coordinated in equal part by masters of tactical espionage and gods of war, the mascots that defined history were brushed away, hardened cynicism overtaking the endearing face of plucky spirit. Crash, Sly, Croc, even the maligned Gex, all shunned by the tides of time.
The era defined by the mascot has long since passed. Yes, false idols clammer to the throne, halls besieged by Hat Kids and Yooka-Laylees, but the original generation has faded, gussied up only to be showboated in recollections and remasterings. The soul, flickering against the growing cynicism of the game industry, now rests as post-ironic detached nostalgia.
…none of this has anything to do with the actual game of Crash Bandicoot, and that’s because there’s very little to say about Crash Bandicoot. Like any property in the 90s that uses the aesthetics of tribal villages, shockingly racist! Literally my only comment on the content of the game itself. ¯\(ツ)/¯
Primeira vez q joguei Crash e tenho q dizer q é um jogo bem divertido, por mais q os controles sejam bem irritantes em certos momentos, n deixa de ser bem incrivel a criatividade dos desenvolvedores ao criar as fases com temáticas diferentes pra n serem repetitivas d+.
>> Game completado com todas as gemas e chaves.
>> Prós
• DIVERTIDO.
• FASES : Bem bacana q existem fases com diferentes objetivos ( desde plataforma comum até corrida contra algo ).
• BONUS : As fases bonus são bem legais.
• DESAFIO : É um jogo bem desafiador em certos momentos, principalmente pelos controles.
>> Contras
• JOGABILIDADE : N é totalmente ruim mas achei bem chatinha as vezes.
>> Perso Favorito = Crash.
>> Game completado com todas as gemas e chaves.
>> Prós
• DIVERTIDO.
• FASES : Bem bacana q existem fases com diferentes objetivos ( desde plataforma comum até corrida contra algo ).
• BONUS : As fases bonus são bem legais.
• DESAFIO : É um jogo bem desafiador em certos momentos, principalmente pelos controles.
>> Contras
• JOGABILIDADE : N é totalmente ruim mas achei bem chatinha as vezes.
>> Perso Favorito = Crash.
a fun game overall, usually has a nice momentum to it if you're playing well and the simple stuff like breaking boxes and collecting wumpa fruit is very satisfying, the game looks really nice as well
the problem for me is that any% is a bit too easy and boring imo but 100%, while more interesting overall and sometimes a very satisfying challenge, can other times be exhausting due to kinda slippery controls and some very long levels with a lot of start-and-stop moments
the 100% ending is also a bit of an anti-climax but luckily i was kinda checked out by then anyway, still a good start to an epic series though
the problem for me is that any% is a bit too easy and boring imo but 100%, while more interesting overall and sometimes a very satisfying challenge, can other times be exhausting due to kinda slippery controls and some very long levels with a lot of start-and-stop moments
the 100% ending is also a bit of an anti-climax but luckily i was kinda checked out by then anyway, still a good start to an epic series though
Affectionately referred to as the "Sonic's ass game" during development, Crash Bandicoot was not only inspired by the blue blur, but followed a similar trajectory. The first three Crash Bandicoot titles are great but were followed by a slew of sequels that progressively lost sight of what made them work, sullying Crash's legacy until a follow-up faithful to the mechanics and style of the original games restored a healthy amount of good will. Unfortunately, we won't get a Crash Bandicoot 5 from Toys for Bob, just like we probably won't get a Sonic Mania 2 with Headcannon involved, assuming either of those games are ever on the table to begin with.
Once again, I'm straying away from the point of the review before it even begins, but all this preamble is to say that I both love the original Crash games and lament what the series became. I also want to keep the comparison to Sonic going just a bit more, as I think I feel very similarly about Crash Bandicoot as I do about the first Sonic the Hedgehog.
They're competent platformers, both have some really excellent and precise platforming challenges sprinkled throughout, and they also make many, many mistakes. In Sonic's case, its most egregious sin was requiring the player to slow down too much to engage in platforming which resulted in the flow of the game being constantly interrupted, in addition to having traps and enemies placed in ways that further disrupted the rhythm. Crash Bandicoot's greatest sins were borne from the fine folks at Naughty Dog confusing challenging design with abject cruelty. Road to Nowhere is more easily completed by jumping onto the very narrow ropes on the side of the bridge and just running to the end than it is to engage with any part of its intended design, and that is nothing if not a microcosmic look at how Crash is tuned. This is only amplified if you commit to getting the true ending. Collecting the gems is in no way fun. It's an exercise in patience, and your reward for seeing it through is barely any different than if you just beat the game like normal. Again, just like Sonic (I'm being hyperbolic, it's much worse.)
