| Crash Bandicoot Crash, bang, wallop, woohoo. Oh, sorry, I'm just too excited about Crash Bandicoot. I've just finished the game and to tell you the truth, it IS a milestone in platform-gaming. I said: a platform-game, so don't expect any guts, blood and all that other stuff. Gaming-world is so obesessed these days with intestines hanging out and shooting the hell out of aliens as Quake so elegantly puts it. There is no more place for the games that amuse you and, with some (and by this, I mean a lot) practice, you can complete in half a days time. These games are rare and thus whenever a developer tries to make one, I hold my breath anxiously to see if they've crafted a kiddies-game (as many of you define a platform-game) or a game that gives you a challenge. And one of these developers is Naughty Dog, they've given us a game so good, and playable even, that this is a classic from the day it came out. Anxious to know what makes this game one to own? Read on and be amazed. Plotwise, it misses a few hinges here and there (mostly here than there). You and your sister Coco are captured by Doctor Cortex. Crash's sister. He needs you to perform some experiments [that's why he's a doctor - Ed]. During one of these experimentson Coco you break out of your cage and escape, but Coco is still captured, now it's your job to get her back. The only way to do this is go past three islands, each with very various levels, and then destroy Cortex's rein over the islands, as each is inhabited by Cortex's followers who will do anything to stop you from getting Coco. There are two ways to finish the game, depending on what you want to do: on one hand, you can complete each level and then kill Cortex (on a cool airballoon) this might sound easy but it definitely is NOT, on the other hand, you can complete each level and rescue Coco, there is a catch: every level has to be completed without ever being killed AND you have to collect each box to get a gem. In terms of gameplay, the only thing there is to say is: you collect boxes and apples, that's it. Boring you must be saying, but it's not, it seems boring, but the challenge lies in collecting all boxes and the apples, that give you lives every hundred and a lot of apples can be collected, so the more apples you gather the more lives you got, the more you can play this game without having to use a continue and beginning a couple of levels earlier. Those boxes can be tricky in the majority of the levels. I've mentioned the gems right? Well they are grey, so you can expect there are coloured ones too [did you figure this out by yourself? - Ed] correct are you. If you complete some levels without losing a life and gathering all boxes, you get a coloured one, and these are meant to open up secret areas in other levels. So, I'm right aren't I, the gameplay isn't boring, it's a challenge. I know some of you gamers out there have had the privilege to play Quake or even Resident Evil (or anything that's full with action or horror) and enjoyed it. Come on, don't lie, I know you did, you zombie killing flesh people. Naughty Dog has crafted a game nothing like those, but instead it turns out to be a game with the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees (and butterflies). And you have to take this serious. Enough chit chat, let's talk levels. You start of on N Sanity beach and end in The Lab, so the difference between these two is obvious. So does every other level, not more than two levels are the same, one time you'll be tomb raiding old ruins and the next your trying not to fall in a gorge. These varieties make sure nothing gets dull, in fact, the levels where you play in the dark are pretty amusing, you only have to make sure you don't lose your Aku-Aku, or else you're alone in the dark, or not?? One of the two down-sides of this game is that the boss-character are too easy, after two tries, there's nothing that can stop you from 'assassinating' the bosses. To all gamers out there, don't let this spoil your fun at this game, the bosses may be easy, but the levels sure ain't. This writer has played Crash for many times and every time, there's this one level, I have difficulty completing, but (after losing many lives) I get there. And now, I complete Crash in about three hours, 100%. This may take the longetivity of the game away, but it's nice to see that there's a game out there that is enjoyable and can be completed in one afternoon (after some heavy practicing of course), so you enjoy AND get to finish it. So, if this isn't enough to make you buy this game, stat, find out on the next page... Page 2: still not convinced this is great ?? |