Crash Bandicoot - PlayStation

true Game: Crash Bandicoot Platform: PS1 Year Released: 1996 <img src="http://www.gamervision.com/contributed/1209662244UoFhHfSI3K.jpg"> Ever since the announcement of yet another upcoming installment in the Crash Bandicoot franchise was made earlier this week, I’ve been itching to go back and play the original. Crash got his start on the first PlayStation as Sony’s unofficial answer to Super Mario 64, and as much as Sony tried to deny it, the similarities are too obvious to ignore. However, Crash managed to stand on his own and quickly became the face of the system, just as Sonic was to Sega and Mario has been for every Nintendo system ever made. The game was developed by Naughty Dog, who more recently made the excellent PS3 game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Crash Bandicoot is a 3-D platformer, and came out at a time when 3-D games were becoming more and more common. As the title creature, the player must rescue his girlfriend from an evil mad scientist who is trying to take over the world. However, like in most platformers, the story is secondary to level design and overall gameplay. Though the levels in Crash Bandicoot were more linear than in competitor Super Mario 64, the level design in the game is excellent and makes it feel unique. <img src="http://www.gamervision.com/contributed/1209662233nvaMaxESWk.jpg"> Most of the levels are straightforward 3-D environments with relatively linear paths. Crash has two moves at his disposal: jump and spin. These can be used to crack open boxes and get fruit, extra lives, and other items, as well as annihilating the enemies that inhabit each level. Again, the similarities to the “other” reigning platformer of that generation are too obvious to ignore, what with the stomping on turtle creatures and getting 100 pieces of fruit to obtain an extra life. However, it feels more like a homage to the Mario series than a rip-off. To add more variety to the game, some of the levels mix it up by changing the gameplay. In some environments, it’s a small change, such as switching from 3-D to 2-D. Other levels have the player riding a wild hog or running from a boulder Indiana Jones-style. Even the boss fights require a different approach each time, keeping the game from ever feeling too repetitive. <img src="http://www.gamervision.com/contributed/120966225458iCtoaYwZ.jpg"> What’s really great about Crash Bandicoot is the bonus items and levels you can unlock, which extend the overall replay value of a game. Levels can be revisited even after they are completed, and breaking every box in a level without dying rewards the player with gems that lead to secret areas. There is just so much to explore that even when you’ve completed every area the normal way, there’s still more to do. Crash Bandicoot was one of the first titles that really showed the graphical prowess of the PS1. Even by today’s standards, the game doesn’t look terrible. The environments look great for the time, and the animations are totally smooth. The controls, however, felt a little less precise than I remember them being. I found it easy to slip off cliffs and get hit by enemies, even in the earlier levels. Perhaps it’s just that I’m out of practice, as it has been years since I last played this game. The controls are definitely not enough of an issue to deter anyone from saying “just one more level!” for another hour. <img src="http://www.gamervision.com/contributed/1209662266lKgJwVOgdQ.jpg"> There are probably few people who owned a PS1 who did not already play this game, but if you haven’t, I highly, highly recommend it. While it doesn’t do much to shake up the classic 3-D platformer formula, it also didn’t fix what wasn’t broken. The good news for PS3 owners is that you can download this gem from the PlayStation Store, as well as the third entry in the series, Crash Bandicoot: Warped!, which is even better. It’s a shame that once Naughty Dog stopped developing the series, it lost most of its original charm and fun factor. Maybe someday, the Crash franchise will fall into the hands of a developer that will restore the bandicoot to his former glory.   <a href="http://www.gamerankings.com"><img src="/contributed/12049090913D6uenyIJz.jpg" width="111" height="42"></a><a href="http://www.metacritic.com/games"><img src="/contributed/1204909164Gepk74pXtB.jpg" width="154" height="51"></a>   Related Articles: <a href="/gamer/sarah/reviews/article/throwback_thursday_tron/">Throwback Thursday: Tron</a> <a href="/gamer/sarah/reviews/article/throwback_thursday_double_dare/">Throwback Thursday: Double Dare</a> <a href="/gamer/sarah/reviews/article/m_c_kids_throwback_thursday_/">Throwback Thursday: M.C. Kids</a> review

