Gaming history is littered with retired platform game mascots, including Bubsy, Croc, Earthworm Jim, Klonoa, Sparkster, Wonder Boy, Zool, and more recently, Sackboy. The only ones who have truly stood the test of time and remained relevant across the decades are Mario and Sonic, and today, they're perhaps bigger than ever before.
There are, however, a few more successful characters who haven't quite made it all the way, but who nonetheless remain reasonably well-known and have games that sell decent numbers. A prime example of this is Crash Bandicoot, Sony's first serious attempt to rival Mario and Sonic. Today, there are certainly those who hope for more games, but interest from Activision Blizzard (now owned by Microsoft) has been non-existent.
One person who is clearly frustrated by this and believes the character deserves a better fate is Charles Zembillas, who helped create both Crash and his friends (as well as his enemies). In an interview with Time Extension, he vents his palpable frustration over how the plumber and the hedgehog have become two of Hollywood's most iconic movie stars, while Crash, at best, gets the occasional re-release of an old game:
"It's got to be one of the most poorly managed properties. Even now, I'm thinking, 'Where's the movie? Where's the TV series?' You guys have a winner here, and you're doing nothing with it."
Zembillas knows a thing or two about the subject and has, among other things, helped create animated classics like She-Ra: Princess of Power, Ghostbusters, and Sonic the Hedgehog. But even though he clearly thinks it's a shame that Crash isn't getting a chance, he believes it's only a matter of time before it's the bandicoot's turn to make it big in Hollywood:
"It's inevitable that Crash will be in a series or feature film. It just takes the guys who make these decisions to commit to it. Crash is in the fabric of society. It has a large fan base. It's a fantastic property. Crash is fun. A series or film would introduce the characters to a new generation. It would be a hit just because of the fan base."
What do you think about this? Would a movie or TV series featuring Crash Bandicoot have enough potential to become truly popular, and is it overall a neglected brand that deserves better, or is it simply a matter of acknowledging that Crash, in the end, doesn't quite have the charisma that Mario and Sonic possess in such abundance?