I'm perhaps more willing to look past Crash's faults because I'm so sucked in by its vibes, which I would describe as exuding a certain sense of incompleteness. I'm not implying that the game is unfinished, of course, but compare it directly to its two Playstation sequels and you'll probably get a better idea of what I mean. Those games feel robust, designed with a clear understanding of what Crash is mechanically, narratively, and aesthetically. Crash Bandicoot contrasts that self-assured design with a distinct feeling of uncertainty, which is felt in how the game just kinda drops you in without much context, how far between story beats are, the way certain level gimmicks and ideas just don't really work out, and level design that at times feels like it was made by someone still learning their craft. In a lot of ways it feels to me like playing a demo. Like, here's your vertical slice, one small part of a greater whole that you lack context for. There's a mood to that and playing Crash Bandicoot to me has always felt like playing a really long demo.
This is my version of people talking about Wet Dry World's "negative emotional aura." It's just the crazed ramblings of someone who has thought too damn much about a video game from 1996.
I would like to end this review now.
Once again, I'm straying away from the point of the review before it even begins, but all this preamble is to say that I both love the original Crash games and lament what the series became. I also want to keep the comparison to Sonic going just a bit more, as I think I feel very similarly about Crash Bandicoot as I do about the first Sonic the Hedgehog.
They're competent platformers, both have some really excellent and precise platforming challenges sprinkled throughout, and they also make many, many mistakes. In Sonic's case, its most egregious sin was requiring the player to slow down too much to engage in platforming which resulted in the flow of the game being constantly interrupted, in addition to having traps and enemies placed in ways that further disrupted the rhythm. Crash Bandicoot's greatest sins were borne from the fine folks at Naughty Dog confusing challenging design with abject cruelty. Road to Nowhere is more easily completed by jumping onto the very narrow ropes on the side of the bridge and just running to the end than it is to engage with any part of its intended design, and that is nothing if not a microcosmic look at how Crash is tuned. This is only amplified if you commit to getting the true ending. Collecting the gems is in no way fun. It's an exercise in patience, and your reward for seeing it through is barely any different than if you just beat the game like normal. Again, just like Sonic (I'm being hyperbolic, it's much worse.)
I'm perhaps more willing to look past Crash's faults because I'm so sucked in by its vibes, which I would describe as exuding a certain sense of incompleteness. I'm not implying that the game is unfinished, of course, but compare it directly to its two Playstation sequels and you'll probably get a better idea of what I mean. Those games feel robust, designed with a clear understanding of what Crash is mechanically, narratively, and aesthetically. Crash Bandicoot contrasts that self-assured design with a distinct feeling of uncertainty, which is felt in how the game just kinda drops you in without much context, how far between story beats are, the way certain level gimmicks and ideas just don't really work out, and level design that at times feels like it was made by someone still learning their craft. In a lot of ways it feels to me like playing a demo. Like, here's your vertical slice, one small part of a greater whole that you lack context for. There's a mood to that and playing Crash Bandicoot to me has always felt like playing a really long demo.
This is my version of people talking about Wet Dry World's "negative emotional aura." It's just the crazed ramblings of someone who has thought too damn much about a video game from 1996.
I would like to end this review now.
The dudes that made this game are responsible for a lot of furries.
Bem irritante do começo até metade, mas vai ficando gostosinho e divertido de jogar conforme as fases passam.
A jogabilidade estranha um pouco mas é fácil acostumar.
Bom jogo de plataforma, bem desafiador e satisfatório em certa parte.
A jogabilidade estranha um pouco mas é fácil acostumar.
Bom jogo de plataforma, bem desafiador e satisfatório em certa parte.
Stunning art direction and level design. Few platformers are as uncompromising with their core mechanics. "Road to Nowhere" and "Sunset Vista" are peak course-based 3D platforming.
It's the same 5 levels for 32 levels with like the stiffest controls and most irritating save system ever in a videogame. How is anyone who didn't grow up/play this game when it first released enjoying this today? Very big fan of all the little noises Crash makes and UGA BUGA! though.
Que joguinho difícil esse, viu?
Mas é isso que torna o primeiro Crash Bandicoot uma experiência marcante no gênero plataforma. Sua jogabilidade mais variada e encontros de chefes que demandam mais raciocínio da parte do jogador fazem deste game mais uma pérola obrigatória para os fãs do já citado plataforma; além, é claro, dos ótimos gráficos de sua época.
Mas é isso que torna o primeiro Crash Bandicoot uma experiência marcante no gênero plataforma. Sua jogabilidade mais variada e encontros de chefes que demandam mais raciocínio da parte do jogador fazem deste game mais uma pérola obrigatória para os fãs do já citado plataforma; além, é claro, dos ótimos gráficos de sua época.
