History WhatCouldHaveBeen / CrashBandicoot

* Early designs of Crash originally had a tail, but it was removed because the UsefulNotes/PlayStation's limited resolution would have caused pixel flickering.

* ''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen/CrashBandicoot4ItsAboutTime Its About Time]]''

* In 2020, Activision was working on a Crash Bandicoot animated series with Amazon Studios, but according to the Crash Reddit page, the show was cancelled in 2021 due to creative differences between the two companies. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orXw6JpEK1Q Also discovered were two animation tests]] and [[https://twitter.com/BandicootWorld/status/1349142563379433474 a production bible]] for this canceled series.

* Early designs of Crash originally had a tail, but it was removed to reduce the number of polygons on his body.

* ''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen/CrashBandicootTheWrathOfCortex The Wrath Of Cortex]]''

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d5651XSuh0 A hand drawn intro and ending FMV were made for the game]] by Universal Animation (with a very similar look and feel to their concurrent ''WesternAnimation/EarthwormJim'' adaptation, including Creator/JimCummings singing), but never made the cut, Sony wanting to push the 3D genre. They also attempted to use it as a pitch for a potential ''Crash'' TV series, but that effort failed for the same reason.

''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen/CrashBandicootTheWrathOfCortex The Wrath Of Cortex]]''
''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen/CrashTwinsanity Twinsanity]]''
''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen/CrashBandicoot4ItsAboutTime Its About Time]]''

* ''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen/CrashBandicootTheWrathOfCortex The Wrath Of Cortex]]''
* ''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen/CrashTwinsanity Twinsanity]]''
* ''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen/CrashBandicoot4ItsAboutTime Its About Time]]''

** There were plans for levels such as a sunken ship level, swimming levels, cavern levels, sewer levels, dungeon levels (in concept art), snow levels (with a snowboarding level), and levels that transition from 2D to 3D; but these ideas were scrapped due to technical limitations and [[SavedForTheSequel some of these ideas wouldn't be used until the other games]].

** Crash originally had the ability to throw coconuts, rolling, double jumping, and a belly flop [[SavedForTheSequel before the sequel games included it]].

* Tiny Tiger and the Komodo Brothers were also designed to put into this game (hence their cameo in the prototype intro above and concept art from the Crash Bandicoot Files books show), but they were omitted [[SavedForTheSequel and spared for]] ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack''.

* There have been multiple canceled games since the third title. However, the most recent was meant to be a 2010 game titled ''Crash: Landed'' (which most fans call "''Crash Bandicoot 2010''"). It was cancelled after Activision removed the staff at Radical Entertainment who were making the game. Thankfully, we can see [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9QzutrSOX4 concept art]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4t0Jcmg42s gameplay footage]] of what would be the DS version of the game.
* Sony at one point was going to make their own platformer franchise as a replacement for Crash called ''Harry Jalapeno'' in case they ever lose the franchise, but those plans never worked out. There's not much info on the game, but [[https://www.unseen64.net/2010/02/13/jalapeno-harry-psx-cancelled/ there is some concept art on what the game could have been like]].

* Sony was considering making thrill rides based on the game for the Ride/UniversalStudios theme parks, but that didn't happen due to the decline in popularity; despite this, he did appear as a walk-around character in the parks for a short period of time.

!!Crash Bandicoot

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[[caption-width-right:350:These are early designs of Crash]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d_v_fy3wwaerhlr.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:This was one of many early design of Crash by Creator/ButchHartman]]

*** Crash originally had the ability to throw coconuts, rolling, double jumping, and a belly flop [[SavedForTheSequel before the sequel games included it]].

!! Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_ns1tahpm4y1s071aro1_1280.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:These are early designes of The Komodo Brothers.]]

