Crash Bandicoot 2

Crash's back, with bigger levels, more moves, and more secrets. Having survived the final confrontation with Crash at the end of the first game, Dr. Neo Cortex is back to create more mayhem for our Bandicoot. Other returning characters include Ripper Roo and N. Brio. In addition to Crash's usual run-and-jump moves, he now has the ability to slide, super jump, and climb.

Followers of Sony's furry frontman probably already know--or could have guessed--that Crash Bandicoot will return to the PlayStation in plenty of time for this holiday season. The sequel picks up where the original game left off as a defeated Dr. Cortex takes refuge in an underground cavern. New perks this time include a wild ride astride a polar bear and a jet pack level that requires you to move in all six directions. The beta version looked and played solid, particularly the improved animation and support for the analog controller. Fans of the crazy coot won't want to miss this one.

Even as Crash Bandicoot: Warped, the third game in the Crash series, hits the market, the Bandicoot is striking back retroactively thanks to the release of his second game as a PlayStation Classic. For less than the price you'd pay for a pair of the coot's sneakers, you can now enjoy spinning your way past aggres sive turtles and mean-spirited seals while you amass crystals in order to save world from a truly unpleasant fate. Like some deranged Adam mad for apples, you can re-experience the great graphics, concise control, and upbeat gameplay of this instant golden oldie.

If you liked the original but didn't play the sequel, this is your opportunity to make up for lost time and to get into the groove for Crash's third installment. The Band-icoot is playing on.

He has come all the way from Australia to stop Cortex for a second time, so you can count on him spicing things up a bit Crash Bandicoot is back and has a load of new tricks up his...uh...fur in Crash 2 for the PlayStation.

The evil Dr. Cortex is back to give Crash hell, but that's not what it seems like at first. According to Cortex, he has seen the error in his ways and wants to help humanity. Sound fishy? It should, considering Cortex was the one who got a hold of Crash's girl in the first game and neariy botched things up for everyone in Crash's world.

So Cortex tells Crash that if he collects these crystals scattered throughout the various levels, the Cortex Vortex (an invention of Cortex's) will supposedly stop the impending doom...yeah right.

Although it's a nice thought it's obvious that Cortex hasn't changed, so what has? The game is still on a "track" of sorts in that the levels take place on long corridors, but this time there is more freedom of movement Crash can jump up on different platforms and even fly in some cases.

On top of this, Crash can man a whole array of vehicles-and animals. Besides the rocket Crash can jump on a Jet Ski with turbo power and skim around the water avoiding mines and whirlpools, among other watery enemies. Not only can Crash take a ride on a mechanized piece of machinery, but he can also jump on a polar bear's back and cruise. There are other interactive devices to take control of in the game as well.

Crash can also do all sorts of cool moves. Some include belly flops, slides and power jumps, among many others. Because of the 30 fps and his hilarious antics, Crash looks good whatever moves he's doing. But it's not just the animation that does this for him or the other characters in the game.

The graphics look even better than before. Gone are the days of blocky characters thanks to the upgraded polygon count, and now the game has colored light sourcing to make it look even better. Crash now gets a red glow when he's near a flame. Plus Naughty Dog got funky with other little graphic effects that make a world of difference. For instance, in the snow level Crash can skate around on ice. While he does, his reflection appears in the ice. Who said the PlayStation couldn't do reflection mapping?

Fans of the first Crash should be pleased with the sequel coming out and new gamers not family with the Bandicoot may find themselves having a ball.

Overview

When we last left our hero (in Crash Bandicoot), Crash had successfully thwarted the dark plans of the evil Dr. Neo Cortex, who was left plummeting towards earth. All's well, right? Guess again. Cortex finds himself in a mysterious ancient cavern, illuminated only by glowing crystals. Fascinated by them and sensing the power that they contain, he retrieves one and hauls it back to his lab to examine it.

As Dr. Neo Cortex delves deeper into the mysteries of the crystal, an alarming truth is revealed to him. The planets are about to align and create a disastrous solar flux capable of destroying life as we know it. Yet also in the crystal he finds the means to avoid such a disaster and at the same time redeem himself for his past crimes. If he could collect all 25 of the crystals, he could create a new crystal-powered Cortex Vortex that would be capable of absorbing the solar flux and dissipating it harmlessly. Incapable of building such a device by himself, he recruits his old friend, Dr N. Gin to assist him. Together they can create the device, but who has the courage and the strength to retrieve all of the crystals? There is only one person who Dr. Cortex can think of who possesses the skills necessary to complete this quest ... Crash Bandicoot! He saved the planet before, he can do it again.

The game starts out with you sitting with your hacker sister, Coco, who is studious typing away on her laptop. Then disaster strikes. Her battery runs out and she appeals to you to get her a new one. You agree to run home and get her power pack; unfortunately you never make it. You are blinded by a bright light and transported to an ancient Warp Room. In front of you is a holographic projection of the doctor himself and he explains the impending disaster that awaits the Earth. He further tells you that an ancient civilization built these Warp Rooms so that they could instantly transport themselves all over the world. You need to use these Warp Rooms and the doorways that each of them holds so that you can travel to the location of each of the crystals and retrieve it. Knowing that the fate of the world and your sister is in your hands, you agree to go after the crystals.

