(written on 12/3/23) By Depths
^ me!
So! Crash Bandicoot! Releasing on September 9th 1996 (20 days before mario 64 would release in the US)
and developed by NaughtyDog (most well known for the Crash, Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, and The Last of Us, series)
^ scary boulder..
This is a pretty early 3D game and it shows!, while the controls are very good, this being one of the few cases of a 3D platformer controlling well on the PS1's Dpad.
It also feels like a prototype in a lot of ways. with the game being under 4 hours long, and with every level theme being repeated multiple times throughout.
It just doesnt really go anywhere, the games pretty one note in terms of how it plays and I *wish* the game had more of a difficulty curve.
Also worth noting is this game was originally going to have another level right before the Final Boss. While still in the game (and fully finished),
its only accessible with a gameshark code.
Anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself, let me explain some this games mechanics.
^ overworld!
Yeah! 3D Action Platformer! you have a decently heavy jump, and a spin attack!
the spin attack will carry your momentum if you have any. And thats your movement! pretty simple!
so, the save system lol, its got a weird system!, you'll need to find 3 loosely hidden items,
once you do that you'll be sent to a bonus room featuring some pretty simple jumps, and if you beat that, then you'll be able to save.
Honestly this system really scared me going into this game, and I can see this system really fucking over less experienced players.
For example, going into the final part of the game I had 35ish lives, and all I had to do was beat 2? 3? levels and the final boss, it was really easy lol.
But if I was worse at the game, and ended up having to do those final levels with only 1 life, this game would of been really hard!!!.
But as it stands, I didnt get a single game over while playing lol, so I never ended up using the save system.
^ the jumps in these bridge levels are so fucking scary lmao
Level Design!!!!!!!!!!.
Its good! it keeps you on your toes!, its weirdly 2D though? theres a lot of levels in this game that are just standard 2D sidescrollers, and there fun! but weird!
theres also a few levels that are forward scrollers? its hard to tell how far away things are in these forward scroller parts?
possible! but you def gotta get used to it.
^ jump in the acid bubble crash! do it!
Boss fights!
They exist! there on the easy side, but also a bit obtuse? like for example theres a boss fight where you have to jump into acid to hurt the boss? ok? it works I guess?
but yeah there fine.
^ final boss
Overall
While a great 3D Platformer for the time, in retrospect, the gamessss fine, 6.5/10, controls well! but pretty 1 note, and too easy for me personally.
(psst) oh yeah can we talk about how this games theme & controls & general *vibes* are just donkey kong country lmao.
(psst psst) this game while on the shorter end you do get rewarded for breaking every box in each level, so there is replayablity!,
I didn't care enough to 100% this game! but it does exist!