I got a sensory overstimulation whenever I was able to beat a very long level or I cleared that darn turtle jump on the bridge level, this is true now and it was true twenty (!!!) years ago. I don't think it's fair to say that games are outdated since they are children of their age, but in some cases, like with XCOM Enemy Unknown and Crash Bandicoot, playing the sequel is better in almost every category.
This game has charm, started a breakthrough in 3D platforming and despite having wonky mechanics and some backtracking, it's got real love poured in it and I feel that alone makes it worth checking out. I personally prefer playing the original over the trilogy version because for some reason Crash, whenever he lands from a jump, carries momentum; this was true in the PS1 second and third game and it was carried in the remake, despite the original first game not having this aspect. Crash needs to perform very precise jumps in the horizontal sections and it feels clunky to do, but the trilogy is much more accessible in general so you do you.
This game has charm, started a breakthrough in 3D platforming and despite having wonky mechanics and some backtracking, it's got real love poured in it and I feel that alone makes it worth checking out. I personally prefer playing the original over the trilogy version because for some reason Crash, whenever he lands from a jump, carries momentum; this was true in the PS1 second and third game and it was carried in the remake, despite the original first game not having this aspect. Crash needs to perform very precise jumps in the horizontal sections and it feels clunky to do, but the trilogy is much more accessible in general so you do you.
minha irmã jogava mais do q eu essa porra
ela não me deixava jogar só pq eu tinha 6 anos, lamentável
ela não me deixava jogar só pq eu tinha 6 anos, lamentável
motherfucker.obj
The platforming isn't deep but it's tight. Really tight. The challenge is super well designed and high. Only so many steps are safe and the level design is the real charmer here. Absolutely a bangin'good sweet short time. Not the dark souls of platforms
This game was pretty good it was fun all the way threw I was surprised by easy the last boss was though.
God this really does feel like the first Crash Bandicoot game
To the Long Island school official who used school funds between 1997 and 1999 to buy this game as just one small part of the largest public school embezzlement in American history, there are better PS1 games to pick from, dumbass
Ah, Crash Bandicoot. One of the earliest pioneers in 3D Platforming Action, coming out the same year as the revolutionary Super Mario 64.
Unlike Super Mario 64, Crash Bandicoot decides to opt for a more traditional approach when it comes to level design.
While Super Mario 64 was very open and sandbox-like in its level design, Crash Bandicoot is like the 2D Platformers of old, where you go from point A to B, while trying your best not to lose all your lives.
It may be simple, but Crash Bandicoot succeeds in providing fun level design... but it can get quite challenging, even early on in the game.
Some levels are long, others are challenging, and then there are some that are both. Crash Bandicoot will challenge you, and it will challenge you even more if you're trying to go for 100%!
Probably one of the most well known things about the Crash series is the fact that you can jump and spin boxes you find throughout the levels.
That's all well and good, especially because the act of breaking boxes, and hearing that ricochet sound while you're spinning them, is ultra satisfying, but you'll need to break all of them if you want to get that stage's gem, which all of them will be required to 100% the game, and get the best (?) ending.
The problem with this original game is that, it doesn't matter if you broke a checkpoint box or not, if you die once, you will not be able to get that stage's gem, which means you have to get every box without losing a life.
And with how hard these levels can get... yeah, fuck doing that.
I personally didn't 100% the game during my most recent run, simply because it just turns from something that can be fun but challenging, to something very frustrating. And that's not even accounting the colored gems that you'll get later on in the game, that you'll need to use in previous levels to get just those few missing boxes that you couldn't get to before.
I salute those who have 100% this game!
But when you're not going for 100%, even with its difficulty, I'd say Crash Bandicoot is a good game. Crash himself is a bit heavy on his jumps, but you'll get used to it, and overall, I just had a good time going through the levels and beating the bosses.
Speaking of the bosses... they're ok. They have their own obstacles to avoid, and most of them have a sort-of gimmick, like with Ripper Roo where you defeat him with Big TNT crates, or in Pinstripe Potoroo's fight where you hide behind some objects to avoid his gunfire.
They're fine, but nothing too special.
Outside of that, this game looks great for an early PlayStation game! Crash's model is not as detailed as future games, but I think it looks fine for a 1st game, and the environments that Crash goes through are really nice looking!
I remember when I was a kid, and when I saw this game for the 1st time, even though I already had much more modern games to play, I still liked looking at Crash 1, in spite of being older.
It was probably the sunsets.
The music is fine. I think they decided to go for an atmospheric sound for a lot of the stages, and it works in the moment, but not a whole lot of it I find catchy. But the main theme is classic!
In conclusion, while it gets hard quite early in the game, and going for 100% is not worth your time, Crash Bandicoot can be a pretty fun 3D Platformer!
