History VideoGame / CrashBash

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Crash has his traditional SpinAttack in some games. Coco gains her own version too, as do Dingodile and Rilla Roo.

There's also an adventure mode where one or two players cooperatively take on computer opponents in each of the games, and a few added boss levels. In ''Crash'' tradition, playing a level again lets you get more prizes. In this case, gems are awarded for winning a handicap match (the [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard Cheating Bastards]] start with more points than you), crystals for a special match where the game is changed in some way, usually tilting the odds in favour of the [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard Cheating Bastards]], and relics for winning 2 or 3 games in a row against [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard Cheating Bastards]].[[labelnote:*]]No, [[SarcasmMode we can't see a pattern here, either.]][[/labelnote]] Playing adventure mode unlocks more minigames for you to play.

* StockAudioClip: None of the playable characters actually talk. They either reuse past voice clips (for example, Cortex's laugh from the opening cutscene of ''Cortex Strikes Back''), or have voices comprised completely of stock voice samples. Some are more obvious than others, like Dingodile having a rather unfittingly [[SimpletonVoice stupid-sounding laugh]]. The sole exception is Brio, who's rendered into TheUnintelligible.

* StockAudioClip: None of the playable characters actually talk. They either reuse past voice clips (for example, Cortex's laugh from the opening cutscene of ''Cortex Strikes Back''), or have voices comprised completely of stock voice samples. Some are more obvious than others, like Dingodile having a rather unfittingly [[SimpletonVoice stupid-sounding laugh]].

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: The first six game types (Ballistix, Polar Push, Pogo Pandemonium, Crate Crush, Tank Wars, and Crash Dash) have four arenas that all play very similarly to each other with usually a gimmick or two unique to each of the specific levels. However, the Medieval Mayhem levels all play completely differently from each other, the only thing consistent between the four being that all of them take place in a circular arena and that they're about scoring points.

** Games like Ballistix, where there's no real way to impede your progress directly, generally avert this, except for the fact that the CPUs are basically inhumanly perfect and insanely difficult to score against.

''Crash Bash'' (''Crash Bandicoot Carnival'' in Japan) is the fifth and last ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' game on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation and the first that was not developed by Naughty Dog, who produced the original trilogy as well as ''Videogame/CrashTeamRacing''. ''Crash Bash'' was the only Crash game developed by Eurocom, and since then the franchise has seen many developers and publishers. This was also the last Crash Bandicoot game to be exclusive to Sony before going multi-platform in the sixth generation of consoles.

Distantly followed by ''VideoGame/CrashBoomBang'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS in 2006, though the preceding ''VideoGame/CrashBandicootPurpleRiptosRampage'' on the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance heavily used varied mini-games within it's story mode.

** The Crystal challenge for Ring Ding will make other colors' balloons (instead of the ones meant for you) killing you if you mistakenly pop them.
** The Crystal challenge for Swamp Fox features slowly moving torpedo that destroys you on one hit while others just swim over it.

* RemixedLevel: The crystal challenges actually swap the background of given level. Sometimes it just settles for changing daytime (''Sky Balls'', ''Polar Panic'') or changing background slightly within the same theme (''Manic Panic''), but sometimes it changes completely (''Dot Dash'', ''Space Bash''). Also, in ''Tilt Panic'' this also explains the Crystal Challenge itself.
* RulesOfTheGame: The crystal challenges will put restrictions on the human players [[MyRulesAreNotYourRules but not the computers]]. Some gem challenges do this too. This leads to very NintendoHard challenges.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: The first six game types (Ballistix, Polar Push, Pogo Pandemonium, Crate Crush, Tank Wars, and Crash Dash) have four arenas that all play very similarly to each other with usually a gimmick or two unique to each of the specific levels. However, the Medieval Mayhem levels all play completely different from each other, the only thing consistent between the four being that all of them take place in a circular arena and that they're about scoring points.
* SpecialEffectBranding: In many of the minigames, each type of character would use things themed to them. For example, in the minigame Pogo Pandemonium, Crash and Coco use actual pogos, Dingodile and Rilla Roo use... some kind of modified gas-powered pogo that shoots flames, Tiny and Koala Kong use spring coils attached to their heels, and Neo Cortex and N. Brio use JumpJetpack.

* TankGoodness: The Tank Wars mini-game, in which you have to off the other players while riding tanks.

