Any kid who grew up with a PlayStation undoubtedly loves Crash Bandicoot. The series goes far beyond the original three platformers and the racing spin-off, however. From party games to mobile entries and an eventual true sequel to the original trilogy, the anthropomorphic marsupial has had quite an interesting journey.
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Crash Bandicoot has had a lot of ups and downs throughout its gaming history, and this list is here to detail the games that stand at the very top. The entries below reveal how the classics stack against the newer games and reveal some hidden games some readers may have never played before.
Because they are functionally the same except for subtle physics differences, the graphics, and the addition of time trial modes to the older titles, the original trilogy will be graded as separate games and not as a single game for the
N. Sane Trilogy
remake
10 Crash Bash
Does Not Liven Up The Party
- Release Date: November 7, 2000
- Developer: Eurocom, Cerny Entertainment
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
- Platforms: PlayStation
This party game feels like an attempt to take some of Mario Party’s thunder, but the effort feels half-baked. There are only a small handful of minigames and the rest are simple variations of them.
They control decently enough for a PS1 game but the difficulty is almost unreasonable for a kid’s game meant to be enjoyed by others. Crash Bash’s saving grace is cooperative multiplayer, while its ultimate sin is introducing the world to Rilla Roo. It also has the distinction of being the first game in the series not developed by Naughty Dog.
9 Crash Twinsanity
3D Platformer Bogged Down By A Wonky Camera
Crash Twinsanity
- Released
- September 28, 2004
- Publisher(s)
- Vivendi Universal
Twinsanity does away with the warp rooms and linear levels, instead opting for a more open 3D platformer. The greatest obstacle standing in the way of a quality experience is the camera. It makes even simple jumps tricky to pull off.
While the gameplay suffers greatly, the shockingly humorous script almost makes up for it. The cutscenes are filled with jokes that feel too smart and clever to come from a game made in 2004, including self-referential humor and even a cameo from Spyro the Dragon.
8 Crash Tag Team Racing
A Fun Gimmick Prioritized Over Balanced Racing
- Released
- October 21, 2005
- Developer(s)
- Radical Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Vivendi Universal Games
The two prior racing games before Tag Team Racing focused on tight, skill-based driving. Tag Team Racing’s main mechanic is the ability to meld with other racers into one vehicle. One racer drives while another controls a mounted weapon. It is a temporary uneasy alliance where the racer who separates first gains a speed boost.
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It is a fun idea but makes for an unbalanced gameplay experience due to each racer’s unique abilities. The single-player at least spices up the racing gameplay with platforming segments in the hub world between the driving.
7 Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath Of Cortex
An Erzats Imitation, But Still Fun
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
- Released
- October 30, 2001
- Publisher(s)
- Universal Interactive
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex sticks close to the formula established by Naughty Dog. It is especially similar to Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. This at least gives it a cozy and familiar vibe, but at the same time, it does not push the series forward in any meaningful way.
The levels are fun the first time through but the cracks start to show once players strive for 100% completion. Finally, the load times are brutally long, bringing down the whole experience, even if the introduction of Crunch Bandicoot and the debut on the PS2 is a fun time.
6 Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure
Fits Crash Into A Small Package
- Release Date: February 26, 2002
- Developer: Vicarious Visions
- Publisher: Universal Interactive
- Platforms: Game Boy Advance
It was not easy to translate console experiences to handhelds in the early 2000s, but developer Vicarious Visions managed to pull it off with Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure. It features all the staples of the series shrunk down to fit on the Game Boy Advance.
The only drawback is its lack of a distinct personality. All the aesthetics are borrowed from the original PS1 games. Coming off the Game Boy Color’s primitive visuals, the graphics for this platformer were particularly impressive.
5 Crash Bandicoot
The Debut Of Crash, And One Of The Hardest Platformers
Crash Bandicoot
- Released
- September 9, 1996
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Computer Entertainment
The title that started it all is still a fantastic platformer to this day. It is, however, a little rough around the edges. The animation is not as smooth as it would become and the jumping is not as precise. Then, there is the extreme difficulty.
The game starts off hard and only gets harder. Instead of warp rooms, the levels run along a linear path on three islands, with each level reflecting where Crash is on the island. It is a nice touch that future games lost when they switched to warp rooms.
4 Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Crash Is Back, And He’s Bigger And More Next-Gen Than Ever
When Crash Bandicoot came back to the gaming scene with a proper and direct sequel in 2020, it came back strong. Crash Bandicoot 4 is not the best Crash Bandicoot game, but it certainly is the biggest and most expansive that the series has seen so far.
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The levels are bigger than they have ever been and each has more challenges than the prior entries, making it a particularly daunting title to 100% complete. The game length is doubled by the mirror mode which flips every level, and the difficulty can ultimately feel unfair at times, yet that doesn’t detract from a fun platformer.
3 Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled
The Definitive Crash Bandicoot Karting Experience
This remake of the original Crash Team Racing makes the list in place of the older title because it retains the original gameplay while adding tons of tracks from Crash Nitro Kart along with original cosmetics for its abundance of characters and kart customization.
Unlike some other kart racers where power-ups and weapons are meant to even the playing field, Crash Team Racing encourages players to master the drift mechanic to win races. Power-ups will not win the race if the other player has mastered the drift boost across its incredible track selection.
2 Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
Immense Gameplay Variety for Crash’s PS1 Finale
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
- Released
- November 3, 1998
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Computer Entertainment
Naughty Dog’s final platformer starring the unofficial PlayStation mascot was big and bold. Warped adds new abilities players earn after fighting each boss, more vehicle segments, and introduces relic challenges. It features a smooth difficulty curve that allows players of most skill levels to enjoy it.
Reaching the credits is not a big challenge, but getting all the gems and gold relics will take some effort. It is not in the top spot because of the abundance of vehicle levels compared to traditional platforming.
1 Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
Crash Presents Pure Platforming Bliss
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
- Released
- November 6, 1997
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Computer Entertainment
Crash Bandicoot 2 is not just the best Crash game. It is one of the best video games on the original PlayStation. The sequel beautifully encapsulates the joy of platforming. There is just enough challenge to keep players on their toes without frustrating them. No death feels cheap.
Various secrets scattered throughout the levels reward experimentation and the addition of secret paths that open up only by getting to that point in the level without dying adds a layer of challenge without making the levels impossible for newcomers. Simply put, it is a near-perfect platformer.
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8 Canceled Crash Bandicoot Games
For all the great Crash Bandicoot games out there today, there are a surprising number of promising Crash games that have been canceled as well.