* Tiny Tiger was originally a Tasmanian Tiger named Taz Tiger, but due to copyright issues and Australia's restriction on the animal's portrayal, this was scrapped.
* In a [[https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/2017/6/22/15820540/crash-bandicoot-an-oral-history 2017 Polygon article]], Naughty Dog alumni Taylor Kurosaki states that he was working on completely revamping Crash's control scheme for the sequel. He doesn't go into too much detail but he says that "He [Crash] was going to be able to do a lot more different moves...". He mentions that they also planned for there to be a button that would "...turn the camera around, like, the camera was going to be able to completely go 180 [degrees] and be on the other side of the level". All of these plans were scrapped once the team found out that they only had a year's worth of development time to work with.

!! Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/n_tropy_origins_3_1_1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:An early design of N. Trophy that makes him [[FakePregnancy look pregnant]].]]

* According to prototype versions of the game leaked online, the music used for "[[PassThroughTheRings Rings of Power]]" was originally intended to be used for [[CoolBoat the Jet Ski levels]], before they had another song composed specifically for them.
* Pura the Tiger was originally a panda bear but was made into a tiger to distance him from Polar.

!! Crash Team Racing
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/characters_1_2_4.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:An early design of Nitros Oxide when he was still a mad scientic.]]

* Originally the game started out with block-headed characters with no Crash or otherwise related personalities. If Sony didn't make the deal with Universal the game would have been either canceled or have original characters.
* Nitros Oxide was originally a mad scientist obsessed with speed who plotted to speed up the entire world until the end of time. However, having exhausted human, animal, machine, and various combinations for Crash Bandicoot bosses in the past, it was decided to have Oxide be an otherworldly character (mainly to [[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun possibly kill off the franchise]]). The original "speed up the world" plot is referenced in a promotional comic (written by Glenn Herdling and drawn by Neal Sternecky) featured in the Winter 2000 issue of Disney Adventures.
* According to an article published by Electronic Games Magazine a month before the game's release and a Q&A Interview with Jason Rubin, the player would receive Gold Wrenches by beating a level or boss in order to upgrade the kart's performance. The reason why they were removed is unknown.
* Originally, Ripper Roo was gonna be fully voiced, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi2X6HH3Lb8 and speak in full sentences no less]]!
* According to an interview with Naughty Dog's vice president, Evan Wells, Polar and Pura were originally going to be sitting in one kart as a single racer, as were Komodo Joe and Komodo Moe. However, these ideas were scrapped due to the memory limitations of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation.
* Originally Oxide was going to be playable but due to his large size, he couldn't fit in the memory of the game's multiplayer mode and the size of his model made him too big for some of the tracks in the game, leading to a lot of model clipping and lag.
* Oxide Station, already the second-longest track in the game after Tiny Arena, was originally going to be ''much'' longer, with the track even separating into four different paths at one point. The track was changed and streamlined because it caused the UsefulNotes/PlayStation to lag too much.
* There are two tracks in CTR that seemingly don't belong to any character: Mystery Caves and Sewer Speedway. WordOfGod has it that these tracks belonged to two planned racers, Koala Kong and Nitrus Brio. However, there wasn't enough space available in the game for more than 15 racers, so both of them ended up being cut from the final game. They eventually became playable in [[VideoGame/CrashTeamRacingNitroFueled the remake]].

!! Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elli_mental_5d989448daf73_1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:This is concept art for scrapped antigens from the early Crash Bandicoot Worlds concept.]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut6vj9Dy2Wc As this early test animation]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRbidXDtYP8 this concept art]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZmM72ktjNA this GDD (game design document)]] demonstrate, ''The Wrath of Cortex'' was meant to be more revolutionary under Mark Cerny's direction, taking on a more wide-open level design. After a fall out with Cerny, however, VU handed the project over to Traveller's Tales, asking for a more conventional ''Crash'' platformer in a twelve-month deadline.
** The story would have had Crash traveling from planet to planet-saving them from Cortex's experiments to make battle drones to take over the galaxy.
* The game would have had a new villain named Elli-mental with fire hair, rock skin, swirling eyes, who wears a water dress. She would have been a replacement for Uka Uka as the BigBad, Employing Cortex to make battle drones to take over the galaxy. [[DecompositeCharacter She was later replaced by the Elemental mask in the final]].
* Originally there would have been a twin sister of Coco named Quoco who would have looked like Coco but with blue eyes instead of green and wears her hair down, She most likely have been replaced by Crunch.
* Originally, the final boss would have been a direct fight between Crash and Crunch, with Crash fighting Crunch in a mechanical robot suit. This explains why the fight starts off with Crunch standing in front of you and the OrphanedReference at the end of the fight.
* "Crash and Burn", a level clearly based on the early pitch, was originally nearly twice as long and had more story involvement. Storyboards were made for a cutscene where Coco entered the level only to be kidnapped by a gorilla, who intended to sacrifice her to the erupting volcano. Crash would rescue Coco and then face the gorilla miniboss at the top of the volcano. Early footage and beta assets show they got some way into programming the original level.
* The original "Ice Station Bandicoot" would have had the players venturing in the wide-open platforming area below, with the polar bear serving as an enemy.
* "Banzai Bonzai" similarly had a much different more wide-open structure in early builds, paying more homage to the "Upstream" levels from the first game.
* Two other DummiedOut levels involved a dogfight against Cortex's airship (likely the vehicle section for "Weathering Heights") and race track level in a volcano.
* The game was also set to be released on the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast before its production ceased. This would have been the first and only time a Crash game was released on a SEGA console had this occurred.
* In early prototypes and betas, the game would have Crash flying in a realistic airplane in the flying stages, but the idea was scrapped possibly [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents due to the 9/11 attacks]].
* The original [=PS2=] release's atrocious loading times were the remnant of a mini-game where the player could control Crash as he fell and collected wumpa fruit (that would be retained in the next level). When the game was ready to be shipped, disputes were made by the game's Japanese publishers, Konami, that Namco had at the time patented playable loading transitions and didn't want to risk a lawsuit, forcing the team to quickly delete it with no time left to optimise the loading screens (something they utilised the Greatest Hits rerelease to rectify).
* Other features such as a multiplayer mode and in-level minibosses were also considered but quickly dropped.

!! Crash Nitro Kart
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cnk_nina_cortex.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:This is concept art from the game that would have had Nina appear in a console game earlier before Twinsanity.]]

* [[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack The Komodo Bros]], [[VideoGame/CrashBash Rilla Roo]], and [[VideoGame/CrashTwinsanity Nina Cortex]] were all originally intended to be playable characters, but were scrapped for unknown reasons. In the latter's case, it would have been her second EarlyBirdCameo before her official debut in ''Twinsanity''.
* Velo and the other bosses have unused voice clips suggesting they were originally intended to be playable in the console versions as well. The Velo Mask also has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR1mspxGp6M unused dialogue]] that implies it was originally intended to speak like Aku Aku and Uka Uka do.
* Data of a [[https://tcrf.net/Crash_Nitro_Kart_(PlayStation_2)#Virtual_Lobby "Virtual Lobby"]] exists within the game's files in a fairly comprehensive state, implying it had a lot of work done before it ultimately got cut. Apparently, it would have allowed players to race or battle each other online in an early form of online multiplayer, predating ''VideoGame/MarioKartWii'' and its online multiplayer by almost half a decade.
* Early trailers and data mines imply the game would have been larger, with 17 race tracks and at least 2 more battle arenas, essentially making it the same size as CTR. Yellow token/gem data also exists inside the final game, implying tracks were going to be made to correspond to the missing colour cup.
* There were considerations to put the tracks from ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing'' into the game with enhanced graphics, but the idea was ultimately cut. Ironically, the idea was [[RefittedForSequel essentially done in reverse]] in [=CTR=]'s remake, ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacingNitroFueled'', putting the levels from this game into the original [=CTR=].

!! Crash Twinsanity
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kttdreh237261.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:This is an early idea for Crash before the Twinsanety revition.]]