** The Crystal challenge for Manic Panic forces you to start on foot, turning bombs in these (which normally result in loss of your bear on first hit).
** The Crystal challenge for Drain Bash has the purple ? crates, normally breaking open with a kick to reveal Wumpa Fruit or special weapon inside, will instead explode and OneHitKill you if you kick them (the opponents naturally can open them normally). [[OutsideTheBoxTactic There's still a way to open it, though...]] [[spoiler:by ''throwing'' the crate.]]

* DynamicDifficulty: If you fail repeatedly Boss battles you'll end up doing more damage per attack while they'll do less to you. Likewise, some challenges like Sky Balls Crystal Challenge will dumb down opponent's reflexes. Rather fortunate considering [[NintendoHard the difficulty]] of them.

* ExplosiveBarrels: Aside from the standard explosive crates (the TNT and Nitro), the game also has actual exploding barrels in Keg Kaboom minigame. Also radioactive barrels in Toxic Dash.

* FakeLongevity: To earn a trophy, you must win a total of three times against the CPU, who can also win, prolonging the game; in the worst case scenario, you will end up playing the same stage nine times for a single trophy[[note]]assuming each player (including you) wins twice, and you win the final game[[/note]]. Some minigames (i.e. the pogostick ones) have the timer set to a minute and a half, meaning that it could take almost 15 minutes to get the trophy.

** All in all, that's three wins for a trophy, another win for the gem, yet another win for the crystal, two more wins for the gold relic and three more wins for the platinum relic. Assuming you win every time (which is next to impossible, given how hard some of them are to get), that's ten wins for each of the 28 minigames. If each one takes a minute and a half on average, getting full completion would take seven straight hours (not including loading times, cutscenes, bosses, or the time it takes to walk to each one).
* GangUpOnTheHuman: In standard matches, computer players will target each other as much as they'll target you, while in Gem and Crystal Challenges, you're typically at a disavantage, but the computer still won't actively target you. In Relic Challenges, however, the trope starts getting played [[NintendoHard hair-pullingly]] straight, depending on the game being played:
** Games like Ballistix, where there's no real way to impede your progress directly, generally avert this.

** Something to note, though, that in some games this can actually end up backfiring against their favor. In the first two Tank Wars games, for example, they will still target the human even at opposing corners, and will shoot their weapon which will cause it to hit them in the face because they're facing a wall. In Pogo Padlock, this puts them at a disadvantage because they end up never stealing squares from each other.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: None of the game's bosses are given much context by the plot, but Bearminator stands out due to being the only boss who's not a returning character from previous games. Aku Aku and Uka Uka don't even mention him in their intro to the battle and instead just instruct the player to defeat "the mechanical bears" (which Bearminator sends out during the fight).
* HeelFaceTurn: Tiny and Dingodile are originally on Uka Uka's side, but they're moved to Aku Aku's to even the pieces.
* HundredPercentCompletion: The relics are insanely hard to get, especially in one-player, but they can boost completion all the way to 200%. Essentially, you must face a perfectly calibrated CPU team of the best balanced characters for a particular game...and win twice in a row. Then there are platinum relics which require you to win three times in a row. To preserve some gamers' time (and sanity), there is ''no'' reward whatsoever for getting 200% completion.

* MoodWhiplash: Despite the game upholding the series' usually wacky tone for the most part, the two alternate endings are pretty damn serious. [[spoiler:One has Uka Uka throw an [[VillainousBreakdown epic tantrum]] before [[DisneyVillainDeath getting shot into hyperspace]], the other has him [[TheBadGuyWins gain control of all the crystals]] "[[ChewingTheScenery and ALL OF THE POWER]]", leading Crash and Coco into exile). Naturally both fall into CanonDiscontinuity.]]

* NintendoHard: Adventure Mode quickly becomes extremely difficult. Especially the Gems and Relics challenges, which involve a lot of cheating CPU.
* NostalgiaLevel: Many of the minigames are based on past levels of the original trilogy. E.g Space Bash is set on the future levels in ''Warped'', while its Crystal challenge is set in the Egyptian levels, also from ''Warped''.

** The Crystal challenge for Sky Balls has some balls being randomly changed into red balls that will kill you (but not the CPU) if you get hit by them. Don't worry, letting them pass through your goals won't reduce your hit points. The boss fight with N. Oxide also features those.