Gameplay

Crash Bandicoot 2 is a 3D action/arcade-style game that pits you against the perils of each of the environments where you are transported. You get to view Crash from a third-person perspective as you race, jump, spin, crawl and Jet-boat your way past the many dangers that await you. Piranhas, man-eating plants, twirling penguins and killer whales are just a few of the obstacles you must overcome if you are to save the planet. In each location, there are also several special items that can help Coco and you. Collect all of the Wumpa Fruit you can. For every one hundred pieces of fruit, you will be rewarded with an extra life. These are much the same as coins in Mario Brothers. There are also boxes that you will encounter along the way. Two of the best that you will want to keep your eyes open for are the one marked with a Witch Doctor's Mask, which will shield Crash from one enemy's attacks, and the Crash boxes that have a pictures of our young hero on it, which will give you an extra life. Some of the boxes that you will want to avoid are the Nitro boxes and the TNT boxes, although there will be times when you will want to touch a TNT box and then make tracks before the counter reaches zero. If you spot any circles with question marks in them, these lead to bonus areas that contain a lot of extra goodies. If you don't make it to the end of the bonus level, though, you won't get to take any of these goodies with you.

Each Warp chamber contains five doorways and a save/load doorway. After you successfully retrieve all the crystals from each of the doorways, you will encounter the boss for that level. These range from the twisted Dr. N. Gin, Ripper Roo, Komodo Joe & Komodo Moe, Tiny and N Brio. Once you have successfully beaten the boss for that level, you will gain entrance to the next warp room, progressing your way towards the goal of collecting all the crystals. I really appreciated the fact that you don't have to complete each area in order. You can pick any of the five doorways available to you. When I got stuck on a level, I didn't get frustrated; I just went on to try another doorway. After building up some extra lives, I could go back and try the level over again. You could even go back to levels that you already completed, to pick up some additional lives or possibly collect the hard-to-find gems that may assist you later in the game. I will leave that up to you to discover.

Graphics

This game is visually alive. Naughty Dog has put some effort into creating a rich, finely detailed world that feels alive, from the butterflies that pass through the scenes to the images carved into the rocks that and reflections on the ice. It's almost a shame that, for the most part, you are racing past these images without having the time to really take them in. The extra little details really make this game, like the multitude of facial expressions that Crash wears as he meets his death over and over again. The graphics are sharp and colorful. The animation is smooth and seamless.

Bottom Line

Crash Bandicoot 2 is a very entertaining game. The superior graphics, playability and soundtrack made this a game that I found myself enjoying for hours on end. The level of difficulty increases slowly but enough to keep the game continually challenging. I heartily recommend this game, especially if you are a fan of the original Crash Bandicoot, because everything that you liked about the first game and more can be found in the sequel.

Sony's bandicoot returns for another round of hop-and-bop action in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. However, this sequel has some differences over the first game--most notably Crash's new sliding, swinging, and climbing abilities. Crash 2 also boasts to be twice big as the original, with more secret areas to find and enemies to dispatch. Will this sequel be a hit, or will it Crash and burn? Find out in November.

Sony's mascot returns in his first sequel, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. Crash 2 sports better graphics and more diverse game-play than the original, and as an action/ platform title, Crash 2's as solid as they come. Sequel or not, Crash 2 blows the first game out of the water.

Got Crash?

The story? It's one year after the first game and Crash has been duped into helping his enemy, Dr. Neo Cortex. Crash must collect 25 crystals to save the world from certain doom--or so he thinks.

Crash 2 has bigger levels than the first game and more diverse environments. Crash trudges through icy caves, rain forests, and jungles--he even straps on a jet pack for space flight. The only weak link in the creative chain is the bosses. Although they look awesome, they have easy-to-recognize patterns and present no challenge.

Building a Better Bandicoot

Crash 2's graphics are a quantum leap over the first game's. Crash 2 also has a wider camera view of the action that makes it easier to spot upcoming objects and enemies.

Even Crash himself is enhanced with more animation. For example, when Crash runs from a giant snowball, he glances behind him, eyes wide with terror; when he walks across the ice, he grimaces with frustration.

As for the gameplay, Crash has more moves and techniques than he did before. The core fundamentals are still hop-n-bop, but added abilities like sliding, climbing, and belly flops also come in handy and can be used in a variety of creative and effective ways--like defeating tough enemies and smashing hard-to-reach boxes.

Crash 2 has 3D potential, but the gameplay itself feels more like 2D. Crash can move anywhere he wants, but the levels aren't designed to exploit his freedom of movement. Level objectives are still to get Crash from point A to point in one piece, with little lateral movemerit required. Imagine Pandemonium without rails and you get the idea.

Befriend the Bandicoot

With such radical improvements over the first title, Crash 2 is definitely worth a rental. Fans of the original and anyone who appreciates a good action/ platform game will find Crash.

Graphics

Crash 2 has state-of-the-art graphics, from Crash's detailed animations to stunning level effects like reflections in ice patches. The only problems are occasional breakup and some bulky polygons.

Sound

Crash 2's music sounds like a cross between the Pulp Fiction soundtrack and and the B-52s, and it's perfect for every stage. The voices are equally good, especially Clancy Brown as the voice of Neo Cortex.

Control

Precise controls make Crash easy to position, but the lack of custom configuration brings this number down a bit. The analog compatibility is nice, but the directional pad works just as well, if not better.

Fun Factor

Crash 2 has more of the same hop-n-bop play mechanics as the first title, but its graphic enhancements and added moves catapult it to the top of the PlayStation action/ platform heap.