Unlike Super Mario 64, Crash Bandicoot decides to opt for a more traditional approach when it comes to level design.
While Super Mario 64 was very open and sandbox-like in its level design, Crash Bandicoot is like the 2D Platformers of old, where you go from point A to B, while trying your best not to lose all your lives.
It may be simple, but Crash Bandicoot succeeds in providing fun level design... but it can get quite challenging, even early on in the game.
Some levels are long, others are challenging, and then there are some that are both. Crash Bandicoot will challenge you, and it will challenge you even more if you're trying to go for 100%!
Probably one of the most well known things about the Crash series is the fact that you can jump and spin boxes you find throughout the levels.
That's all well and good, especially because the act of breaking boxes, and hearing that ricochet sound while you're spinning them, is ultra satisfying, but you'll need to break all of them if you want to get that stage's gem, which all of them will be required to 100% the game, and get the best (?) ending.
The problem with this original game is that, it doesn't matter if you broke a checkpoint box or not, if you die once, you will not be able to get that stage's gem, which means you have to get every box without losing a life.
And with how hard these levels can get... yeah, fuck doing that.
I personally didn't 100% the game during my most recent run, simply because it just turns from something that can be fun but challenging, to something very frustrating. And that's not even accounting the colored gems that you'll get later on in the game, that you'll need to use in previous levels to get just those few missing boxes that you couldn't get to before.
I salute those who have 100% this game!
But when you're not going for 100%, even with its difficulty, I'd say Crash Bandicoot is a good game. Crash himself is a bit heavy on his jumps, but you'll get used to it, and overall, I just had a good time going through the levels and beating the bosses.
Speaking of the bosses... they're ok. They have their own obstacles to avoid, and most of them have a sort-of gimmick, like with Ripper Roo where you defeat him with Big TNT crates, or in Pinstripe Potoroo's fight where you hide behind some objects to avoid his gunfire.
They're fine, but nothing too special.
Outside of that, this game looks great for an early PlayStation game! Crash's model is not as detailed as future games, but I think it looks fine for a 1st game, and the environments that Crash goes through are really nice looking!
I remember when I was a kid, and when I saw this game for the 1st time, even though I already had much more modern games to play, I still liked looking at Crash 1, in spite of being older.
It was probably the sunsets.
The music is fine. I think they decided to go for an atmospheric sound for a lot of the stages, and it works in the moment, but not a whole lot of it I find catchy. But the main theme is classic!
In conclusion, while it gets hard quite early in the game, and going for 100% is not worth your time, Crash Bandicoot can be a pretty fun 3D Platformer!
Corny ass game istg
I’ve recently gained a platformer addiction over the past month, to be more specific, with PS1 platformers. I’ve played the Spyro & Crash remakes multiple times but I thought it might be worth playing through the originals, seeing how much they got right and what changes were made in the future re-releases. And beginning with the one that started it all, Crash Bandicoot is a fun time, but not a well polished one in terms of its collecting, difficulty & movement.
At its core, Crash is a very simple game. You go through the course, hit as many boxes as you can, finish the level, rinse & repeat until you get to the end. To mention the goods, I think the original has a lot more charm which you don’t really see in the remake; the limitations of the hardware works in its favour and environments have beautiful colours and vibrancy alongside a catchy soundtrack and crunchy sound effects (that live in my head rent free). I also enjoy how it tries to create some sort of journey between each level, rather than what the series became known for afterwards, the hub worlds, which feels more disjointed. I think the Jungle/Tech/Castle themes all fit really well and the designs of each of the characters are just as goofy as Crash!
Crash himself feels okay to control, though maybe having the option to play with joysticks on later controllers would’ve been a nice touch as sometimes on the harder courses the d-pad only movement makes it all the much worse. To coincide this, the lack of movement options does make him feel very rigid. Compared to 2 & 3, there's no slide kick, ground pound or unlockable powerups, just a simple walk, jump, hit & Aku-Aku for extra defence. This setup paired with some of the awkward depth perception issues results in stressful gameplay, especially if you’re trying to get all the boxes on say the bridge levels. I’d say the level design and environments themselves are great! But It’s that camera and movement that turns it into a nightmare for completionists.
Speaking of a nightmare, the difficulty spikes. The base game wasn’t too bad to get through, even with the problems with the perspective, but OH LORD trying to 100% this is an entirely new beast. So, not only do you have to hit all the boxes without dying (which is a big ask considering how long the harder levels are), but then some require a coloured gem to unlock secret paths which you get through specific bonus stages in levels. There's also extra levels you need to unlock by getting keys… and none of this is ever properly explained to you, you’re just meant to figure out where they are. It’s a fun challenge to add for replayability, but some levels can be downright grating to finish, and once you finally collect everything the secret ending doesn’t add much value, so it's not really worth it. I also found the boss stages to be easier than any of the platforming levels, even Cortex, so the balancing is really mismatched, you’ll never know when the next hardest challenge is.
