Crash Bandicoot (1996)

Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment, Universal Interactive Studios
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Android, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable
Genres: Platform
Rating: 4.0 of 5, 703 player ratings
Main story: about 38 hours
Completionist: about 41 hours

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A bright, bouncy romp through tropical obstacle courses that demands tight jumps and quick reflexes while keeping a cheerful, cartoonish charm throughout.

colorfulenergeticchallenginglightheartedprecisebouncypunishingarcadey

About

Crash Bandicoot is the first installment in the Crash Bandicoot series that established Naughty Dog's reputation in the video game industry. Its premises chronicle the creation of the titular Crash, a bandicoot who has been uplifted by the mad scientist Doctor Neo Cortex. The goal of Crash Bandicoot is to traverse several levels in sequence in order to progress. The game is played from a third-person perspective in which the camera trails behind Crash, though some levels showcase forward-scrolling and side-scrolling perspectives. Crash is able to defeat enemies by either jumping on them or using a spinning attack that launches them.

What players say

A foundational and iconic 3D platformer remembered fondly but also for punishing difficulty spikes, tricky depth-perception cameras, and stingy saves that make it feel tough and occasionally frustrating today.

Screenshots

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This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.