Although now known as a multiplatform character, Crash Bandicoot was one of PlayStation's original “mascot” characters back in the 1990s, and to this day, is the platform’s closest equivalent to Super Mario. However, once Naughty Dog lost the rights to its creation, the quality of the games slowly deteriorated until the series was reduced to a hiatus. Five years ago, the public saw the return of the goofy marsupial with the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, modern remakes of the original Crash trilogy.
The remakes attracted their own kind of criticism, such as the infamous comparison to Dark Souls, but overall, they were the push the franchise needed. The N. Sane Trilogy is a blast to the past that was still released relatively recently, but considering the life it brought into Crash, it might as well have been made even earlier than 2017. The original games already have a timeless feel to them, but the N. Sane Trilogy did a splendid job recreating this execution.
Crash Bandicoot's 2016 Return
The original Crash trilogy is less consistent than its remake regarding the visuals, physics, and overall mechanics. The sequels, Cortex Strikes Back and Warped, are very similar in terms of visuals and controls, but the original Crash Bandicoot is significantly harder. It also has blockier visuals, more restricted controls, and is overall just more archaically designed. The N. Sane Trilogy streamlined all three games to make their core features essentially interchangeable.
All three games, including the first Crash, can be played with a control stick. The save system is no longer dependent on a Warp Room, nor is it reliant on bonus stages. All three games now allow players to save their progress the same way. The trilogy also has consistent, cartoony, and colorful visuals, and the soundtracks have all been remade similarly. Additionally, the characters have the same voice actor across all three games, while there were originally some changes in the voice acting, particularly for Cortex, between the first Crash game and Crash Bandicoot 2. The developers even added two DLC levels, including the formerly scrapped stage Stormy Ascent. Vicarious Visions dedicated itself to the bandicoot’s history, and it shows in N. Sane Trilogy.
The Possible Impact of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Nowadays, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy may look less special due to the plethora of remakes and ports being announced recently, including plenty of old school platformers, but it might be credited with the emergence of similar remakes. A few years after the N. Sane Trilogy’s release, a Crash Team Racing remake with similar visuals was made. Spyro the Dragon, a franchise whose history is close to Crash’s to the point where they might as well be unofficial sister series, also got its own remakes in the form of Spyro Reignited Trilogy.
Beyond the biggest PlayStation hits, less well-known games of a similar caliber, like Klonoa, Kao the Kangaroo, and even Pac-Man World, have made comebacks in recent years. While it is unconfirmed, this could be partially thanks to Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy’s impact. Platformers aren't as popular now as when they peaked in the 1990s. Bringing back both Crash and Spyro back looked somewhat inevitable thanks to their fame, but the comebacks of less famous platformers has caught numerous people off-guard.
To Crash fans, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a return to the franchise's roots that was long overdue. It can be seen as spearheading the reintroduction of many forgotten cult classics. The Crash series has seen a brand-new installment thanks in part to the remakes’ success. Fans can hope that the bandicoot’s hiatus from 2008 to 2017 will be his last one.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is available for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.