This does start to show a general lack of polish throughout the game. It’s like how you can only save when you’ve completed a level for the first time or doing a bonus area in a level, but once you’ve used that bonus it doesn’t return so you have to find another to go to??... or how lives reset every time you boot the game back up… or how enemies can sometimes be hidden until the last second, ruining the principles of planning where you want to go (this was extremely noticeable in the ‘Fumbling In The Dark’ level). There's just a certain threshold it passes when it's more annoying than difficult.
I’d say that if you were to check out this game yourself, then probably just play the remake version as it does add more QoL improvements that make 100%ing the game much more enjoyable and the definitive way to play. The controls feel better, you can die in a stage and still get standard gems (just not coloured ones), you can save at any point & there's even a box counter so you can see how many you have left to get instead of having to guess and hope that you’ve gotten everything. There's also the addition of time relics too that weren't in the base game however, so take that how you will as me personally, im terrible at them.
I think the only things I’ve ended up preferring in the original is the style & music. Crash Bandicoot is still a good platformer, but it hasn’t aged as well as say Spyro. It shines best with its design, story & general silliness and less-so its controls and progression. Anyone CAN pick up and play it, but depending on how your experience goes with platformers you might just end up pulling your hair out trying to fully complete it if you don’t get along with it well.
At its core, Crash is a very simple game. You go through the course, hit as many boxes as you can, finish the level, rinse & repeat until you get to the end. To mention the goods, I think the original has a lot more charm which you don’t really see in the remake; the limitations of the hardware works in its favour and environments have beautiful colours and vibrancy alongside a catchy soundtrack and crunchy sound effects (that live in my head rent free). I also enjoy how it tries to create some sort of journey between each level, rather than what the series became known for afterwards, the hub worlds, which feels more disjointed. I think the Jungle/Tech/Castle themes all fit really well and the designs of each of the characters are just as goofy as Crash!
Crash himself feels okay to control, though maybe having the option to play with joysticks on later controllers would’ve been a nice touch as sometimes on the harder courses the d-pad only movement makes it all the much worse. To coincide this, the lack of movement options does make him feel very rigid. Compared to 2 & 3, there's no slide kick, ground pound or unlockable powerups, just a simple walk, jump, hit & Aku-Aku for extra defence. This setup paired with some of the awkward depth perception issues results in stressful gameplay, especially if you’re trying to get all the boxes on say the bridge levels. I’d say the level design and environments themselves are great! But It’s that camera and movement that turns it into a nightmare for completionists.
Speaking of a nightmare, the difficulty spikes. The base game wasn’t too bad to get through, even with the problems with the perspective, but OH LORD trying to 100% this is an entirely new beast. So, not only do you have to hit all the boxes without dying (which is a big ask considering how long the harder levels are), but then some require a coloured gem to unlock secret paths which you get through specific bonus stages in levels. There's also extra levels you need to unlock by getting keys… and none of this is ever properly explained to you, you’re just meant to figure out where they are. It’s a fun challenge to add for replayability, but some levels can be downright grating to finish, and once you finally collect everything the secret ending doesn’t add much value, so it's not really worth it. I also found the boss stages to be easier than any of the platforming levels, even Cortex, so the balancing is really mismatched, you’ll never know when the next hardest challenge is.
This does start to show a general lack of polish throughout the game. It’s like how you can only save when you’ve completed a level for the first time or doing a bonus area in a level, but once you’ve used that bonus it doesn’t return so you have to find another to go to??... or how lives reset every time you boot the game back up… or how enemies can sometimes be hidden until the last second, ruining the principles of planning where you want to go (this was extremely noticeable in the ‘Fumbling In The Dark’ level). There's just a certain threshold it passes when it's more annoying than difficult.
I’d say that if you were to check out this game yourself, then probably just play the remake version as it does add more QoL improvements that make 100%ing the game much more enjoyable and the definitive way to play. The controls feel better, you can die in a stage and still get standard gems (just not coloured ones), you can save at any point & there's even a box counter so you can see how many you have left to get instead of having to guess and hope that you’ve gotten everything. There's also the addition of time relics too that weren't in the base game however, so take that how you will as me personally, im terrible at them.
I think the only things I’ve ended up preferring in the original is the style & music. Crash Bandicoot is still a good platformer, but it hasn’t aged as well as say Spyro. It shines best with its design, story & general silliness and less-so its controls and progression. Anyone CAN pick up and play it, but depending on how your experience goes with platformers you might just end up pulling your hair out trying to fully complete it if you don’t get along with it well.