* In early stages of development, the game was meant to have a DarkerAndEdgier sci-fi theme rather than a comedic theme, with a story of the Evil Twins taking chunks of planets to form an even bigger planet with Crash's home being one of them. This idea was scrapped because [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002 a similar story was used in another game]] so they had to go in the opposite direction, and the rest was history.
** The game was also going to have RPG elements but the idea was scrapped.
** There was concept art from this point of development of two levels set in a Gaudí-inspired greenhouse and on the floor of a dried-up ocean.
* Collecting yellow gems unlocks "unseen extras" which apparently feature ideas and concepts that never made it into the final version. This is lampshaded by Cortex once: "We were going to visit two dimensions, but... we ran out of time."
* Several hours worth of content was removed from the game, including several returning characters, new levels, gameplay mechanics [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLNP37P2bkE that were more combat based]] similar to the [[VideoGame/CrashOfTheTitans later games]], minigames based on classic games, and a VillainSong for Dr. Cortex entitled "Take a Walk Inside My Brains". Two members of the development team, Keith Webb and Paul Gardner, released a great deal of information on these removed items, which can be viewed [[https://www.crashmania.net/en/games/crash-twinsanity/spacecat-trivia/part-1/ here.]]
* At least two direct sequels were also planned, but never made it past early planning due to Traveler's Tales' Oxford unit shutting down.
** One of the ideas was a ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}'' - ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' type game starring Dr. Neo Cortex called ''Cortex Chaos'' or "The All-New Cortex Show".
* There were plans for a UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube port, but due to difficulties with porting the engine, the port was scrapped. Similar issues plagued the [=GameCube=] port of [[VideoGame/CrashBandicootTheWrathOfCortex the previous game]].

!! Crash Tag Team Racing
* The basic concept originated with [[Creator/TravellersTales Traveller's Tales]]. Their version was called ''Crash Clash Racing'', and it would have been a more immediate continuation of ''Twinsanity'', being set in Crash's head. For currently unknown reasons, however, the game was handed to Creator/RadicalEntertainment, who retained some gameplay ideas and concepts, but wrote their own story for the game instead.
* A UsefulNotes/NintendoDS version of the game was originally planned as the handheld variant rather than PSP. The only evidence that this was going to be the case, however, was on the original announcement from the official Crash Bandicoot website; no screenshots of it ever surfaced, which means it likely didn't get a whole lot of development before being scrapped (though some model and scenery rips were later discovered to prove it had at least started). The PSP was more suited to running a faithful port of the game in any case due to being more powerful, and considering that the game likely started development before the PSP was unveiled, this was probably why. Though it's also possible that the issues behind the scenes at Sensory Sweep, the developers behind the DS version, played a part in its cancellation as well, not to mention the impending release of ''VideoGame/MarioKartDS'' which would've prevented the DS version from making a bigger impact.
* A large amount of dialogue clips exist in the game that would expand on the main plot a little, with Coco and Pasadena trying to track down the thief and Cortex's team making attempts to cheat (only to find someone's already booby-trapped the whole place). Only one of these conversations was made into a cutscene in the final game, though the [=FMVs=] follow the same story.
* A few extra gameplay functions were partway programmed into the final game but unfinished, including:
** A sixth racing mode ("Cone Attack").
** A Cheat Mode options screen (which would have featured options to turn on the Japanese Crash skin, race in "Film Noir", mirrored tracks and play Battle Mode in the Stunt arenas). The screen was coded, but doesn't activate any options.
** A couple extra racing power-ups such as an Invisibility Shield and a Marble Missile weapon.
** A "scootch" function that allows racers to drift straight sideways into opponents (this one was complete but DummiedOut and can be activated by toggling with the game code).

!! Crash of the Titans
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/95477812df6641629034bdb71257dda4.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:An early redesign of Crash before he had tattoos.]]

