Gaming's Defining Moments: Crash Bandicoot

If I told you back in the summer of 1996 that by Christmas, the Eastern Barred Bandicoot would be the species headlining one of gaming's greatest series, you probably would've asked; what's an Eastern Barred Bandicoot? To be honest, you probably still ask that question today, but if I said the name, Crash Bandicoot, a whole ocean of memories come flooding back, from the day the wacky, furry mutant first popped up on PlayStation screens around the world.

Crash Bandicoot has become a household name since then, spawning plenty of sequels, and creating a fanbase as loyal as Crash is eccentric. Recently, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time crawled out of the woodworks, bringing the 24-year old series to the modern day, and with it an opportunity for a new generation of Crash fans to form.

Crash Bandicoot's storyline is a little wild, and quite frankly somewhat confusing to fathom. You see, Crash wasn't born looking the way he does, he was actually one of Dr. Neo Cortex's many animal test subjects, a series of mutants created by the Evolvo-Ray, designed to form an army of animal soldiers - with Crash as the leader. The problem was, Cortex didn't take every precaution into his scientific equations, as his brilliantly named Cortex Vortex rejected Crash, allowing him to escape. After his failure, Cortex lined up a second bandicoot to take Crash's place, a female equivalent, and friend of Crash's known today as Tawna. With a bond of affection between the two bandicoots, Crash takes it upon himself to rescue Tawna, thus beginning the madness, and creating a timeless series in the process.

The original Crash Bandicoot was so special, not only because it was one of the first 3D experiences, but also because of its fantastic design in general. Coming off the back of the 16-bit era, Crash Bandicoot moved away from the retro style of games that had become the norm, and instead created an experience that made the title feel completely unique. Take the soundtrack for example; instead of giving the impression of an 80s penny arcade, Crash Bandicoot instilled a tribal theme, fit with drums, acoustic strings and dinky xylophone notes that reflected the title's tropical setting and visuals.

Built as a platformer, Crash Bandicoot asked players to traverse a series of brilliantly sculpted levels across N. Sanity Island, destroying crates and collecting Wumpa Fruits along the way. It's ingenious level design was vastly different to most titles on the market, however it was a simple one that also managed to turn the most basic of tasks into a challenging and often frustrating objective. Considering you only had a limited number of lives (marked by the tribal Aku Aku masks) to play around with, levels quickly became arduous.

Looking at the present day, this is the sort of gameplay instantly thought of when picturing a Crash Bandicoot game. You expect to be tested, to be put through an emotional ringer that is the result of jumping over basic gaps and avoiding nefariously placed Nitro crates. The thing is, when Crash was being conceived, this style of gameplay was never the primary goal. Competing with a certain blue hedgehog who had a stranglehold on the industry was actually the plan.

Conceptually titled as the 'Sonic's Ass Game', Crash Bandicoot came to fruition after creators Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin (founders of Naughty Dog) spent a while speculating what a title like Sonic the Hedgehog would play like from behind the character, in a 3D world. They pictured plenty of issues with the idea: How would the camera place? How would a player's depth perception react? Would the player experience dizziness? But after a meeting with the Universal Vice-President at the time, Mark Cerny, who now holds the position of Lead System Architect of the PS4 at Sony PlayStation, Gavin and Rubin were given the encouragement to create Crash Bandicoot. A green light that saw them sign an exclusivity deal with Sony, quite unusual for the time. You can read further into this on Andy Gavin's personal blog here.

This contract and round of funding was the beginning of the trickery now expected from Crash. You can go about your business completing the storyline, but there's always more underneath the surface to explore - take the secret levels for example. For an added challenge, you can scour levels for Neo-Cortex pick-ups, which unlock bonus levels to complete. Making it to the end of the bonus level provides you with a key that permanently unlocks the level on the world map.

The first secret level you can access requires collecting masks across Island 2's Sunset Vista level. Picking up each mask, scattered throughout the level opens the Whole Hog level, which asks Crash to ride a particularly wiley boar through countless hazards. The second secret level is unlocked by finding Neo-Cortex collectibles in Island 3's Jaws of Darkness level. Should you find them all, you will be able to have a crack at the Fumbling in the Dark bonus level that tasks Crash with moving through a poorly lit room, with only the light of the Aku Aku mask guiding the way. Needless to say, there are more than a few traps between you and the level's end.

You might be like myself; a little too young to have witnessed the brilliance of Crash Bandicoot first hand on PS1. But, with the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy's release a few years ago, you can experience what made the title so damn great all over again, this time with stunning modern graphics. Since the remake is faithful, all the secrets and hidden treats of the original are available for your playing pleasure, however, if you think they will be easy to complete, you might want to prepare yourself for a slightly different experience.

Over the last few years, Crash has been making a resurgence, and whilst I'm sure fans are delighted, I can't help but feel like his legacy of being one of the platforming old guards is disappearing to the wayside. As time moves on, it's easy to forget that the loveable Bandicoot is nearly 25 years old and while his new found rebirth in the N. Sane Trilogy and It's About Time should be celebrated, let's not forget to give the old boy a round of applause for surviving the test of time, setting up a timeless franchise in the process, as truthfully, that's an achievement few others can rival.