The difficulty spikes in this are pretty wild. The game is, for the most part, accessible and a lot of fun, though a bit stiff due to being designed for digital directional input. The inability to save whenever you'd like is archaic and artificially inflates the difficulty level by making you repeat multiple levels if you get a game over right before a level that lets you save.
While Crash is still zany 90s fun, I can't recommend the first game over its sequels to anyone unless you're determined to play every Crash game.
While Crash is still zany 90s fun, I can't recommend the first game over its sequels to anyone unless you're determined to play every Crash game.
At the risk of using the game journalist's fallback comparison, I just want to say that Crash Bandicoot is really, really hard. This is a do-or-die 3D platformer if I've ever played one. Each individual jump expects commitment. It wants you to be ready to go to college, get married, and raise a family every time you hit that X button. Crash Bandicoot can sense hesitation, and will not hesitate to off himself if he thinks you're not giving it your all. Couple this with fairly repetitive level designs and concepts, and I think this game is just tailor-made to hate you.
I'd accept Crash Bandicoot as a hard game if not for the stupid save system. First you find three severed heads hidden in boxes throughout a stage, then you skim past a bonus stage (that you can fail), and THEN the game blesses you with the opportunity to save your game. Worse yet, the game doesn't remember how many lives you had when you reset it. Slapping a fistful of lives at the beginning of each level doesn't really excuse this fact. Crash is a game where you can lose lives just as fast as you can earn them. Actually, you're probably gonna lose 'em faster if you're like me, someone unfamiliar with Crash's game.
Honestly, I only played this game as a rite of passage for the PS1 kick that I'm currently on. Gotta respect your elders, and boy oh boy, that bandicoot sure has aged. Crushed my ballsicoots.
I'd accept Crash Bandicoot as a hard game if not for the stupid save system. First you find three severed heads hidden in boxes throughout a stage, then you skim past a bonus stage (that you can fail), and THEN the game blesses you with the opportunity to save your game. Worse yet, the game doesn't remember how many lives you had when you reset it. Slapping a fistful of lives at the beginning of each level doesn't really excuse this fact. Crash is a game where you can lose lives just as fast as you can earn them. Actually, you're probably gonna lose 'em faster if you're like me, someone unfamiliar with Crash's game.
Honestly, I only played this game as a rite of passage for the PS1 kick that I'm currently on. Gotta respect your elders, and boy oh boy, that bandicoot sure has aged. Crushed my ballsicoots.
i was wrong the game is actually pretty fun
Unapologetically commits more or less every sin of bad platformer design. It just plain feels bad to play! And given how floaty and imprecise the controls are, it demands way too much from you.
It's colorful and good-natured, but they probably should have paid a little more attention to the big Nintendo platformers they were cribbing from and focused on making the game more playable.
It's colorful and good-natured, but they probably should have paid a little more attention to the big Nintendo platformers they were cribbing from and focused on making the game more playable.
A delightful platformer with wonderful progression, music, and atmosphere. Tough but fair challenges make you want to keep coming back. The height Sony platformers and Naughty Dog as a whole, if they had kept this quality up with sequels they could have beaten Sonic.
The one (admittedly big) downside here is the save system which makes no sense. That and the racism, but it's Naughty Dog so you know to expect a little bit of that going in.
The one (admittedly big) downside here is the save system which makes no sense. That and the racism, but it's Naughty Dog so you know to expect a little bit of that going in.
She let Crash hit cuz he goofy. You know, I think Crash was probably the first to do "Run Away From Big Boulder" type of level gimmick (or maybe Sonic did, idk) but it also doesnt feel like that really caught on big either.
A decent start to the franchise, but one that hasn't aged all that well. The level design is good for the most part and i dig the more atmospheric approach compared to the next games and the controls are good as usual, but some of its other questionable design choices make it just an above average game to me.
i can forgive crash1's difficulty but the person who designed the save system like that clearly hated people.