* According to an interview with Kirsten Forbes of Radical Entertainment, the game was going to go into greater detail about the entity of Mojo, and use it to explain some of the changes in the character designs:
-->'''Forbes:''' After years (and as many developers) the world of Crash has had many characters with different styles. We wanted a unified and modern style for the main character cast. A long time ago, in 2007, punk was very strong among the new generation of kids. The Crash Universe needed a change of destination. However, these changes weren't just due to the commercialisation of the game. Tiny was one of the first Cortex experiments with Mojo. This experiment turned Tiny into a smarter mutant with a different look. The tribals tattoo in Crash's arms are the result of contact between our hero and Mojo. This information was supposed to be present in the game, but due to the short time available these scenes are not in the original game.

!! Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled
* Early datamines suggested that a track based on Motorworld from ''VideoGame/CrashTagTeamRacing'' was planned at one point, only to be replaced with Koala Carnival.
* Early datamines had shown such characters as Willie Wumpa Cheeks, Ripto, and the Sorceress as being potential racers. However, they aren't in the game. Oddly enough, Ripto's voice actor, Creator/GreggBerger, appears in the credits.
* The [[https://gamingreinvented.com/news/crash-team-racing-nitro-fuelled-datamine-leaks-possible-characters-and-content/ earliest known iteration of the initial roster datamine]] suggested that "Fasty", a.k.a. Trippo the Hippo, was going to be included at one point, until official info in regards to that fan myth racer came to light throughout the Internet, so it's likely that he was replaced with the conceptually-similar Hasty to avoid possible legal conflicts with Bob Rafei and/or the airline price website he was originally designed for.

!! Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
* One leaked piece of concept art showed what seemed to be an early design for Lani-Loli, with each half of his face having a different color and expression. This was presumably considered redundant, as Ika-Ika remained the only Quantum Mask with two faces. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAtrX6M156g As it turns out]], the art department had a difficult time coming up with a design that would easily convey the nature of Lani-Loli's phase-shifting.
* There were at least two earlier designs for the alternate Tawna, one being midway between her mainline universe counterpart and her finalized design, with the other having her wear an Australian explorer's outfit, carry a giant boomerang, and sport much longer hair. One of her other concepts would have had her use a super-soaker gun.
* [[https://www.ign.com/articles/why-crash-bandicoot-4-uses-crash-1s-world-map-design Paul Yan once considered]] using the hub room format from the prior two games in the trilogy, but ultimately decided against it in the end, since it would cause SchizophrenicDifficulty issues, and using Crash 1's map setup allowed the staff to show the plot's progress more naturally.
* [[https://twitter.com/SimonKopp3/status/1312701108624687104/photo/2 One piece of concept art]] suggests that mine cart sections like in ''The Wrath of Cortex'' were initially planned at some point in development.
* Several unused character designs can be found in the artbook: among them are [[https://www.reddit.com/r/crashbandicoot/comments/jt0yv2/the_best_designs_since_the_original_trilogy_i/ designs that would have been much more accurate]] to the Naughty Dog [=PS1=] games.
* A [[https://twitter.com/tabreezsiddique/status/1328073030690541568 piece of unused audio meant for the 100% epilogue]] reveals that there was going to be a scenario of Tiny, Papu Papu, Pinstripe and Koala Kong outraged for [[AbsenteeActor not appearing in the game]] and deciding to [[RageAgainstTheAuthor picket outside of the developers' studio]], only to be arrested after chaining themselves to the wrong building.
* Ripper Roo was once planned to be the [[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/724826859984126043/778407091193774090/swnpqpjpepz51.png end-of-world boss for Mosquito Marsh's "Run It Bayou"]], but ultimately relegated to cameo appearances instead. However, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYdR9NsU0ZQ in an interview with CanadianGuyEh]], Lou Studdert claimed that he wasn't supposed to be a boss and would have merely showed up out of nowhere at certain points to hound the player with TNT crates (later replaced with mines).
* Among the various alien creatures that Nicholas Kole had a hand in designing, those that didn't make the cut are [[https://twitter.com/FromHappyRock/status/1336498301059932160 Gasmoxian aristocrats that would have been in an entertainment room on Oxide's ship]], and [[https://twitter.com/FromHappyRock/status/1336739893569961986 many of the Bermugulan critters (except the Axolotl squirrel)]].
* A datamine revealed that Cortex, Dingodile and the alternate Tawna were all seemingly going to get unlockable skins like Crash and Coco at some point in development, but this ultimately went nowhere. At least [[https://twitter.com/Sketchcraft/status/1345953141032816642 some of Tawna's]] would presumably have been earned in Tranquility Falls.

