Since Crash Bandicoot's 20th anniversary is upon us (Sept. 9, 2016), and the announcement that Crash will be getting a reboot, I think it's time to give this series the review it deserves.
I love it. 9/10.
It's really that simple. Crash Bandicoot is the series that got me into video games to begin with. I started playing Crash Team Racing when I was 12, and that was that. I played all the console games, up to and including Mind Over Mutant, and a bunch of the GBA games. And I cannot tell you how many hours I've poured into each one.
The series has had its low points, of course. Wrath of Cortex is abysmally bad, to the point that simply getting all the crystals is a chore. Titans and Mind Over Mutant are okay but heavily flawed. Really, any game post-ND will pale in comparison to the original four — Crash Twinsanity tried to live up to Naughty Dog, and came pretty close, but was ever so slightly held back thanks to being overly buggy and too short.
Yet, in spite of its flaws, this series is worth playing. At the very least, you should try the Naughty Dog games, especially since they'll be re-released in 2017. If you can hunt down a copy of CTR or Crash Bash, you can have a great time with friends, thanks to the multiplayer. Even Nitro Kart or Crash Tag Team Racing are worth a go.
Crash Bandicoot is a series very near and dear to my heart. It introduced me to video games, and for that I will always love it. The past six years — a period I have dubbed The Dark Times — are a time I will always look back upon as a Crashless time. And I can't tell you how happy I am that such a time is over.
An Absolutely Wonderful Series that needs more Recognition
Since Crash Bandicoot's 20th anniversary is upon us (Sept. 9, 2016), and the announcement that Crash will be getting a reboot, I think it's time to give this series the review it deserves.
I love it. 9/10.
It's really that simple. Crash Bandicoot is the series that got me into video games to begin with. I started playing Crash Team Racing when I was 12, and that was that. I played all the console games, up to and including Mind Over Mutant, and a bunch of the GBA games. And I cannot tell you how many hours I've poured into each one.
The series has had its low points, of course. Wrath of Cortex is abysmally bad, to the point that simply getting all the crystals is a chore. Titans and Mind Over Mutant are okay but heavily flawed. Really, any game post-ND will pale in comparison to the original four — Crash Twinsanity tried to live up to Naughty Dog, and came pretty close, but was ever so slightly held back thanks to being overly buggy and too short.
Yet, in spite of its flaws, this series is worth playing. At the very least, you should try the Naughty Dog games, especially since they'll be re-released in 2017. If you can hunt down a copy of CTR or Crash Bash, you can have a great time with friends, thanks to the multiplayer. Even Nitro Kart or Crash Tag Team Racing are worth a go.
Crash Bandicoot is a series very near and dear to my heart. It introduced me to video games, and for that I will always love it. The past six years — a period I have dubbed The Dark Times — are a time I will always look back upon as a Crashless time. And I can't tell you how happy I am that such a time is over.