Lembro de jogar o primeiro Crash bastante no celular via emulador, e no PC também, e agora no PS1. O jogo é muito foda, de longe um dos mais divertidos do PS1, sem contar que foi o que me introduziu ao mundo dos jogos, à mim e ao meu irmão também. A OST é muito boa, com várias músicas marcantes e muito animadas, divertidas de se escutar, além das músicas dos chefes serem ótimas. Os chefes em específico são bem memoráveis também, Ripper-Roo, Papu Papu, Koala Kong, Pinstripe Potoro, todos muito fodas, uma pena que não foram tão bem aprovietados ao decorrer dos anos, aparecendo em jogos que ou não tiveram muita relevância, ou aparecendo como cameo mesmo, simplesmente por aparecer, sem interagir muito ou até nada com os outros. O primeiro Crash tem umas fases muito irritantes, acho que o melhor exemplo é a fase onde tá tudo escuro e você tem que pegar uma máscara do Aku-Aku branca pra iluminar as coisas, porém ela vai apagando com o tempo, então você precisa rushar o máximo que pode pra ou chegar em um checkpoint ou conseguir pegar uma máscara, pra assim a luminosidade dela voltar. É uma fase criativa mas que consegue virar um sofrimento bem fácil. Ah, não dá pra deixar de lado o final secreto, que só é possível conseguir fazendo um puta rolezão do caralho, pegando todas gemas que tão em lugares escondidos e... em geral. rolê. De longe a fase mais foda é a fase do Javali, pprt tem como não, a mais divertida do jogo todo. Amo muito o primeiro Crash, jogo extremamente marcante e o melhor começo possível pra uma franquia sensacional.
The unofficial first mascot to the PlayStation made its dayview in a somehow functional at the time 3D platformer that works thanks to a well calculated optimization plan. The game itself has a lot of depth perception problems and antiquated decisions showcasing the hardware's limitations but it was still fun to beat and jamming to listen to.
Crash Bandicoot is a pretty good platformer, especially for it's time. In comparison to SM64, which takes a different approach where you have a freedom of control and sometimes even room for error, Crash is a lot more linear and precise, and it what makes it really enjoyable.
Most of the levels require some patience, where you need to take your time and get through stages in an exact fashion. In the beginning, you will mess up way too often, missing maybe a inch on one jump or a second before a plant eats you. It's a bit frustrating yes, but as you go across the levels you'll get better at it, and your skills will naturally improve. There is some gimmick levels sprinkled into the game (boulders and riding a hog) but they don't overstay their welcome. Even with these repetitions, each stage has a slight twist to it, or is amped up in its difficulty. Every way you can platform is introduced in a supposedly easy way, but testing it is where the true fun lines. For instance there are various "bridge" levels where you need to jump across the walkways on a bridge. The first level is fine at first, with a few platforms falling if you land on them. Then ice platforms and hogs start appearing, the hog in particular forcing you to start moving if he's nearby. In the next two levels, you need to use the back of turtles to make it precisely across the level, and need to also recognise when some falling platforms aren't the best to land on, along with the previous conditions. Once you finish the game and start collecting the gems for the true ending (which you need 100% for), the first few levels you struggled with will be a breeze, and it makes the gameplay satisfying. Replaying the third level, an introduction to the 2D-inclined stages, which took me 15 minutes to beat before, now takes maybe 3 minutes since I rarely get hit and the Aku-Aku (tokens that give you one more hit resistance) are given generously. If you understand the mechanics, you can beat that level being practically invincible the whole time. Essentially, Crash Bandicoot rewards patience and learning the mechanics to really master the game, and it is not that difficult if you go along with that.
The story is pretty bare-bones, but the variations in the environment hold up well, even at it's internal resolution. First you start off in the jungle, then you venture into ancient ruins, temples, bridges in the sky, abandoned castles, and industrial areas. The audio is nice also, with good ambient and some catchy tunes every few levels or so. The jungle levels have alot of fauna making noise, and some chirping. The industrial areas have music that is a bit more stark or robotic, while the boss fights have tunes that compliment their respective boss. It's less of the focus compared to the visuals, but it does add to them in a sometimes subtle, other times exaggerated way. The boss fights themselves are easy if you get the patterns, but their art direction and Looney Tunes-inspired look add some enjoyment to them even if they are a bit predictable.
However, the game does suffer from some QoL issues. Every time you die, the boxes you smashed in that level are reset, meaning you have to go back and collect the previous ones before your checkpoint, which may be impossible depending on the obstacles. Saving can only be done after a bonus round, or getting a gem, and sometimes only beating a boss. But a password system is in place if you want to avoid this. Also, the camera is not that great in some levels (mainly the ones in temple ruins) where it's difficult to know if you can make a jump or not. Hitboxes may also be a bit of an issue depending on the timing you make with your jump or spin. Also, Crash has some subtle ways of moving that is a hard to understand at first, like the spin attack making him slightly move or cancel the height on his jump. In those cases, you depend on his shadow to know where you will really land. But, the game does have generous Coyote time, so even if you do mess up, if your wits are good enough you can avoid it. Also, it doesn't really make the controls bad, in fact it is the opposite. Crash moves exactly how you make him, and that is due to the fact that the game does not support analog (at leas the original release doesn't).