2008-05-01T13:22:14-04:00

Game: Crash Bandicoot Platform: PS1 Year Released: 1996 <img src="http://www.gamervision.com/contributed/1209662244UoFhHfSI3K.jpg" /> Ever since the announcement of yet another upcoming installment in the Crash Bandicoot franchise was made earlier this week, I’ve been itching to go back and play the original. Crash got his start on the first PlayStation as Sony’s unofficial answer to Super Mario 64, and as much as Sony tried to deny it, the similarities are too obvious to ignore. However, Crash managed to stand on his own and quickly became the face of the system, just as Sonic was to Sega and Mario has been for every Nintendo system ever made. The game was developed by Naughty Dog, who more recently made the excellent PS3 game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Crash Bandicoot is a 3-D platformer, and came out at a time when 3-D games were becoming more and more common. As the title creature, the player must rescue his girlfriend from an evil mad scientist who is trying to take over the world. However, like in most platformers, the story is secondary to level design and overall gameplay. Though the levels in Crash Bandicoot were more linear than in competitor Super Mario 64, the level design in the game is excellent and makes it feel unique. <img src="http://www.gamervision.com/contributed/1209662233nvaMaxESWk.jpg" /> Most of the levels are straightforward 3-D environments with relatively linear paths. Crash has two moves at his disposal: jump and spin. These can be used to crack open boxes and get fruit, extra lives, and other items, as well as annihilating the enemies that inhabit each level. Again, the similarities to the “other” reigning platformer of that generation are too obvious to ignore, what with the stomping on turtle creatures and getting 100 pieces of fruit to obtain an extra life. However, it feels more like a homage to the Mario series than a rip-off. To add more variety to the game, some of the levels mix it up by changing the gameplay. In some environments, it’s a small change, such as switching from 3-D to 2-D. Other levels have the player riding a wild hog or running from a boulder Indiana Jones-style. Even the boss fights require a different approach each time, keeping the game from ever feeling too repetitive. <img src="http://www.gamervision.com/contributed/120966225458iCtoaYwZ.jpg" /> What’s really great about Crash Bandicoot is the bonus items and levels you can unlock, which extend the overall replay value of a game. Levels can be revisited even after they are completed, and breaking every box in a level without dying rewards the player with gems that lead to secret areas. There is just so much to explore that even when you’ve completed every area the normal way, there’s still more to do. Crash Bandicoot was one of the first titles that really showed the graphical prowess of the PS1. Even by today’s standards, the game doesn’t look terrible. The environments look great for the time, and the animations are totally smooth. The controls, however, felt a little less precise than I remember them being. I found it easy to slip off cliffs and get hit by enemies, even in the earlier levels. Perhaps it’s just that I’m out of practice, as it has been years since I last played this game. The controls are definitely not enough of an issue to deter anyone from saying “just one more level!” for another hour. <img src="http://www.gamervision.com/contributed/1209662266lKgJwVOgdQ.jpg" /> There are probably few people who owned a PS1 who did not already play this game, but if you haven’t, I highly, highly recommend it. While it doesn’t do much to shake up the classic 3-D platformer formula, it also didn’t fix what wasn’t broken. The good news for PS3 owners is that you can download this gem from the PlayStation Store, as well as the third entry in the series, Crash Bandicoot: Warped!, which is even better. It’s a shame that once Naughty Dog stopped developing the series, it lost most of its original charm and fun factor. Maybe someday, the Crash franchise will fall into the hands of a developer that will restore the bandicoot to his former glory.   <a href="http://www.gamerankings.com"><img src="/contributed/12049090913D6uenyIJz.jpg" width="111" height="42" /></a><a href="http://www.metacritic.com/games"><img src="/contributed/1204909164Gepk74pXtB.jpg" width="154" height="51" /></a>   Related Articles: <a href="/gamer/sarah/reviews/article/throwback_thursday_tron/">Throwback Thursday: Tron</a> <a href="/gamer/sarah/reviews/article/throwback_thursday_double_dare/">Throwback Thursday: Double Dare</a> <a href="/gamer/sarah/reviews/article/m_c_kids_throwback_thursday_/">Throwback Thursday: M.C. Kids</a>

5740

3364

2009-11-27T08:45:02-05:00

2008-05-01T13:22:14-04:00

6284

8.0

crash_bandicoot_ps1_throwback_thursday_ published It's Like Mario, Only for PlayStation! Crash Bandicoot - PlayStation

2009-11-27T08:45:02-05:00

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