* BattleRoyaleGame: The Crate Crush, Polar Push, Ballistix and Tank Wars category of minigames are all about free-for-all match where you have to take down other opponents and be the last man standing. In Crate Crush and Tank Wars, you deplete opponent's HP; in Polar Push, you push your opponents out of the ring; and in Ballistix, you deplete opponents' points by knocking balls towards their goal.

** In Space Bash, Nitro and TNT's explosions may damage the floor, causing holes on them. Falling into the holes result in instant death.
** In Polar Push and Crash Dash type of minigames, the edges of the arenas are pits that [[RingOut you can shove other players into.]] In the former, doing so eliminates them; in the latter, doing so will make them [[NonlethalBottomlessPits respawn next to their falling place with some time lost]].

** N. Brio was last seen in the second game where he helps Crash against Cortex if Crash collects all the gems. He comes back here, representing Team Evil alongside Cortex. Brio switching between resenting Cortex or begrudgingly rejoining him would become a recurrent character trait with this title.

* TheCameo: Penta Penguin, Ripper Roo, and N. Gin are reduced to being this in Snow Bash, El Pogo Loco, and N. Ballism respectively.
* CharacterCheck: Brio is randomly working back with Cortex for no stated reason in this game, despite turning on him in his previous appearance in ''Crash 2''. The Japanese epilogue for Brio's campaign however notes that Brio still holds some grudges against Cortex and upon winning the tournament, he decides to try conquer the world solo.
* CheatCode: The demo had a code which, when entered, allowed you to play the entire game in debug mode because it was easier to release the debug mode with most features blocked off than make an actual demo. Had this been known at the time, the game would most certainly have flopped.
* ColorCodedMultiplayer: In some of the games (such as Pogo Pandemonium and Ring Ding), you will be designated to specific color. Player 1 is yellow, player 2 is red, player 3 is blue, and player 4 is green.

** All in all, that's three wins for a trophy, another win for the gem, yet another win for the crystal, two more wins for the gold relic and three more wins for the platinum relic. Assuming you win every time, that's ten wins for each of the 28 minigames. If each one takes a minute and a half on average, getting full completion would take seven straight hours.

''Crash Bash'' received mixed reviews from critics for its quality and included mini-games, especially in one-player mode, but it still sold well enough to be rereleased under the Sony Playstation "Greatest Hits" series. The game was only released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStationNetwork in Japan, so [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes only the [=PSOne=] discs and emulated versions exist for North American & European regions.]]

* CharacterRosterGlobalWarming: Highly averted by introducing a new big character (Rilla Roo) and bringing back three others (Tiny, Koala Kong, and Dingodile). That's half the roster, representing two of the four play styles available.

** N. Brio was last seen in the second game where he helps Crash against Cortex if Crash collects all the gems. He comes back here, representing Team Evil alongside Cortex. This is despite him hating Cortex with a passion.

* DuelingPlayerCharacters: If playing a two-player game with one good and one evil character, the two players must duel each other to decide whether good or evil triumphs. There are no ties, and tiebreakers are given after all games are played.

''Crash Bash'' received mixed reviews from critics for its quality and included mini-games, especially in one-player mode, but it still sold well enough to be rereleased under the Sony Playstation "Greatest Hits" series. The game was only released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStationNetwork in Japan, so [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes only the PS One discs exist for North American & European regions.]]

-->[[spoiler:'''Uka Uka:''' There is nowhere to hide from the wrath of the mighty UKA UKA!!! BWAHH HA HA HA!!!]]

There's also an adventure mode where one or two players cooperatively take on computer opponents in each of the games, and a few added boss levels. In ''Crash'' tradition, playing a level again lets you get more prizes. In this case, gems are awarded for winning a handicap match (the computer starts with more points than you), crystals for a special match where the game is changed in some way, and relics for winning 2 or 3 games in a row against [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard Cheating Bastards]]. Playing adventure mode unlocks more minigames for you to play.

''Crash Bash'' received mixed reviews from critics for it's quality and included mini-games, especially in one-player mode, but it still sold well enough to be rereleased under the Sony Playstation "Greatest Hits" series. The game was only released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStationNetwork in Japan, so [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes only the PS One discs exist for North American & European regions.]]

* Polar Push: Where players ride Polar on icy platform to try to push others off the edge. The last man standing wins.
* Pogo Pandemonium: Where players jump around on a pogo to color squares with their hopping and then score points. The one who scores the most under the time limit wins.