The best way to remedy the biggest culprit (box reseting) is to emulate it IMO. Keeping a save state at each checkpoint and start of bonus round is good enough to retain an authentic experience without having to deal with unnecessary hassles like box reseting. If your a purist however, it can definitely turn you off from really beating the game, and the same can be true if you're coming back from Crash 2 or Crash 3. If you're not, i'd still recommend playing the original game, as the physics were changed in N. Sane trilogy and the colors and artstyle were a bit toned down, and the audio sounds a bit tinny comapred to the original. It's not hard to find either, depending on if you want to play the PSN Version, PS1 Disc, or emulate it (which is easy to run even on extreme budget hardware)
In general, Crash Bandicoot is a stellar platformer, but some minor inconvenience, and the occasional boss fight may prove to be an annoyance they do not sell the game short of being a fun time. Naughty Dog easily achieved their point of making a characteristic, approachable platformer that is tricky to master.
Most of the levels require some patience, where you need to take your time and get through stages in an exact fashion. In the beginning, you will mess up way too often, missing maybe a inch on one jump or a second before a plant eats you. It's a bit frustrating yes, but as you go across the levels you'll get better at it, and your skills will naturally improve. There is some gimmick levels sprinkled into the game (boulders and riding a hog) but they don't overstay their welcome. Even with these repetitions, each stage has a slight twist to it, or is amped up in its difficulty. Every way you can platform is introduced in a supposedly easy way, but testing it is where the true fun lines. For instance there are various "bridge" levels where you need to jump across the walkways on a bridge. The first level is fine at first, with a few platforms falling if you land on them. Then ice platforms and hogs start appearing, the hog in particular forcing you to start moving if he's nearby. In the next two levels, you need to use the back of turtles to make it precisely across the level, and need to also recognise when some falling platforms aren't the best to land on, along with the previous conditions. Once you finish the game and start collecting the gems for the true ending (which you need 100% for), the first few levels you struggled with will be a breeze, and it makes the gameplay satisfying. Replaying the third level, an introduction to the 2D-inclined stages, which took me 15 minutes to beat before, now takes maybe 3 minutes since I rarely get hit and the Aku-Aku (tokens that give you one more hit resistance) are given generously. If you understand the mechanics, you can beat that level being practically invincible the whole time. Essentially, Crash Bandicoot rewards patience and learning the mechanics to really master the game, and it is not that difficult if you go along with that.
The story is pretty bare-bones, but the variations in the environment hold up well, even at it's internal resolution. First you start off in the jungle, then you venture into ancient ruins, temples, bridges in the sky, abandoned castles, and industrial areas. The audio is nice also, with good ambient and some catchy tunes every few levels or so. The jungle levels have alot of fauna making noise, and some chirping. The industrial areas have music that is a bit more stark or robotic, while the boss fights have tunes that compliment their respective boss. It's less of the focus compared to the visuals, but it does add to them in a sometimes subtle, other times exaggerated way. The boss fights themselves are easy if you get the patterns, but their art direction and Looney Tunes-inspired look add some enjoyment to them even if they are a bit predictable.
However, the game does suffer from some QoL issues. Every time you die, the boxes you smashed in that level are reset, meaning you have to go back and collect the previous ones before your checkpoint, which may be impossible depending on the obstacles. Saving can only be done after a bonus round, or getting a gem, and sometimes only beating a boss. But a password system is in place if you want to avoid this. Also, the camera is not that great in some levels (mainly the ones in temple ruins) where it's difficult to know if you can make a jump or not. Hitboxes may also be a bit of an issue depending on the timing you make with your jump or spin. Also, Crash has some subtle ways of moving that is a hard to understand at first, like the spin attack making him slightly move or cancel the height on his jump. In those cases, you depend on his shadow to know where you will really land. But, the game does have generous Coyote time, so even if you do mess up, if your wits are good enough you can avoid it. Also, it doesn't really make the controls bad, in fact it is the opposite. Crash moves exactly how you make him, and that is due to the fact that the game does not support analog (at leas the original release doesn't).
The best way to remedy the biggest culprit (box reseting) is to emulate it IMO. Keeping a save state at each checkpoint and start of bonus round is good enough to retain an authentic experience without having to deal with unnecessary hassles like box reseting. If your a purist however, it can definitely turn you off from really beating the game, and the same can be true if you're coming back from Crash 2 or Crash 3. If you're not, i'd still recommend playing the original game, as the physics were changed in N. Sane trilogy and the colors and artstyle were a bit toned down, and the audio sounds a bit tinny comapred to the original. It's not hard to find either, depending on if you want to play the PSN Version, PS1 Disc, or emulate it (which is easy to run even on extreme budget hardware)
In general, Crash Bandicoot is a stellar platformer, but some minor inconvenience, and the occasional boss fight may prove to be an annoyance they do not sell the game short of being a fun time. Naughty Dog easily achieved their point of making a characteristic, approachable platformer that is tricky to master.