* The game would have had a new villain named Elli-mental with fire hair, rock skin, swelling eyes, who wears a water dress. She would have been a replacement for Uka Uka as the BigBad, Employing Cortex to make battle drones to take over the galaxy. [[DecompositeCharacter She was later replaced by the Elemental mask in the final]].
* Originally from there would have been a twin sister of Coco named Quoco who would have looked like coco but with blue eyes instead of green and wears her hair differently, She most likely have been replaced by Crunch.

** The story would have had Crash traveling from planet to planet-saving them from cortex experiments to make battle drones to take over the galaxy.

* Originally from the CBW concept was a twin sister of Coco named Quoco who would have looked like coco but with blue eyes instead of green and wears her hair differently, She most likely have been replaced by Crunch.

* Other features such as a multiplayer mode and in-level minibosses were also considered but quickly dropped.

* If Naughty Dog never signed on to the project, there would be no Crash Bandicoot; instead, they would've made ''Al O. Saurus and Dinestein'', a side-scrolling video game based on time travel and scientists genetically merged with dinosaurs (a spoof of both ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' and ''Franchise/JurassicPark'').

* According to the Crash Bandicoot files book, when the game was called Willy the Wombat, there were some different ideas included but scrapped:
** Crash (in his early Willy stages) was going to be a zanier, fast-talking character doing impressions and quoting TV shows, movies, and books. This was scrapped because the creators thought that this would make him lame and annoying, Leading to the player un-identifying with the character.
** Originally, power-ups consisted of flowers that increased his common abilities, such as a Special Flower for running faster, a Spring Flower for jumping higher, a Pepper Flower for increasing his Attacking power, and a Cactus Flower that harms you when collected, Also Skulls (If jumped on) would grant him invincibility and give you hints. Also some beaker power-ups and a lightning bolt power-up that serves other functions.
** Aku-Aku was going to have different functions such as attacking enemies by serving as an extended spin attack, along with other mask power-ups that functions with enemies such as a Scare Mask that makes enemies run from you, a Laugh Mask that makes enemies run towards you, a Freeze Mask that freezing enemies, a Silly Mask that changes your attack with a stronger attack, and a Speed Mask that makes you run faster and makes you invincible. The idea was scrapped, but eventually brought up (albeit with masks having different properties) in ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot4ItsAboutTime'' two and a half decades later.

* There were some characters that were planned but never used. These characters were a country bumken hyena, a resort alligator, a thugged-out monkey, a shark (who didn't appear until ''Crash 3''), and a racing lizard.

* The original level order was drastically different overall. For instance, Boulders and Hog Wild were switched around, as were Cortex Power and Heavy Machinery; Jaws of Darkness was originally on the second island just after Sunset Vista, [[NintendoHard Road to Nowhere]] immediately precluded The High Road, and [[BlackoutBasement Fumbling in the Dark]] was not a hidden (and, more importantly, optional) level, but instead was the penultimate level (just before the notorious [[PlatformHell Stormy Ascent]]).

* Aku Aku was a sprite in very early stages of development and Crash collected actual fruit and a Yin Yang Yuk item instead of the fictional Wumpa fruit. He was also originally conceived as a fairy and then a genie, Not necessarily a voodoo mask. Even when he was conceived to go in that direction, it was initially someone who wore the mask as opposed to magically floating around on its own.

