Crash Bandicoot: Warped

The Good
I must say before I embark upon this review that I've never particularly liked the Crash character. From the beginning, it was an obvious attempt by Sony and Naughty Dog to rip off Sonic the Hedgehog, and sometimes I swear I can see little dollar signs in Crash's pupils. But good taste aside, Naughty Dog are talented game designers, and they've turned what started as a lukewarm platformer into one of the most insanely fun series on the PlayStation.

For the most part, the basic concepts in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped haven't changed. You have 3D movement, but this mostly takes the form of "tunnel" levels where you are running on a linear track. You bust boxes, bop enemies, and outrun the infamous boulders. Also mixed in are more traditional side-scrolling levels (that still have a degree of depth, so be careful with the up/down!). New to Crash 3 are several mini-game levels that have you buzzing around a true 3D environment in a vehicle. You beat 5 levels, fight a boss, and 5 more levels, until your final confrontation with Cortex. This is a platformer, so naturally the story is so stupid I will not bother with it here.

Crash 3 is a much deeper game than either of it's predecessors, occasionally approaching Super Mario 3 levels (the highest compliment I can give). While beating the basic game by getting all the "crystals" (just survive the level) is fairly easy, each level also has several secret offshoots that allow you to pick up "gems". Some offshoots on earlier levels cannot be accessed until you obtain gems from later levels. Also thrown into the mix for this game are "amulets", which require you to beat the level in Time Trial mode under a certain time. The system of secrets is very elaborate e.g., the second gem on level 3 might not be accessible until you get the blue gem on level 16 and bronze amulets for all the levels, that sort of thing. Suffice to say the most expert of gamers will have a tough time getting 100% completion.

The graphics for Crash 3 are impressive, to say the least. The cartoonish feel of the game allows Crash to avoid the pixelated look of titles that aim to be more realistic. The jetski levels show off what is, in my opinion, the best in-game water possible on the PSX. Everything is done in an exaggerated, cartoonish vibe that expresses a liberal sense of humor. The "medieval" levels in particular result in some wickedly funny death animations. The designers include thinly disguised homages to other PSX games such as JetMoto and Tomb Raider.

Crash himself has more moves than either Mario or Sonic had at the same points in their careers. These include bodyslams, double jumps, mega-spins, dashes, slides, and the ever-amusing mango bazooka. The control still manages to be easy and natural, and the level design is challenging without being overly frustrating.

The Bad
Although most of my gripes stem from my personal distaste for Crash himself, there are a few more concrete issues with this game.

Numer one among them would be the music. The cartoony xylophone/synth is barely tolerable from the start, and after a few levels it grates deeply at the soul. The stupid voices for the games' few cutscenes also detract from the game's quality. This is NOT the game to justify the CD medium with.

Also, Crash still resists the move to true 3D. The few times you do move into 3D are confined to vehicular races, which are fun but shallow, and two (very lame) plane levels. Would it be too much to ask for at least a level or two which utilize true 3D platforming? For new-school aficionados, I would recommend Gex or Spyro as superior product.

And finally, Coco is the worst sidekick ever. EVER! Worse than Tails! Worse than Toad! Boooo!

The Bottom Line
As a concept, Crash is very derivative and soulless. As a game, Warped is neither true 3D nor true 2D, which makes for a unique and compelling gameplay experience. If you can stomach the cutesy-ness of the design and the (ugh) soundtrack, I recommend checking it out.

The Good
This is the third and final Crash Bandicoot game for PlayStation, and it begins where the last game left off. If you've done everything right, you should have seen Crash destroy the Cortex Vortex and break the space station apart. Crash and the gang learns that the Cortex Vortex crashed into Earth and unleashed an evil entity called Uka Uka, who teams up with Cortex and N. Tropy to gather crystals scattered across time and use them to enslave the Earth.

So it's up to Crash to grab the crystals before his enemies do. The aim of each of the levels is the same as the previous Crash Bandicoot games. If you are able to make it half-way through them, you will get one of the crystals. Each of the levels follow a theme from Medieval to World War I.

What sets this game apart from other games in the Crash Bandicoot series is the new gameplay mechanics. After completing the first level, it isn't long until you find yourself searching through the ruins of Atlantis with scuba gear on, and riding a jet-ski, motorcycle, and plane in the levels after that. Coco the Bandicoot once again joins Crash but this time she is a playable character, allowing you to control her as he rides the Great Wall of China on a tiger and as she gets through Atlantis on the aforementioned jet-ski.

Almost all the levels have stunning backdrops. My favorite is the jet-ski levels. Seeing the water bounce up and down, as you make your way through the levels and jumping off ramps is the highlight of the game. These levels are reminiscent to Wave Race 64. Crash still does his little victory dance when he collects an item (crystals, gems, or relics), but there are heaps of death animations, and these are worth losing a life on purpose just to watch them again. Also, seeing Crash jump into nothing and fall flat on his face when he cannot enter a level is a nice touch.

There are new moves that can only be unlocked by defeating one of Cortex's henchmen. Most of these moves, especially the Double Jump, are ideal for breaking crates that you weren't able to reach the first time. In my opinion, the Double Jump is more efficient if used with the Body Slam.

Like the previous Crash games, the replayability factor is high. You are encouraged to go back and replay some of the levels because there may be alternate routes that you couldn't take the first time, and they can only be accessed by collecting colored gems throughout the game. There are also two endings, with the best one achieved if you collect every gem and relic in the game. Getting relics is hard work because you have to complete levels within a set time limit without making too many mistakes. Finally, there are secret warp rooms that I still haven't discovered yet.

The Bad
The levels where you drive a motorcycle and race to the finish line are annoying. No matter how you finish, getting second or third place in the race is irrelevant, because if you don't finish the race first place, then you don't get the crystal. The environments in these little races are boring, and only consist of desert.

The Bottom Line
So in conclusion, Crash 3 plays similar to the first two games in that the aim of most levels is to run through them and return to the time-twisting machine with the crystal. The keyword is "most" because there are times where the gameplay changes which involve you riding some sort of vehicle instead. Coco is re-introduced and she is a playable character.

Crash 3 can be played over and over again due to the amount of alternate routes, the secret warp rooms, and the variety of new moves you can perform. Getting all the gems and relics in the game is essential for watching the better ending it has.

The Good
I LOVED everything about this game.Crash bandicoot must get the crystals,gems and Relics from different time zones,which is very fun(And challenging sometimes).The 5 bosses are brilliant too.And it has a brilliant system(Beat a boss,get a new move)Also there are time trials.Time trials really make this a long lasting game.You'll get so addicted you'll never put it down!Also with loads of vehicles the controls are really varied.One minute you may be riding a tiger across the great wall, the next scuba diving in Atlantis.

The Bad
Now there are very few things I don't like about this game.Sometimes,time trials get frustrating and the fun goes out of it.And...that's it.

The Bottom Line
In a nutshell,Crash 3 is a very good game which I really recommend to anyone who wants some good platforming.