Ask any longtime PlayStation gamer who the mascot for Sony's gaming brand should be and one character is certain to rise above the rest: Crash Bandicoot.
The orange, manic, anthropomorphic bandicoot has starred in more than 18 games, but it was the original trilogy developed by Naughty Dog on the first PlayStation that captured the hearts of gamers everywhere. It's high time he made his return.
What Is It?
Though the series has spawned numerous spin-offs across multiple genres, the original trilogy of Crash Bandicoot games focus on good ol' fashioned platforming. Players play as Crash, a mutated bandicoot created by the evil Dr. Neo Cortex and Nitrus Brio, as he attempts to rescue his girlfriend (also a mutated bandicoot) and prevent Brio and Cortex's plans for world domination.
Played from a behind-the-character perspective, players must leap across chasms, avoid obstacles, collect power-ups and flee from runaway boulders. Later games would add more varied gameplay segments featuring vehicles, new abilities and better visuals. By the time Crash Bandicoot Warped released in 1998, Crash was the unofficial mascot of PlayStation.
What Makes It Great?
Crash Bandicoot has a lot going for it. There is a reason, after all, that the game went on to become one of the best-selling PS1 games of all time and spawned so many spin-offs. It featured a unique visual style, rock solid platforming gameplay and a catchy soundtrack.
There wasn't too much that was unique about it, as it almost carbon-copied Mario's signature brand of platforming. Players had to leap on top of enemies, gather collectibles that earned extra lives and bust open crates to acquire power-ups, like the Witch Doctor's Mask.
But what truly set it apart was the game's behind-the-character perspective. Gamers were used to playing a platformer from a 2D side-scrolling perspective, and Super Mario 64 showed gamers what platforming in a true 3D environment could be like. Crash Bandicoot was unique in that it took the action of a 2D sidescrolling platformer and spun it behind the player character. While the graphics were 3D, the gameplay was 2D, with the game even featuring a few traditional side-scrolling levels.
Add on top of that Crash as a character and you have a game that is loved by gamers of all ages. Crash is a goofy yet lovable character that is hard not to like. While later games would go on to portray Crash as kind of an idiot, the character's good-hearted nature and light-hearted tone served the series well.
Why Does It Need A Reboot?
You don't see many platformers in today's game market, especially not AAA platformers. Even developer Naughty Dog left the platformer world behind. The team went on to create another platformer series on the PlayStation 2 called Jak and Daxter after leaving Crash behind, but it quickly became apparent that platformers weren't as popular as they used to be. For Jak 2 (a.k.a. Jak and Daxter 2), Naughty Dog took a series that started as a family friendly platformer and morphed it into an action title starring a gun wield, goatee sporting anti-hero.
It's for that exact reason Crash Bandicoot is due for a comeback. Crash's quirky personality and upbeat tone, partnered with stellar platforming, would serve to fill in an important gap in the current gaming landscape. Great platformers outside of Nintendo's Mario series are difficult to find, and there aren't that many platformers in 2015 to begin with.
While he isn't quite as famous as Mario, Crash Bandicoot is by far one of the most recognizable characters in gaming, which is why it's a little strange that there hasn't been a new Crash title since the mobile only Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 in 2010. Activision currently owns the rights to the franchise, though Sony has repeatedly expressed interest in reacquiring the character that helped put their first console on the map.
Both parties have to know how popular a new Crash game could be. Better yet, there are a number of forms a new Crash game could take. It could be a throwback to the original trilogy and feature behind-the-character platforming, or it could fully embrace 3D and have Crash exploring open environments like most modern day platformers. Whether it comes from Activision or Sony is beside the point. All that matters is somebody needs to make a new Crash Bandicoot game worthy of the name.
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