* In a [[https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/2017/6/22/15820540/crash-bandicoot-an-oral-history 2017 Polygon article]] Naughty Dog alumni Taylor Kurosaki states that he was working on completely revamping Crash's control scheme for the sequel. He doesn't go into too much detail but he says that "He [Crash] was going to be able to do a lot more different moves...". He mentions that they also planned for there to be a button that would "...turn the camera around, like, the camera was going to be able to completely go 180 [degrees] and be on the other side of the level". All of these plans were scrapped once the team found out that they only had a years worth of development time to work with.

* According to prototype versions of the game leaked online, the music used for [[PassThroughTheRings Rings of Power]] was originally intended to be used for [[CoolBoat the Jet Ski levels]], before they had another song composed specifically for them.

* Nitros Oxide was originally a mad scientist obsessed with speed who plotted to speed up the entire world until the end of time. However, having exhausted human, animal, machine, and various combinations for Crash Bandicoot bosses in the past, it was decided to have Nitros Oxide be an otherworldly character (mainly to [[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun possibly kill off the franchise]]). The original "speed up the world" plot is referenced in a promotional comic (written by Glenn Herdling and drawn by Neal Sternecky) featured in the Winter 2000 issue of Disney Adventures.

** Originally, Ripper Roo was gonna be fully voiced, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi2X6HH3Lb8 and speak in full sentences no less]]!
* According to an interview with Naughty Dog's vice president, Evan Wells, Polar and Pura were originally going to be sitting in one kart as a single racer, as were Komodo Joe and Komodo Moe. However these ideas were scrapped due to the memory limitations of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation.

* There are two tracks in CTR that seemingly don't belong to any character: Mystery Caves and Sewer Speedway. WordOfGod has it that these tracks belonged to two planned racers, Koala Kong and Nitrus Brio. However there wasn't enough space available in the game for more than 15 racers, so both of them ended up being cut from the final game. They eventually became playable in the remake.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut6vj9Dy2Wc As this early test animation demonstrates]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRbidXDtYP8 concept art]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZmM72ktjNA this GDD (game design document)]], ''The Wrath of Cortex'' was meant to be more revolutionary under Mark Cerny's direction, taking on a more wide open level design. After a fall out with Cerny however, VU handed the project over to Traveller's Tales, asking for a more conventional ''Crash'' platformer in a twelve-month deadline.

* "Crash and Burn", a level clearly based off the early pitch, was originally nearly twice as long and had more story involvement. Storyboards were made for a cutscene where Coco entered the level only to be kidnapped by a gorilla, who intended to sacrifice her to the erupting volcano. Crash would rescue Coco and then face the gorilla miniboss at the top of the volcano. Early footage and beta assets show they got some way into programming the original level.

* There was considerations to put the tracks from ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing'' into the game with enhanced graphics, but the idea was ultimately cut. Ironically, the idea was [[RefittedForSequel essentially done in reverse]] in ''[=CTR=]'''s remake, ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacingNitroFueled'', putting the levels from this game into the original ''[=CTR=]''.

* In early stages of development the game was meant to have a DarkerAndEdgier Sci-Fi theme than a comedic theme, with a story of the Evil-Twins taking versus chunks of planets to form an even bigger planet with Crash's home being one of them. This idea was scrapped because [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002 a similar story was used in another game]] so they had to go in the opposed direction, and the rest was history.

* Several hours worth of content was removed from the game, including several returning characters, new levels, Gameplay mechanics [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLNP37P2bkE that were more combat based]] similar to the [[VideoGame/CrashOfTheTitans later games]], Minigames based on classic games, and a VillainSong for Dr. Cortex entitled "Take a Walk Inside My Brains". Two members of the development team, Keith Webb and Paul Gardner, released a great deal of information on these removed items, which can be viewed [[https://www.crashmania.net/en/games/crash-twinsanity/spacecat-trivia/part-1/ here.]]

** One of the ideas was a ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}'' - ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' type game starring Dr. Neo Cortex called ''Cortex Chaos'' or "The All-New Cortex Show".

