A Crash Bandicoot fan has put together a video comparing every single boss fight in the original trilogy to the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy remaster. The video does an outstanding job of showing just how much better the Crash Bandicoot remaster looks, not to mention just how much work Vicarious Visions had to put into the game. The 45-minute video spans all three Crash Bandicoot games, so it's a bit of a time investment, but it's well worth checking out.
The video is also a great example of how the Vicarious Visions remaster of the Crash Bandicoot games has both been recreated in mirrored detail, yet changed in curious ways too. Take for instance the Ripper Roo fight that starts off Crash Bandicoot 2. Ripper's ridiculous tiled floor has been recreated perfectly and even the pattern Ripper drops his bombs along is the same. Yet while the way Ripper's hat and glasses pops off after damage, returning after Crash spin-attacks, another animation's changed. Instead of face-planting at the end of the fight, Ripper's head gets stuck in the ground and his newly grown hair comes off to show his original Crash Bandicoot look.
There are many such changes in the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy remaster, mostly done for sensible reasons. Ripper's throwback appearance works great when you remember that a lot of players will have played the two games within a short span of time. Certain difficulty changes were also made, including how the first fight against Dr. Neo Cortex has slower orbs with different timings. No one wants to get stuck on a final boss when two arguable better sequels are available. And the removal of Crash's victory dance in Crash 2 just goes to show that works in 1997 doesn't necessarily work in 2017.
Whether or not the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is "better" than the original three games is of course a matter of personal taste. Differences between old Crash and new Crash aside, the games have been released about 20 years apart. Perspective on what makes games great has changed dramatically. And mixing in the added factor of nostalgia makes grading the quality of a modern Crash Bandicoot even more challenging.
Youtuber ProsafiaGaming took the time to play through both the remaster and each of the classic editions of the game for this video, giving both the opportunity to show their qualities. Due to his efforts fans of the classic Crash Bandicoot games get to recall those games fondly while picking apart the new game's changes. New Crash Bandicoot players get to laugh at the classic games' retro graphics and Crash's oh-so-90s humping victory dance. This video is a great example of what makes remasters great.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is available now exclusively on PlayStation 4.