Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced

Crash is back, only this time he's fighting against his friends! No, it's not that they're at odds with each other; his friends have been hypnotized by N. Tranced ' N. Tropy's new secret weapon. Now it's up to Crash to beat his friends back into a conscious state and defeat evil once more.

Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced is best described as a near-typical side scrolling 2D platform game and while most of it is, there are other types of levels also. Some of those include cruising around in your three-quarter, top-down view atlasphere (as seen in such games as Fuzion Frenzy and American Gladiators) or hanging 10 on your wake board from an odd in-your-face perspective that doesn't wreck the gameplay. Crash 2 has all the elements of a great platform game ' secrets, nifty moves, great controls to perform those nifty moves, tons of items to pick up, as well as nice variety and innovation in the level design.

It even includes some replayability by allowing you to race through the levels after they've been completed to beat a certain time or your previous time. Speaking of replayability, there's always more when a game has multiplayer and Crash 2 is no exception. Unfortunately I don't have a second GBA or cartridge to try this but how can you not enjoy going head-to-head in an atlasphere? Actually if the multiplayer is half as good as the normal game then you're in for a good time.

In general the graphics are great but they really showcase the GBA's abilities during the wake board level. The animation is top notch. While the sounds and music are pretty standard for a GBA game there are no complaints here.

I also liked that you didn't have to sit through 25 different developer and publisher logos at the beginning of the game (and the few that do show up can be bypassed quickly and at will).

Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced is what the GBA is supposed to be all about. Simply put, great graphics, sounds, control, gameplay, and variety in levels all make for a great game playing experience. If you're a fan of Crash you need this game. If you aren't a fan of Crash or platform games this game could very well make you a fan. Now quit reading this and go get a copy!