* A large amount of dialogue clips exist in the game that would expand on the main plot a little, with Coco and Pasadena trying to track down the thief and Cortex's team making attempts to cheat (only to find someone's already booby trapped the whole place). Only one of these conversations was made into a cutscene in the final game, though the [=FMVs=] follow the same story.

** a "scootch" function that allows racers to drift straight sideways into opponents (this one was complete but DummiedOut and can be activated by toggling with the game code).

!! Crash of the Titens

* There were at least two earlier designs for the alternate Tawna, one being midway between her mainline universe counterpart and her finalized design, with the other having her wear an Australian explorer's outfit, carry a giant boomerang and sport much longer hair. One of her other concepts would have had her use a super-soaker gun.

* [[https://twitter.com/SimonKopp3/status/1312701108624687104/photo/2 One piece of concept art]] suggests that mine cart sections like in ''The Wrath of Cortex'' were initially planned, at some point in development.

* Ripper Roo was once planned to be the [[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/724826859984126043/778407091193774090/swnpqpjpepz51.png end-of-world boss for Mosquito Marsh's Run It Bayou]], but ultimately relegated to cameo appearances instead. However, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYdR9NsU0ZQ in an interview with CanadianGuyEh]], Lou Studdert claimed that he wasn't supposed to be a boss and would have merely showed up out of nowhere at certain points to hound the player with TNT crates (later replaced with mines).

!! Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled
* Early datamines suggested that a track based on Motorworld from ''VideoGame/CrashTagTeamRacing'' was planned at one point, only to be replaced with Koala Carnival.
* Early datamines had shown such characters as Willie Wumpa Cheeks, Ripto, and the Sorceress as being potential racers. However, they aren't in the game. Oddly enough, Ripto's voice actor, Creator/GreggBerger, appears in the credits.
* The [[https://gamingreinvented.com/news/crash-team-racing-nitro-fuelled-datamine-leaks-possible-characters-and-content/ earliest known iteration of the initial roster datamine]] suggested that "Fasty", a.k.a. Trippo the Hippo, was going to be included at one point, until official info in regards to that fan myth racer came to light throughout the Internet, so it's likely that he was replaced with the conceptually-similar Hasty to avoid possible legal conflicts with Bob Rafei and/or the airline price website he was originally designed for.

* Sony at one point was going to make their own platformer franchise as a replacement for Crash called Harry Jalapeno in case they ever lose the franchise but those plans never worked out. There's not much info on the game but [[https://www.unseen64.net/2010/02/13/jalapeno-harry-psx-cancelled/ there is some concept art on what the game could have been like]].
* Originally Cortex's niece Nina Cortex was meant to appear in [[VideoGame/CrashNitroKart Crash Nitro Kart]] but she wasn't be seen until [[VideoGame/CrashTwinsanity Twinsanity]] although she made an [[EarlyBirdCameo early]] [[EarlyDraftTieIn unintentional]] appearance in the crossover games ''VideoGame/CrashBandicootPurpleRiptosRampage'' and ''VideoGame/SpyroOrangeTheCortexConspiracy''. Although according to the [[VideoGame/CrashBandicootTheWrathOfCortex Wrath Of Cortex]] Game Design Document [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZmM72ktjNA in this video]] she was conceived earlier under the name Reo Cortex as Cortex's daughter and disturbingly as a possible love interest for Crash [[ExiledFromContinuity possibly striking out Tawna at the time]].
* They were also considering making thrill rides based on the game for the Ride/UniversalStudios theme parks, but that didn't happen due to the decline in popularity; despite this, he did appear as a walk-around character in the parks for a short period of time.

!!

* There was considerations to put the tracks from ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing'' into the game with enhanced graphics, but the idea was ultimately cut. Ironically, the idea was [[RefittedForSequel essentially done in reverse]] in ''[=CTR=]'''s remake, ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacingNitroFueled'', putting the levels from this game into the original ''[=CTR=]''.